Hello! I'm just new here, but have been lurking around since. Just need some teensy tiny question to ask.

I'm currently a college student interested to take internships this summer. Recently, I have applied on both bigger and smaller studios and I am currently waiting for responses, but it leaves some room to make me ponder.

As an incoming intern, is it better to work in a bigger studio, or a smaller studio?

I have an inkling that smaller studios can focus on you as an artist, whereas bigger studios offer less creativity. However, bigger studios also does have its advantages and perks, such as working on bigger projects and access to more updated tools, whereas smaller studios don't often have the same luxury.

Any thoughts?

Hey community long time lurker figured I ask for some advice. I been working with a team of artist on an animated short and it’s been a tough experience to say the least at times.

I really loved collaborating with others but man finding people who want to make a thing has been a struggle to say the least. I been trying to find places I can advertise the project to help find people who may want to work together but it’s pretty common for forms / discords to say “You can’t advertise or self promote” and I respect those rules as there part of the guide lines of that community. So how do you find people?

My friend running our boards department has a way better eye for camera work but he needs more board artist to help with the load but I can’t seem to find an inroad. I say my experience of recruiting given me a new appreciation towards recruiters. Finding good people to work with is tough to start with and finding ones who just like to create stuff together as a hobby not for money is even tougher.

Love your guys advice, suggestions, or even places ware board artist like to hang out.

Thanks for your advice :)

For the past year or so, I've been grinding out motion capture projects just to get my toes wet with the pipeline with the hope of going into the field sometime after college. I'm pretty well versed in setting up the stage, capturing full body and facial data, retargeting within MotionBuilder/Maya, and throwing them into Unreal and what not. I'm happy with what I've achieved so far and I'm eager to keep learning, just a little confused as to where I should go from here. Should I focus on making short clips with different types of animations, long-form cinematic type thing, or something else entirely? I'm in the blue here on what companies look for in Mocap reels when applying for technician jobs since it's a mix between running the shoot and working with the data afterwards.

I know this is a pretty niche field but I just wanted to throw the question out there of what the best next steps are in practicing this medium. Thanks :D

Im torn between these three colleges, for montclair i would go for animation and vfx, for njit id go digital design, and monmouth for art and design with a concentration in animation

I dont know which of these colleges has the best art program and would like some insight explaining what you liked or didnt like (or even just what youve heard)

for reference I (obviously) am interested in animation however i am also interested in storyboarding and concept design

I’m currently struggling trying to accept/fight the idea that I might not be able to go to my dream art school after envisioning myself going there for months. I would love to attend the California College of Art for a couple of reasons: I received their presidential scholarship (108k for 4 years), it’s located in and has good connections to animation industries, and I really connected with the way animation classes are programmed. I also made connections with some of the professors after getting personal tours of the animation and game arts departments. I was banking on receiving some tuition exchange money to cover more of tuition + the fafsa, but CCA gave me no other money. My family is in a financially unstable situation now and regardless they still couldn’t help me pay for it under regular circumstances. It’s becoming more likely that I might have to attend a state art school as it would be cheaper and I wouldn’t have to move across the country. I’m still grateful for getting into several art colleges and my parents allowing me to pursue animation, but I feel like if I go to the school in my city, I’m giving up on my dreams. I’m afraid that I’ll look back and wish I had just gone to California. I know I could always transfer but I feel like I’d be wasting the opportunity and scholarship I worked hard to get. Plus the animation industry is kinda nonexistent where I live. Idk, I’m just kinda of freaking out because I have to make a final decision before May 15 if I want to go to CCA and I’m not sure what to do. Do I accept that what I initially wanted might not be a possibility or do I keep fighting?

i feel it might be too rigorous compared to other states, and that theres too much competition. i wanted to do architecture instead, but i only have animation to show for. i feel like my animations are not good enough though 😭

Hello! Borrowing a friend's account to ask this question. I'd like to do CUIB work. I know there are companies which handle outsourced CUIB work and I would like to join them, but I couldn't find anything about them. May I know where I should look, or if there's a way to put myself out there for CUIB work?

My animations are crazy?

Hi, I recently got diagnosed with a disorder that alters my perception of reality.

I usually create realistic styled artworks and animations but now they are looking like hieroglyphs.

Short story, but how can I succeed as a social animator if my life is well, "kinda crazy?".

So basically, I've been working for a couple of years now (3-4) in 2D animation (non-union, outside L.A. and outside the States, I'm from another part of the continent)

Fast forward today: after too many months unemployed, they called me back from a studio I worked last year, I took the job. It was a misunderstanding on the notes I had, and a lot of desorganization from their part, and at the first feedback this time (overwhelmed by problems I'm having in my daily life and a bit of anger of having worked with them before and they doing the same thing over and over) I just got angry at the mistreatful way they gave it and only asked to quit.

Today (4 days later) the CEO writes me a kind of menacing message to only point the error was mine (his worst fear is to be cancelled because they underpaid and overwork a lot), I answered and also apologized for the way I handled things.

