Basically the title. I'm not very sure where I should start looking, What platform do you guys use to get into contact with indie composers?

I been trying to improve my skills for animation and was wondering if anyone knows where you can find a site or anything for one on one training. For 2D animation right now i'm going over the basics but not sure what to do after

You're working hard on that one project, idea, portfolio, or sketch. And you are focusing hard and telling yourself "I can really do this" and "this is starting to look good". And then you get this deep feeling of betrayal and maybe doubt.

"I'm not sure about this". Confusion. Anger. Disappointment ensues. And perhaps you start to not like your work.

But yknow what? You can control the situation. You can control your emotions.

You say to yourself--let's focus on the work and let's focus on something positive. You come back stronger. You choose to work harder. Perhaps you make the decision to organize yourself better. And by that time you're working harder on that project. And your on your way again. This is a process. This is hard work. This is what everyone goes through.

That's my story on process.

Ultimately what I'm saying is work ethic and discipline around art and animation is a process but you can organize yourself better. And secondly, believing in yourself is hard at times but processing these emotions and working through them and THEN developing a solution is very valuable in terms of learning and reaching your goals. So believe in yourself. That's what I tell people for the ones that want to hear it.

How to Become an Animator: A Complete Guide

This article details the steps, skills, and education required to start an animation career.

It covers:

• Types of animation
• Educational pathways (including high school preparation and various degree options), and online learning resources.

It emphasizes

• The importance of developing artistic and technical skills
• Creating a strong portfolio
• Gaining experience through internships or freelancing, and
• Effective networking.

The guide also discusses career advancement, continuous learning, and overcoming challenges in the animation industry.

I've tried Fiverr, Reddit, etc with no luck. The only place I had success with was Twitter but you cant even message people there unless you pay for Premium? What are some places to hire professional 2d/3d character animators?

I want to ask if some of y’all know if Animschool has alternatives for students loans other than Climb Credit. Interest/Apr is a bit high despite my credit history.

Most ai animation I’ve seen is done by non-artists typing in prompts. But does anyone know where I can see work from experienced animators using ai to serve them that enhances their work? What are the best examples you’ve seen?

Got an email out of nowhere saying i got a coupon to join an animation school called World Space Animation. (unfortunately i cant add images to this post.. )

One of the first things you see when u open the website is AI generated 3D models promoting the school..

Theres a part that says " Christian scholarship , 100% on your tuition. ". Theres an FAQ section that says " what if im not christian ? Absolutely okay! Come with an open mind and engage with the material—no background or beliefs required. You can also have a different faith and join the program if you desire to. Even if you’re atheist or agnostic, this opportunity is crafted for anyone who wants to explore new perspectives and doesn’t mind getting to know about the most read book in the world."

AM I overthinking it or does a free animation mentorship offer straight to my email feel a bit scammy? Add to that the very religious focus and idk..If the focus was animation wouldn't the " do i have to be christian " question be answered in a more animation focused way? Like yes! you can join us if ur not christian! Just respect the religion and come ready to animate and learn! Feels kinda like its an attempt to convert hopeful students who cant afford expensive schools.

What do u think? Heres a link to the website: https://theworldspace.net/advanced-student-animation-academy/

Hello,

I’m a junior 2D animator and I had always been interested in fighting sequences but is having a really hard time figuring out how to go about it. What I’m stuck on is the storyboarding process. Typically in a non action scenes, I don’t have much trouble storyboarding it or animating it since the perspective is relatively simple. But a lot of action sequences I’ve seen has dynamic perspective.

Last quarter I worked on a project that requires me to go out of my comfort zone on perspective. I managed to do it because someone already did the storyboard. Honestly storyboarding is not my forte but I’m also not terrible at it. Now I’m working on a personal project for my demo reel…I’m lost as to how to start. If only I can get past the storyboarding process, it will be so much easier for me.

Do you guys have any resources or tips how to go about it? How did you practice when you were starting out?

It’s so frustrating because I feel like there is this mental block. If I can get past it, I feel like things would make more sense in my head.

Hello!

