Hi everyone,

I’m currently in my final year of the Higher Technician in 3D Animation and Interactive Environment Development program. While the generalist approach of my studies has been helpful, I feel that I haven’t had the chance to dive deep into areas that truly interest me, especially 3D character animation.

I’m now looking for a specialization course or program that focuses on 3D character animation and allows me to develop my skills professionally. Ideally, I’m looking for something that starts from body mechanics and works up to more advanced techniques. Additionally, it’s important for me that the course includes practical tasks and feedback from mentors to ensure I can improve my skills effectively.

Also, I’m hoping to find something that is reasonably priced.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I graduated from Mexican university with a Bachelor’s in animation and digital art on 2023 and I was doing well for 6 months at a non-paid internship in Mexico when the studio had to downsize due to the client ghosting and leaving it without a huge source of income.

Since then I was doing Varsity Tutors for a while, and then I got a well-paying job as a receptionist. I’ve been handling the latter job for almost 10 months and have saved up some of the earnings.

The job is chill and has a great customer service environment, but it’s obviously depressing me that I’m not able to keep pursuing animation (I’m drained by the end of my day).

I wanted to ask what really good animation universities have diplomas or certificates that are either remote or in-person.

I feel like I have to network more and also improve my curriculum with more international experience since I’m not getting that done where I’m currently at. I’ve been applying to PA or associate producing jobs, but I’m not hearing back anywhere and for a no-experience job posting, the rejection emails say “they went someone with more qualifications or whose profile better suited the role.”

(I’ve co-produced 3 shorts that were shown at Discovery Kids TV, plus the customer service experience now on my belt)

TL;DR: What colleges/universities would you recommend that do diplomas or certificates of completion that are of great quality along with the price. Either remote or in-person.

Have a fun-day this Monday!

For context, I'm currently in (virtual) college at Academy of Art University majoring in animation/VFX for a BFA in the last semester of my sophomore year. Recently I've been experiencing a lot of anxiety and stress about my future and I was considering dropping out to work at my part-time job full-time but I don't want to give up on my dream to become an animator. How difficult is it to find a good-paying, stable job within the industry with a BFA?

I'm curious to know if anyone has worked here 10+ years in the industry and have their own house and or mortgage?

How has your work in animation been stable throughout the years that you can comfortably stay in one place and pay your mortgage?

Did you have to move around every year in order to be next to work?

I'm just really curious what peoples experiences have been with their living arrangements. I myself have had to move 3 times around the country for 3 different years in 3 different jobs because they don't seem to want to give anyone a stable career or livable fucking salary these days (unless you're a senior on a permenant contract).

Is there any advice that can help younger animators like myself work our way through this shit industry and this shit housing crisis?

I'm from Ukraine and I want to study 2D animation in Europe, I'm looking for educational institution that have English program, any recommendations?

hello, I'm looking for a good university or school that offers a BA in Animation and is affordable for international students from non-EU countries. Most of the options I've found provide great accommodations for EU students but very little support for others.

I come from a developing country where the animation industry is nearly nonexistent, so my best chance is to study abroad. However, the tuition fees I've seen so far are too high for me to afford while also covering living expenses. Does anyone have recommendations or solutions for this?

Feedback is one of the most essential tools to build a strong portfolio.

You'll often hear on this subreddit that "degrees don't matter, portfolios are what counts!"* However when applying for education or for jobs, it can be difficult to know how to build a strong portfolio or what a recruiter is even looking for.

The more feedback you get from other people around the industry, the clearer of an idea you'll have of what to improve or focus on next. Luckily we have plenty of people in the subreddit who are happy to help out!

Rules for posting:

• Feel free to comment with a link to your portfolio, reel, or pieces of work that you're thinking about including in your portfolio. Normally on this sub posting separate pieces is not allowed, but in this thread it is okay!
• Please include what area of the industry you're looking to work in (feature, TV, games, VFX, other) and what type of role you would want to apply to. This lets others know what kind of critique you’re looking for!
• If your portfolio is located on Wix, please mind that your comment might get caught in the Reddit spam filter. If you can, try to use a Youtube or Instagram link instead to avoid needing to wait for approval.

