Month: November 2023

In speaking with a few people in the industry as well as ruminating over what it is I have enjoyed over the course so far. I think the thing I would like to try upon graduation, at least at first, is working as an animator.

Whilst the ideal would be to work in short form television, I think the best thing for me as a practitioner right now would be to continue developing my skills and knowledge in a studio environment.

I would love to get to a point of being able to tell my own stories and make work that I am passionate about, but I think more than anything right now, I just want to become the best animator I can be and learn from those doing it.

Having seen some of the professional submissions for LIAF, I was blown away by the creativity and skills of the makers. In the Animated Documentary programme, the programme that I directed the sting for, Our Uniform by Yegane Moghaddam (2023) and The Waiting by Volker Schlecht (2023), really inspired me in terms of the quality of their animation, but also the creative choices they made to make their films unique and make the subject matter soar.

Chatting with Eugénie von Tunzelmann, she gave some amazing advice when considering being freelance or working in a studio:

“you will be surrounded by so many amazing people. If you want to speak to a world expert in a specific field then, you know, they probably work with you. An example of this is when we started working on Interstellar, and we wanted to simulate how light moves near a black hole. We had a guy on the team, a hugely experienced programmer with a degree in physics and a masters in lensing of light, so he wrote the code. In some ways the fact that he was on the team was a huge stroke of luck, but that’s the advantage of a big studio – there’s likely someone there who’s got the skills, and you can learn from them.”

This idea of tapping into the talents of the people around you, expected and unexpected, is really exciting. The LIAF project was great because I was able to learn from the people around me, appreciating their individual skill sets and contributing my own. This most recent project, whilst I enjoyed learning new skillsets, felt much lonelier as a process.

ScreenSkills describes an animator as such:

Animators create still images that are played in a rapid sequence to create the illusion of movement. They are artists, actors and storytellers. They know how characters show emotion and have a good, technical understanding of the way things move. They make a believable world through the blend of realism and artistry.

This idea of being an artist, actor and storyteller, really speaks to me. It is something I am passionate about and animation, is the most exciting way I can think of for storytelling. Based on my research over this term, I think the next thing for me to do is network within the industry. Speak to professionals, visit studios, learn who is who and what skills I have that can benefit the industry. Whilst i’m pretty nervous about my next steps in the industry, especially after graduation, I’m also excited to see where I go next and what kind of animator and artist I have yet to become.

If you had asked me before the course even started, I probably would have said that I most likely didn’t want to be an animator, and while I didn’t know what I did want to do, I almost certainly would have mentioned Storyboard as an area of interest. After, our albeit short, introduction to Storyboard, I know feel rather daunted and to be frank slightly put off it as a career in terms of my current skillset and what I have enjoyed on the course so far.

Initially I expected that to succeed in Storyboarding, what you needed was a strong idea of story, narrative and performance. And while all of this is true, the thing I didn’t consider was a strong understanding and application of film language and techniques. My understanding of story very much is rooted on paper and on stage, and while I am a big appreciator of filmic techniques, it is not something I have ever studied nor really spent much meaningful time considering critically.

In our classes with Bianca, and in my storyboarding work required for this latest project, I really noticed that I was reticent to use the ‘camera’. That instead I was casting my characters upon a stage with fixed perspective, rather than focussing on dynamic camera movement, this I think comes from a lack of film experience which really gave me a moments pause about Storyboarding. While I’m not excluding the possibility of storyboarding, and I would gladly do the work if the opportunity arose, I definitely think its an area where I need to do a large amount of skills development and contextual study.

Based on the Screen Skills website, it says that Storyboard Artist is an entry level job. But based on the classes we have had with Bianca as well as visiting lecturers I don’t know if this feels necessarily true? Here is what ScreenSkills and CG Spectrum describe the role as:

Storyboard artists help the head of story create a visual representation of the animation’s narrative. Storyboard artists translate the script and the director’s vision into pictures. They produce a series of panels of images to plan the shots and ensure continuity between them. These form the basis for the animation in the next stage of production.

A storyboard artist is a visual storyteller who converts written scripts into a series of 2D images, commonly known as a storyboard. Images are created by hand or computer to map out the action, framing, and key scenes in a script, acting as a visual guide for how live-action is shot and how the animation will play out. 

From this it seems that there is a difference between Storyboard Artist and then a more senior supervisory/directorial role. To look at the difference I’ve research a few vacancies for the roles to see what sort of skills are required by an employer:

https://animatedjobs.com/jobs/storyboard-artist-5/?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic

https://www.showbizjobs.com/jobs/dreamworks-animation-feature-head-of-story-in-glendale/jid-d8vj7q

Based on these job advertisements, as well as similarly available ones, it seems that the storyboard artists are individually responsible for their designated scene(s) and the director is in charge of managing the team and ensuring consistency both visually and narratively.