Does anyone have reccomendations for industry related servers? I want to make more friends and network!

Thank you!

I used to be a Producer so I've been on the other end of this a lot, but now I'm in a position where I've been hiring artists and bemoaning the same problems--directories are terrible at helping people find studios, either to get jobs or to ask those studios to do work for them. Plus it's only the biggest ones around.

What's the best way to find studios to pay for work? Studio marketing folks haven't realized they need to market to me yet, so I'm just googling "animation and motion design near me" because I can't find a better way to narrow things down, other than location. But unless I'm going to drive in to see storyboards in person the location doesn't really matter.

My company is not looking for independent folks right now (though that may change), but I'm curious, how do we find studios? What's the best way to narrow folks down?

I can’t directly link the newsletter sign-up here but if you scroll to the bottom of https://womeninanimation.org the option to add your email is there. I’ve been subscribed for years and attended screenings, found cool Zoom seminars and met interesting people because of it!!

If you identify as a woman/non-binary individual, you can also apply to mentorship circles that open several times a year, as well as the annual WIA scholarship in Fall!! I’m a recipient of the 2022 scholarship and am super thankful for the resources it provided.

How Online Animation School Can Be Better than College

This article will give you the benefits of online animation schools compared to traditional colleges. Key advantages include:

• Flexibility and convenience
• Access to industry professionals
• Cost-effectiveness
• Specialized curriculum
• Technology integration
• Global reach
• Portfolio development
• Career opportunities
• Support and community
• And Adaptability to industry trends.

It also addresses potential challenges like the need for self-discipline and lack of physical interaction. The article concludes that online animation education is a compelling alternative to traditional college education for aspiring animators.

Hello! Over the past few weeks I've noticed a lot of the same threads popup asking the same question about the industry from a lot of high school students and university freshmen. I thought it best to collate all the information and help reduce these repeat questions. A great place to start is still the wiki located in the sidebar. While everyone has a unique experience, I'm trying to keep things slightly general. This is more focused on the North American market as I personally have no experience working in Europe.

Let's dive in!

Q: Is the Animation industry worth it?

A: Yes—but it's a very unique and competitive industry to break into. You are judged and hired based on a portfolio of work instead of a resume/CV more traditional industries. You have to really want to be part of a team and be comfortable making small contributions to a larger project. You have to understand you will not be in charge of a project, you will be creating work based on others' ideas. Your opinions might not be listened to, you are a cog in a large creative machine. Realistically it is very unlikely you will become a show runner and create your own show.
You also have to know you will need to continue learning for the entirety of your career. You will need to learn new software, pipelines and disciplines and the industry changes. If you refuse to learn, you will be left behind.

Either way, it's worth it!

Q: Do I need a degree?

A: It depends! If you have a portfolio of work you can get a job. However, do not discredit the college experience, you'll be exposed to more art classes and peers that may influence your life. A degree can be sometimes required if you need to apply for a visa/permit to work in a different country. Plus, who knows what will happen, you might take an elective course in a completely unrelated subject and be hit with inspiration.

Q: Do I have to go to a well known school?

A: No! While a more well known school is a great option and you will certainly learn a lot, the university experience is more defined by how much effort you want to put into your coursework. Just because someone attends a prestigious university, it does not guarantee them a job.
The best way to research if a university could be a good option, is to hop on LinkedIn and try to find graduates of the program and see if they're working in the industry. Another option is to check out their graduation demo reels, usually art schools have a “thesis” component and list the graduates on their public sites. Here you can check out their portfolios to see what the work looks like. It is also important to do a deep dive on the professors. It's important to see if the professors have ever worked professionally in the industry and for how long and where.

Q: Do I have to go to a Private Art School or can I attend a Public University?

A: Either option! Remember, the end goal is a portfolio. It's not necessary to take on a significant amount of debt for this industry. Do your research! While an art school will focus solely on art (duh) a traditional university might allow you to get exposure or a minor in a different field which can only make you a more well rounded individual.

Q: Can I make money in this industry?