Advice on feedback:

• Consider the human behind the screen when giving feedback, use a polite and professional manner. Explain why something might not be working, and suggest a next step or tutorial for the person if applicable.
• When receiving feedback, try to be open and listen to it. You can always discard feedback that you find not helpful, but try to avoid defending your work as this might hurt your chances of landing a job. Sometimes the feedback that hurts a bit to hear is the one you need the most.

^(*) Grades and degrees do matter sometimes depending on your situation, for example when applying to a visa while migrating to another country.

So I do not have any formal education in art or animation. I have completed my bachelors and worked 2 years in a tech field. Most of my work currently is 2d art with an understanding of 3d as well. I have made some 3d work as well, not as much as my 2d. That aside, I have not studied any of these professionally. My main goal remains to enter the animation field be it character design, or 3d animation. I know it's hard work but I'm willing to put in the time. Now here's my question, does someone need to have a formal education while applying for jobs? Like how often do you see people without any art or animation degree enter the animation world? I know people say there is no age to get into animation but I don't think having an entry level pay at a later stage in life is something anyone will look for. Do let me know your views on this

Hi I’m at a weird point in my life, barely getting work as freelance. Most job postings are either senior level or internship that require you to be studying currently. With little experience in the actual industry, and most of my projects being indie (portfolio: araroj.art). I’m thinking on trying to study, to apply for scholarships to be able to have a livable way of going forward, and also internships to find an opening in the industry. I did 2 years of animation before fine arts, and think any step forward is a good one. Even if I’d like to specialize in concept art and ilustration, I think getting up to date with animation would be also very useful. There is always a lot to practice and learn after all.

With this I come to ask for suggestions on where to apply. I’ve already applied to the three obvious: Gobelins, Luca, New3dge

But any other place you’d recomend would be greatly apreciated. That said I’d need the masters to be in english as I only have a C2 in english outside of my mother tongue in Spanish. Please recomend to me any place:

• Where I could apply to study 1-2 years of masters or any other certificate in Animation

• Where I could apply to study 1-2 years of Ilustration and/or Concept art

• If you also knew any place where I could study 1-2 years of comic and graffic storytelling (Although I know this isn’t the sub) It would also be greatly apreciated

Thanks to all in advance, any help or suggestion is amazing

I'm from Mexico, 26 years old, I don't have any illusions about working at Pixar or Disney, and I know that working in the industry isn't a bed of roses, but I still love drawing, and I have time available to learn more about this beautiful career.
I have no issues with being a freelancer, working on NSFW content, or at advertising agencies. Is there room for people like me in the market?

What type of scripts should I add to a screenwriting portfolio for animation? Anyone who knows or has worked on that?

I've been helping out a couple animation students at my university by cutting their storyboards into animatics. I really enjoy it as I am not an artist but it gives me a chance to work hands on with animation projects.

I feel like animation is the only area I really want to work in the industry as I enjoy collaborating but hate working on live film sets.

I don't see much online on where to start to get into Animatic Editing career. Any advice is appreciated.

Hey fellow animators! What book would you recommend to start an animation career with the right foot? I often recommend those ones:

• Animator’s survival kit - Richard Williams ( of course)

But also related topics:

• animal anatomy- Eliot Golgfinger to learn about biomechanics
• Creativity Inc - Ed Catmull to learn about teamwork and creative creation processes.
• Force - Michael Mattesi to sharpen your eyes on silhouettes, lines of action…

Did any other book opened your eyes or unlocked your mind for animation or closely related topics?

im a 2nd year uni student, thinking of going to gobelins. specifically bachelor in character animation. what happens after you graduate from there? whats it like? any help appreciated

tried lots of youtube tutorials but it could be better if there is a friend/mentor/mate to guide me in this..