I do think that story and coming up with narrative ideas, is a strength that I have, and so while I do find this area daunting it may be something I look to in a few years time. At the moment I am very much enjoying animation itself, learning to evoke who a character is and how they move, and I think that right now, storyboarding might be a little to far away from that me.

I have found this process of considering my future, quite difficult. As someone who is knew to the industry, try to understand my own ability, let alone the industry around me has felt daunting.

This blog is meant to be a pathway into considering what career we may want in animation, but I still feel a long way off from understanding myself within this art form. So far I have been responsible for the outcome of two films, having directed the LIAF project I was a part of and then individually made the Reflections on Reality film. I have as yet, to be a worker on a project that I am not in charge of. So, for this post I thought I would start at the beginning. take away the comfort of the university format and see what it is I might be in for directly after graduation.

This will include internship opportunities, mentorship opportunities as well as entry level creative positions. While not adverse to project management or assisting, this is something I was very used to in my theatre career, it is not something I am currently intending to pursue.

Internships:

These websites has been especially useful in terms of my initial internship search:

https://www.thesecretstorydraw.org/opportunities

https://www.screenskills.com/training/apprenticeships/where-can-i-find-an-apprenticeship/

Using it as a base i’ve been looking into a few options which feel they may be suitable.

Art & Graft – this was made known to us as part of our studio tour at the beginning of term. Art & Graft seem like an exciting studio who a focus on stories and mediums that inspire them, with a good mix of artistic and commercial work. As someone that is primarily focussed on 2D animation but hopes to explore a variety of styles and mixed media mediums, this feels like a solid option, although if i were to be able to choose the type of production, I would be more interested in TV work rather than advertising, but this is not something I would necessarily expect to be able to work in right away.

Fourth Wall – although based in Liverpool, Fourth wall focusses on impactful tv animation for children, something that I would be keen to pursue longterm. Remote working or temporary relocation would be possible, especially for the kind of studio that I would be passionate about the work. Fourth Wall also have a great focus on 2D as well as 3D which would align with my current skillset.

Wildchild Animation – whilst this studio most closely aligns with the kind of work I would be keen to do, it feels like it would be quite a reach with my current skill level, especially as the studio is based in Scotland and their internships are currently on for 3D and local practitioners.

Blue Zoo – I know that Blue Zoo has a good CSM track record, with graduates working there regularly and as a studio it definitely suits me in terms of the output of work and mediums used. As they have a studio in London, I would be inclined to email and ask to visit, although this may be a faux pas! They currently do not have any internship vacancies, so the need to be proactive may arise.

Factory – Factory looks cool as hell. They do everything and I want to do everything. They are Manchester based, but this is definitely the kind of studio that I would strive for. Their work is varied and exciting and their cross medium work as well as focus on all round in house creativity is very cool and really reflects the way I would want to work. I cannot find internship info on their website, so will certainly be emailing them directly in the new year.

Blink – Blink seem fun, their website is cool and I like their vibe. They are also the studio that developed one of my favourite shows Dead End: Paranormal Park, something that perfectly encapsulates the kind of show I would want to work on. They do not currently have any internships or vacancies, but similarly to Factory, I will actively approach them in the New Year.

Mentorship schemes:

As part of the She Drew That facebook group, I noticed that there was a specific mentorship scheme for female and non-binary animators early in their career. Whilst unfortunately I am not a suitable candidate for that specific scheme (minimum of three years experience required) it did get me thinking about other schemes that may be suitable.

Women In Animation – this is another program specifically for women and non-binary people in animation. On its website it clearly states: “WIA Mentorship is not a student program; it is a professional program; Mentorship is not meant to teach the skills required to get into the industry but to hone already established skills, bridge gaps, and remove barriers of entry into the industry.” however it does say that it accepts students in their final year of study and is a program focussed on skill development and industry contacts. I will look into their mentorship scheme for next year when applications open in Feb.

Entry level work:

Based on the career survey on https://businessofanimation.com/, it said that my career ideals would work well on site in a studio, which I feel aligns to not only the kind of work i want to produce, but with my skill set and working methodology. I am someone who prefers collaboration to solo work and works better when working to a set deadline/project goal. Using the career pathway guide on screen skills, I definitely think I would want to start in animation or clean up. I think my skills are based in story and performance and so would want to use and develop these skills to help characters give the best performance they can.

https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/animation/production/animator-animation/

https://www.cgspectrum.com/career-pathways/2d-animator

I do suffer from quite a bit of imposter syndrome when it comes to my own ability and readiness for the industry, but I am hoping with a good show reel and a dash of bravado I’ll be able to find the confidence to apply and approach studios for work. I think something that will benefit me greatly in the industry is my strengths as a communicator and my experience in working professionally in a creative field. These established a honed skills will only be a strength when in comes to applying for work.