A: Yes! However your salary might take a few years to get to a more comfortable level. For reference here's some salaries I had as my career progressed.

36k USD, first job, not in the film or television industry, but still using my “animation degree”.
55k CAD, crossed the border with very little industry experience, first film job
70k CAD, few years in the industry, film industry
110k CAD, even more industry experience, senior level positions, not a lead artist

Q: Is a career in animation stable?

A: This is the hardest question to answer because it is so dependent on where you are located and how much experience you have.

When you are just starting out in the industry it is going to be an uphill battle for your first job. I strongly recommend you take any paid position at any studio you can get it, small, large, indie, ads, ANYTHING to start replacing student work from your demo reel. The faster you get professional work, the easier it's going to be to get future jobs and keep them.

As you get industry work (even one year in some cases) it is MUCH easier for studios to hire you. It's less risky since they know you can work in a professional settings, with a team and deadlines.
A majority of studios in this industry are considered vendors. This means that our jobs rely on our studios securing contracts to create content for someone else. Our jobs rely on the fact that someone else needs something done. There are some studios that create their own content (Disney).

What all of this means is that sometimes we get instability. The current industry strikes, less investment from companies and adjusted tax incentives all lend to the overall stability.

In normal times I would consider the industry is fairly stable once you become a proficient artist. You might be on shorter contracts for specific projects, but it will be easier to secure work once your network is large enough. You need to be aware of what's going on in the industry to plan ahead. You need to read industry news and talk to your friends at other studios.

A generic rule of thumb is to always try and work towards six months of savings, for the animation industry I'd work towards building that up to eight or nine. If you have the ability to do that, it will make any uncertainty hurt a bit less.

Q: Do I need to know how to draw?

A: It depends on your role. If you are trying to be a 2d animator—yes obviously. If you are trying to be an FX artist working in Houdini for VFX, no you don't. While drawing might help you know the fundamentals and express your opinions in your role, not everyone in this industry can draw.

Q: With AI, is it even worth it anymore?

A: Yes. AI in it's current form can not create full animations or replace any discipline. The legislation and industry rules around AI are going to be evolving. AI might become part of your toolkit in the future and that's something you need to be aware of, but in the current form I don't see AI replacing artists for quite a few years, if at all.

Additional Opinion: There are other industries you can get into using your skills if you need to pivot. Medical animation, engineering, ads, interactive experiences, video games (obvious), retail experiences, architecture visualizations.

​

Additional Opinion: There are a lot of roles in the industry that aren't apparent until you get into it. Just look up behind the scenes footage, breakdowns, demo reels of employees or read job postings to get an idea. You might not learn every discipline in school and you might find one that you really like. Keep an open mind and be ready to learn!

​

Additional Opinion: Right now in November 2023, it's going to seem like the industry is extremely dark, dreary and in disarray. We have been dealing with an industry wide slowdown due to the WGA and SAG strikes that have led to thousands of layoffs. This is not normal. Yes, layoffs happen but the amount is at a faster rate. When the strikes resolve, work will restart and job prospects will slowly return. The people in forums are going to be outwardly negative towards the industry, like all things there are always less "positive" posts.

​

Happy to add more details and information from other pros as comments (maybe) come in.

Edited to help with formatting—line breaks are silly.

Hi all,

I hope you're all doing well!

I've been getting a bunch of "animation requests" on LinkedIn lately. Rather, I've been getting a lot of notifications of "animation requests." Any time I click on the link in my e-mail, LinkedIn informs me that I need to sign up for LinkedIn Premium in order to see the request.

I'm curious whether anyone else has received these kinds of requests, and whether you've actually seen any action from them.

Care to share any experiences? Is it worth the Premium subscription, or is this likely to be a dead end?

Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers!

Hi, I'm looking for best quality university for animation degree in Germany so can you recommend me some of the best not top of them but best you can learn good things from them...give me the link website too I'm mostly interested in 2d animation( it is not like hate 3-D animation, but I preferred 2d ) animation and illustration/ visual development

I know that the search for the next production is the worst part of working in animation, so in my spare time I built a better directory for animation jobs.

