animation jobs
MAKE ME LAUGH
Jonathan Lyons
Over the years I have looked at quite a few animation demo reels. From back when VHS tapes were the only media, to clicking hyperlinks. To me, every demo reel is like an unopened gift. There is always the possibility there will be something wonderful there. You might discover a huge talent!
Demo reels run the gamut from dreadful, to intimidatingly good. A reel of polished professional work is great to review, but those people don’t need my advice. The people looking for tips are students and recent grads are who want to break into the business. After looking at many graduate demo reels, I become accustomed to seeing the standard animation assignments. Dialog pieces, body mechanics work, creature animation, game cycles. All are helpful in judging the skill of the artist. If the quality is there, I will say, sure, that person can do the work. But some demo reels go one big step further.
They make me laugh. Or at least smile.
When I think of demo reels that stood out to me, there are two that come to mind. Many years ago, at the now defunct Duck Soup Studios, I saw a demo reel from a new animator. He had animated a simple little alien and composited it onto live action footage of himself. I can still picture the character.  He seemed to be picking a fight with him. He had an attitude, and the two definitely related to each other. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it made me smile. When you entertain someone, you have connected with them. I was curious about the person who made it. We interviewed him and gave him one of his first jobs. That was Chad Shattuck, and he went on to be a supervising animator at major studios.
A couple of years ago, I got a demo reel with a few scenes from a short film the student had made. The scenes were very good, and made me want to see the rest of the film. I could tell it was visual comedy, and I wanted to see where it would go. After we hired him, I pestered him to see the completed work.  That was Academy of Art graduate Hans Tsai, and his short film is called Knob. Here it is on YouTube.
When a student can make me laugh, I know they put something extra into the work. They didn’t just do the assignment. They got creative and took it further. As an artist, I want to work with creative people.
Make sure a good portion of your demo reel shows the kind of work you want to do. If you want to work on funny animated films, then that’s the kind of work you should show. Work with your classmates and teachers, and ask them for honest reactions. You should be able to recognize a sincere laugh from a polite one. It’s not easy, but it will pay off in the long run.
Jonathan Lyons is the author of Comedy for Animators, published by CRC Press and available on Amazon. Intended for animators, story artists, writers and students, Comedy for Animators is a book written to introduce you to the remarkable art of physical comedy. If you want to make funny cartoons, it’s critical to understand this unique history of characters and stories. Jonathan is also a professional animator with 30 years of experience in the industry. He has worked on commercials, video games and feature films such as Pirates of the Caribbean, and Seth MacFarlane’s Ted.
So you graduated – whoopee! and you’re looking for entry level jobs in animation Now what? Well we’ve all be there, and then hit with the sudden realisation that you now have to find a job in the industry.
Entry Level Jobs in Animation, where to start?
You’ve sorted your reel out of your best work – 90-seconds or less (no longer). You’ve email hundreds of animation studios, some have replied, some haven’t. You’ve been to those animation meet-ups (Festivus is a good London one).
And now you are waiting, waiting for the email or the call, from a studio asking you to come in for an interview. If you’ve got a good reel, you’ve presented yourself well in your opening application (kept it short and polite, highlighting key skills including reel link), and you’ve sounded like you can offer real benefit to an animation production. Then the call finally comes, and you get invited in for an interview…
Lets be honest when you walk in that room you are thinking “Please let me get this gig”, knowing that if you do, this could be the start of your career in animation. Before you go, make sure you do your research about the studio such as; How long have the been going? What are their primary applications? What sort of projects do they do? etc. etc.
When you arrive at an interview, you’ll be seated in front of one or more people who will probably ask you a couple of friendly questions, like have you travelled from far, how was the trip etc. Be mindful these are actually leading questions, and part of being interviewed for the job. After that, it is likely you’ll be asked questions about where you studied, how was the course, they’ll also go through your reel and ask you further questions about your approach.
At Sliced Bread Animation we’ll also ask for examples of your life-drawing work and most entry level jobs in animation require some sight on your animation portfolio. It’ll probably feel like a quick fire of questions… and then, if you haven’t had the chance, you’ll be asked if you have any questions, here are some you might want to consider…
- How many others are your interviewing for the position? (know your competition!)
- What did you like on my reel that made you consider inviting me in?
- What particular challenges do you come across in your productions?
- What sort of tasks will I be expected to do?
- What are the hours of working?
- DO also ask about pay, try and go with a rate in mind, either annual salary, or a freelance rate.
If its going well, ask…
- Will I be able to use the work for my reel?
- At the end ask, make sure you ask “when can I expect to hear from you?”
After the interview, if you haven’t heard from the studio after say a week, follow up with a call, or an email, if the response if not positive make sure you ask for feedback. I hope those quick tips help!
In the meantime if you’re looking for a start check out entry level jobs in animation!
![shutterstock_502318087-[Converted]](https://i0.wp.com/animatedjobs.com/wp-content/uploads/shutterstock_502318087-Converted.jpg?ssl=1)
Written by Jamie Denham
Managing Director of Sliced Bread Animation and expert in entry level jobs in animation
sbanimation.com
@3djamie on Twitter
@slicedbreadanim on Twitter
@slicedbreadanim on Instagram
Sliced Bread Animation produces high-impact, bespoke animations and applications for marketing, corporate communications and e-learning, including virtual reality and augmented reality projects. Our work has won many awards for both us, and our clients.
We have an unrivalled reputation for offering complete and seamless project management, partnering with clients to create innovative, original multi-platform digital content strategies. We transform messages into compelling stories that captivates target audiences. So whether clients are looking to increase sales, develop brand awareness, or reach out to employees, we work hard to get the results they want.
We create games, apps, animation, explainer, films, infographics and illustrated content for education, marketing and internal communications that push the boundaries of technology and design, whilst working seamlessly across all platforms and are always providing entry level jobs in animation, where to start?
You must be logged in to post a comment.