When (If Ever) Should Animators Work For Free?


When, if ever, should animation artists work for free? This is a controversial issue and a subject on which many people in our industry have strong feelings. Students and graduates do of course often work for free, taking work experience, unpaid jobs or internships which do not pay actual money, but which offer training in the industry and real-world experience of what the world of work is like. But it’s also important to value your own time, avoid being exploited, and earn enough money to avoid going broke. So, when, exactly, should animators work for free?

Unpaid internships
One of the most controversial subjects is unpaid internships. In recent years there has been a growing level of criticism of unpaid internships, but paid internships are scarce, competitive, and hard to get.

Here at Animation Apprentice we encourage our students to take the opportunities that come their way – even if this means working (at least temporarily) for free.

To see more about when, if ever, should animation artists work for free, see this blog post.

Jobs Resources at Animation ApprenticeWe have many resources available at Animation Apprentice aimed at helping our students find work in the animation industry. To get started, see the blog posts below:

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