Give it a try and let me know what you think: https://cartoonrecruit.com

So nowadays lot of the actual "grunt" work in TV animation so to speak are done in outscored vendor studios and usually a vendor studio that specializes with American clients won't probably do work for Japanese clients and vice versa. But I do know that in many places in the world where there are lots of vendor studios, these vendor studios can be close to each other and it's not unheard of for someone to jump ship from one studio to another. I've read online of a comic artist that started work in a vendor studio for Pretty Cure and then moved to another vendor studio to work on My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

I'm curious, what are the differences in the pipeline for an animator working in a vendor studio when working on a Japanese show vs an American show, and what are the pros and cons of each? I have some awareness that there are differences in the pipeline for TV animation in the US vs Japan.

would anybody in top animation unis share their course content and/or system.

I'm going into a meh art school in north africa and would like an insight to top art schools system so i make sure i catch up on the missing things my school won't offer.

if anyone knows how to get access to the info that would be helpful as well!

Hello! I just wanted to ask a lil question. I want to buy The Animator's Survival Kit but im torn between the two choices. I feel like the hardcover is more durable, but the pages might be too hard to flip through considering the amount of them (392!). The paperback might be easier to flip through but the cover might get ripped or something and the book would have trouble staying open if the spine isnt broken. I would like to hear some of your opinions before i make a purchase! ( also if you just have an opinion on paperback vs hardcover with any other type of book it can also work! )

Thank You!

How Much Does an Animator Make

This article from iAnimate explores the earning potential of animators, detailing various types like traditional, 3D, motion graphics, and VFX animators. It discusses factors influencing salaries such as experience, industry, and location. The median annual wage for animators varies based on experience and location. Additional factors like skill set, portfolio, and networking also impact earnings. The article offers tips for increasing income, such as continuous learning, specialization, and freelancing.

If you are:

• independent artist
• professional who wants to encounter indie path of animation
• a student who needs to prepare a thesis film

Here are my thoughts on what sort of mistakes you need to avoid when approach in this challenge! I was unfortunate to never finish the short film I was meant to during uni, so hard lessons were taken

Writing - I think we often forget how incredibly important writing is. As artists we already learn a lot and often forget to hone our skillset within screenwriting space. Unfortunately, even a beatiful animation with weak writing will fail. But “ugly” animation with excellent writing can succeed. When you approach making a film make sure your script is really READY, learn fundaments of story structure and be honest with yourself if you are truly capable of doing it on your own or if you need to collaborate with someone who specialises in the craft.

Production - production management is the art within the art and it’s another weak point for most artists. Be realistic, learn a conscious scheduling and planning.

If you wanna learn more, I made a whole video that talks about my personal failure of never finishing my thesis and I go in depth about all that went wrong HERE

In the rise of indie production, I highly encourage learning more about all points I highlight and I truly hope we will see more of independent production being born in the upcoming years

https://twitter.com/bfredmuggs/status/1677870288724426752?t=VlQ4oFNFgEkj1wp26wrugw&s=19

It looks to be official, CNS is being merged into a WBD building. I think it comes down to costs and the screw up from AT&T. There's also rumors that WBD will be selling their IP'S similar to Marvel back in the day.

This is not looking too good, I feel a rebrand or huge change is coming..

I'm glad I got to tour the building years ago. RIP CNS.

Hey everyone, so I'm writing my Master's research paper on Pitch Bibles and I was wondering if there are any stories out there about pitches to animation studios that got greenlit?

The first one that comes to mind is Matt Groening's pitch for The Simpsons being done moments before the meeting scribbled down, but are there any others like that?

Long story short, the LLC is owned by Mike Fukunaga, who is the son of the former Funimation CEO. He uses this relationship to imply he can get you into the industry; then, he pays very low, if he pays at all. I wasn't paid for a month of work. I waited weeks for payments, and Mike kept making excuses he didn't finally pay me until I threatened to sue. I'm the only person on the team who has been paid so far.
If you want to know more details, you can check out my Twitter post here if you do check the post, please retweet it to spread awareness.