Now I feel stupid, not only for handling the things wrong, but for apologizing and because I feel this will damage any possible work in the future with any other studio. I can't stop thinking him talking to other people and saying "don't hire him"

Am I being paranoid?

sorry for the rant and thanks

I've been dreaming of being a Director or Writer for years, but I don't want to just show my stories and let that be my life's story. I want to help the Animation Industry and hopefully show a better series due to it. I understand that most likely in order to do this there is a possibility of creating my own Animation Studio, but I want to ask first on what jobs I should aim for to achieve these goals. Thanks in advance.

So I'm trying to go into the Animation Industry however i don't know what my next step is.

Recently I've been looking into colleges and researching what they offer. So far Full Sail University is the only one i can afford since the closest one, SCAD, is a bit expensive. I'm aiming to be a director and most of my stories would best be shown in an anime style. Thank you for your time in advance.

im forever grateful my fiance consistently takes the time out of his day to help me shoot reference, whether its starring as a secondary character or as a human tripod <3

SVA is an art school in NYC for those who are curious.

Vivienne Medrano has always been an inspiration to me and seeing her talk about SVA encouraged to look into it.

from what i saw, people looked happy, they looked like they were having the time of their life.

not only wanting to improve and achieve their dream but also building connections in a beautiful city.

All of this is coming from someone who cant find people like me in a school who mainly cares about sports, I'm guy (sophomore) who aspires to be a animator.

the problem is that place is PRICEY! rent is complete bullshit, its costs 50 grand per semester (and that's not accounting dorms which i also don't know how much they costs).

i don't know what to do people, i want this dream to come true and I'm willing to sell my left nut to be there.

i just want advice and some suggestions.

Title. I'm about to enter art school with the hopes of then transferring into a top animation school. In the meantime, I want to try to find low level remote jobs I can do to build up experience and have something under my belt. I have a small online presence with my art and I'm building a website for my portfolio, but as for finding these jobs, I'm a little lost. I heard Linkedin is good. I'm worried more about how I am 21 and have no experience professionally and if that would impact my job search. If anyone has any tips or advice, it would be greatly appreciated.

Lately, it seems that the animation industry is sick, or at least losing its luster. I don’t like the idea of being on a computer all day or working on some artless movie or TV show. The corporations work you to the bone, and most of the time, it's just another mediocre TV show or movie. And you spend so much time on a computer that hand-drawn animation has become a thing of the past.
I feel like much of the industry has flattened creativity, and I feel very sad. God gave me the talent of being creative, but I don’t know what to do with it.
I want to live a life where I can maintain my upper-middle-class family lifestyle, but I am also a man who runs on passion. But with the cost of living increasing, I do not know what to pursue. Unlike others, I cannot run on financial motivations alone; otherwise, I would be an accountant or engineer.
I originally planned on attending animation school; I got into a few, but not the best ones. I also just found that I was not interested in being with just artsy people and wanted friends of other backgrounds, which is why I went to Chico State, which has one of the best animation programs outside of an art school.
However you have to take a bunch of GEs and prerequisites before you can take an animation class, and I want to know if the career is right for me. So now I am majoring in international relations, an interesting but not very profitable skill. I am also thinking of going to trade school and continueing to write my novel or produce some indie comics. Maybe if they suceed they can make it to the screen.
I feel hopeless, angry and depressed. I don't want to be a loser.
How can I keep my creative spirit alive and productive as the world economies change?

Edit: I think part of the reason I gave it up is that I got so burnt out after working on my portfolio. I got super depressed because I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep up the demand in a workplace.

Maybe I was just afraid and just making excuses I’m not sure.

Hello, I'm going into my 2nd year semester in fall for Brooklyn college wanting to graduate with a B.A with a concentration in Digital art, I thought I can build a portfolio in art through college while practicing more in 2d animation as a career but I feel so drained and felt I took the wrong approach in working my way to have a 2d animation career. Having feelings about dropping out or transferring somewhere else, are there any tips or recommendation on what to do in my situation?

This week the topic is: Applying to school/internships/jobs!

A couple questions to get you started:

• How did you land your first job?
• What was your journey to getting accepted to a certain college or university?
• If you want to, share your portfolio and describe how you have set it up to be more attractive to employers!
• If you're currently in the application process, feel free to share your portfolio/reel for feedback!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The weekly topic in /r/animationcareer is a place meant to encourage discussion, sharing resources and experiences. Regardless if you are brand new to animation or a seasoned professional, please feel welcome to share your thoughts here. Vent frustrations, ask questions, offer advice, share a personal story, or maybe list your favorite videos on the topic.

Keep in mind to treat each other with respect, we are all here to learn from each other.

Hey there, everyone!

Wanted to start out and say I hope everyone is having a good day wherever you are!! Also apologies for my formatting, I am on mobile. Now, I'm currently a rising junior at my art school and we are required to have a internship with little to no help from our school. I've been applying since February and I keep getting rejection after rejection, which is understandable because my portfolio needs a redo and my demo reel needs rearranged. However, the more and more I look on LinkedIn, the less confident I feel I will ever get an internship. What roles should I be looking for? I'm not a chooser, I'm a beggar and will literally take anything thr industry throws at me as long as it has SOMETHING to do with art/animation. I just want to learn from someone whose name isn't Youtube. Any advice for your junior animator on the hunt?