I’m interested in applying to Atomic Cartoons, but I noticed there’s no specific job opening for a Junior 3D Animator listed. However, I can still apply for this position through their website. Is it advisable to submit my application now, or should I wait until a formal opening is posted?

I am currently a senior in high school and senior projects are required. Both my friend, and I have chosen to create animated short films. Our project requires a mentor who works in the art industry. We have finished the script, we plan to voice act, storyboard, and animate it. Is anyone on here who has done storyboarding, character design, or any of the sort professionally willing to sign up to be our mentor? We would just like to be able to ask for occasional advice and critiques.

Hi everyone. I'm from Latin America and I've been working in an animation studio here for about a year and a half. My dream is to emmigrate to Europe and study a master in France or somewhere in Europe and find better opportunities, or at least travel and see the world :) (I've never traveled abroad before) but as you may imagine, I can't do it without a scholarship or some economic help. Do you guys know where I can find information about scholarships for masters in animation? Thanks!!

Hi, I'm currently in my last year of uni studying animation. I'm working towards making a professional showreel for when I graduate, however I'm a bit stuck what to focus on. The reason for this is because I'm getting contrasting opinions from industry professionals and my lecturers.

For example, I got advice from an industry professional to include lip sync, principled work, and pantomime. However they advised to stay away from your standard walk cycle/ bouncing ball as they've seen them a lot. However when I asked my lecturer he said to include walk cycles and basic mechanic animations to show the principles of animation. So I'm just a bit confused and would love some more advice.

If anyone has any examples of their 3D animation showreels that got them a job I would also really love to see them! :)

Edit: The showreel I'm curating is for character animation.

Hello everyone! I'm about to graduate in montreal and i'm hesitating between two college's for 3d animation, Bois de boulogne and vieux montréal. I've heard very good things about vieux montréal, but it would be 1h30 of bus/metro for me to get there. Bois de boulogne would be 45 minutes of bus. Does the school's reputation actually matter in the work field? I know vieux montreal is also harder to get in, but i honestly think I atleast have the grades. Not sure if my skills are developed enough but if i end up going with vieux montréal i'll sign up for their preparatory classes.

Im 16 currently in high school trying to get in a good animation college with a 2D animation course. I want to start building my portfolio but im not really experienced in any animation work current im doing a lot of illustration and character designs. I really confused on what course should i take to learn animation and build up a good portfolio. Should i take pre recorded courses or live classes pls help me out

My age is 25 and I am currently doing a course in India which Teaches :

• Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro.
• 3D Modeling, Texturing, Rigging, Lighting and Animation, Rendering in 3dx max and Maya.
• Adobe Animate.
• Unity and Unreal Engine.

The is near finished.

I like Animation and 3D ( Modeling and Texturing ).

I can get a job and But the industry in India doesn't pay that much and then I don't know that I can go outside of country for more oppertunity.

Then I was thinking that should I go international for college course to study :

• Art.
• 3D.
• Animation.

I want to get job in gaming studio or a animation studio.

So that I can foot there and get job and all....

Please help and any suggestions for college course and place....

Are Calarts summer online courses hard to get into? I’m looking to apply this year for character design or visual development. Is there anything I should prepare for in advance?

Hi, I am a community college student and one of my assignments is to interview a professional in the industry and ask them questions about what it is like to actually work. I however need professional contact information so that my professor knows that I have interviewed a real person. If I can't find anyone on here, can anyone point me in the right direction? I don't even know where I'd start to contact an industry professional to ask questions, and I would love to receive knowledge about the job, whether it be 2D animation, or 3D animation.

Hey everyone,

So this could be a silly question, but I was genuinely curious, is it a good or bad idea to include character studies for existing characters (for example, Arcane, Hades, Overwatch, etc) into your portfolio as a way of showing that you can use references to recreate a style?