(P.s. I'm aware that the industry isn't the greatest for entry level or mid level positions, so if I'm just straight screwed at the moment, let me know!!)

I am a schoolboy who will leave school this year, my dream, as an artist, Today a professor approached me to talk to me about studying the degree before entering it, I will start with the most important thing, how much job scope is there in the degree? (sorry for the bad translations, I'm using a translator)

Hello! I just graduated and currently working on my 3D demo reel. I hope this is the right subreddit for this question.

I have an animation exercise I've polished to be presentable enough for the reel. But I'm starting to feel a little apprehensive because it's something I did with guidance from a Youtube tutorial. I did refine it a little differently, but the action (a jump, land and roll) is the same. Used the same rig as in the tutorial, too.

Is this bad for a demo reel? I'm worried that my future employee clocks the similarities and assumes I can't do a good job animating on my own, or worse, that I'm plagiarizing.

Thanks!

I'm a junior in highschool and it's almost my summer before senior year. I'm looking at what to do with myself afterwards and what my options are. I really want to get into game animation ,but I'm worried about how the industry is and how competitive it can be. Is this a viable career choice? What are some things I should know about the industry? What are some viable things to learn for a career in general animation and specifically game animation? I don't have the biggest financial backing behind me, and I want to make my choice of degree in college be worth something in the long run. I don't have any experience yet in animation, because of lack of equipment, but any suggestions to start would be great (definitely in the realm of 3D animation ,but 2D is also good). Any advice would be great, and any insider information and how the job is and what demands it requires would be great as well. I just need all the advice I can get and whether or not this is financially viable in the long run. (I am a self taught artist btw so I have experience in art).

Hi all, I'm a university student studying Film and Television production. For my final year project, I am researching into Sound Design within anime. For my project, I would love to include interviews with industry professionals who have worked on audio production/post-production within anime.
If anybody at all would be up for doing an interview with me, or knows anybody worth contacting then please feel free to let me know!
Many Thanks :)

I'm 14 and I want to go to art collage to pursue 2d animation, I wanna be ready for it so are there any skills I need (other than knowing how to draw) like do I need to take a couple classes, or learn something by myself or do I need any supplies or anything etc

I used to be very passionate about Animation/Game Design before constant exams drained out all my interest. Now Im looking for a career which is stable and pays well so Im considering doing a degree in Business Administration as it offers many career opportunities like HR, Digital Marketing and more. Even though Ive contacted 2 career counsellors and asked many for advice, Im still unsure if I should try to rediscover my passion again or just go with the safer option. Its also difficult to find good universities for animation which aren't expensive. Ive thought of learning blender and other softwares while persuing bba and try to freelance so Ill have a degree to fall back on incase I dont succeed in the field. I have made a list of pros and cons for each so Il lying towards BBA more.

BBA:-
PROS

Stable Job/Income

Multiples Career Opportunities
Good Degress at low cost

CONS

Lacks Creativity

Not enough passion

Animation:-
PROS

Interest

Creativity

CONS

Unstable

Lower Income
Requires Good Computer
Not offered in most places and usually expensive

Ill appreciate any advice given because I only have a week to fill out my desired degree in the entrance exam form :)

I'm a broke art student that wants to get into the art industry for visual development. I want to do things like storyboarding, comics, character design, concept art, etc. However, I'm having a hard time finding an art school that offers a degree for these things and I'm having an even harder time finding one that won't destroy me financially.

I haven't really thought about choosing an art school from Virginia (where I'm currently living) cause they don't have a whole lot to offer. My dream school is basically SCAD but they're extraordinarily expensive and I can't afford it, even if I were to get scholarships. I thought about RISD but I haven't heard too much about them either and I heard MICA is pretty mid with animation based things.

This is all really confusing and I'm already 18 years old. I've been thinking about what to choose since middle school and my parents aren't too keen with me not having a a degree to lean on.

I am only really interested in doing stop motion, which I realize limits my options significantly, but I don’t really care for the process of any other form of animation so it’s kind of an all or nothing deal for me. I feel like I already know the answer since it’s such a niche style but maybe someone has insight into this.

hello! I wanna know the difference between UK and US animation industry, I know a bit that in UK it's more about stop motion more while in US its 2D and 3D more

as right now I decided about where should I go first for the university. If I choose to go to UK, after I graduated would it be possible to move to US for working too? tysm!!!

What are some adjacent work skills/industries that 2D animators/storyboard artists can get into without too much hassle? At some point I'm considering building up a new skill set to broaden my skill net to land other backup jobs if my current animation job ends sooner than expected, particuarly with the industry climate as it is now.

Is there any hope of getting a visa sponsored by a UK animation studio? I’m in the US and want to move to London, and I already work in animation. I have a few connections out there, but all those studios seem so small I’m worried none of them would pay to sponsor foreigners.

I’m gunna try, but I don’t know of anyone else who’s done it! So any thoughts/advice is greatly appreciated…

Given the option of

SVA SAIC MassArt RISD

What would be your 1/2/3/4?