I want to learn both 2D and 3D animation, but for my college major I have to pick one to focus on. I've done both, I have much more expirience with 2D and it's easier to me but I really enjoyed 3D animation as well. I know the industry sucks right now but is one more likely to get me a job or pay a little better? I'm going to try and learn both either way but I just need to know the better one to focus on.

I received an email this morning from a company's HR team, informing me that they’d like to conduct an interview/orientation with me on Discord. I was excited, but everything they mentioned sounded almost too good to be true. The job title was: "Concept Artist - (2D - 3D) Artist - UX Designer Artist- Graphic Designers - Animator -Cartoonist and Art Directors". I followed up with them, not sharing any important information just to see where it would go to, answer some basic questions about my work and once everything checked out on their end, they sent me this:

You need to have these items to begin work... Maya and Autodesk Mudbox Houdini software programs ZBrush software 2023 Safescan TA-8020 Employee Time Clock System Dell Precision 3660 Tower Workstation The company will provide you with a start-up check this week to enable you buy the above materials along with a new Dell Latitude 5420 Rugged Business Laptop for work, the softwares will be installed on the computer and they will come along with your employment paperwork’s, and ID card. You will purchase the materials from our accredited software vendor . The vendor will cover for the shipping cost and we do this as a test of trust/ability to follow instructions, as well as so you can know the vendor personally for future purposes. The vendor will install the software updates, patches, perform manual data backups and secure data. She will ship everything via FedEx next day delivery. Are you comfortable with the design programs you would be expected to use in this position?

Then another message:

Good. To complete your registration as a new employee, email the following information to the HR Department for proper documentation. This is a mandatory requirement:

• Your full name
• Address
• Cell and home phone numbers
• The best email address to reach you

This information will be used for official documentation and to initiate the process of depositing your cheque via mobile deposit. send the requested information to "company"career@gmail.com Once we receive your details, we’ll email you a cheque to print and deposit using your bank's mobile app. The funds will be used to purchase the required work equipment. Mobile deposit is a convenient option regularly utilized by our employees. Kindly let us know once you have sent the requested information.

It is right? I need some opinions. I was so excited that a company finally wanted me to join their team. The job search world is so stressful and painful, and I absolutely hate scammers—they really played with my emotions.

EDIT:

Thanks for the feedback! I’m now pretty sure this is a scam. I’ll try contacting the actual company’s HR to report the situation. Also, I didn’t respond to their last message, but they keep texting me asking for my info. I’m just ignoring them.

Hi everyone,

This is my first time using Reddit, and I’m still figuring out how it works! :)

I’ve been a freelance storyboard artist for a while, but now I want to take the next step and work for big animation studios. My goal is to grow my career and be part of larger productions.

I’d love to get your feedback on my portfolio: nablban.com

my instagram : https://www.instagram.com/storm_skill/

Do you think my work is at the level of major studios? Any advice on how to improve my chances?

Thanks in advance for your help! 🙌

Hello!
Im a 21yr/old Atlanta College Student about to graduate this summer (Hopefully). Im majoring in comic book making (I also recently published my first chapter of my comic: STOP Calling Me Fat! on Tapas), and have a major interest and large portfolio of Concept art. I want to join an animation industry as a Concept artist or a Storyboard artist.

My main issue is that I am the only person in my family with this goal and ambition, most of my family is medical or government work. Because of this, I haven't really known where to turn to when it comes to joining the industry. My family is also very confused as to where to begin as well.

Is there any advice or places I should be looking at specifically when it comes to reaching out to companies or getting noticed. Ive looked at places like Indeed or Linkedin but haven't really found anything helpful. And I know that it can be very difficult to join industries, like Adult Swim, with completely new concept ideas.

I would just like to get my foot in the door. Any information is greatly appreciated!

I want to know what needs to be added in the portfolio and how the admission process usually is for Film university Babelsberg Konrad Wolf or just any animation college in Germany. Thanks