Want to pitch-start your career in the animation industry but don't know how? Put your worries aside and give this article a read because we have discussed some of the possible ways and steps that if taken can help you land your dream job in the animation industry.
The animation industry is one of the most competitive fields nowadays with tons of opportunities. Those people who are interested in starting their career in this field need to plan out as soon as they can to get maximum time on their hands. Animation is a vast field with thousands of categories but the most commonly adopted are two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) animation which create jobs for drawings and computer animations and graphics.
Here are some of the basic steps you need to follow to get into the animation industry.
Get a Degree
To begin a career in any reputable field degrees play a major role as degrees give you an edge over the other candidates and recruiters see candidates having a degree as more ready than those who do not possess a degree. There are so many good Art schools out there that offer coursework in this field. You can opt for different courses and pursue as many as you want in computer illustration, graphic designing, arts, and the list goes on. Also keeping in mind a handful of knowledge of (HTML) is also very important if you want to stand out.
Don't be afraid of a Menial Job.
Brace yourself! Nothing in life comes easy so be prepared to begin on the lower level to prove yourself and let your talent be recognized and respected. Anyone who is aiming to start a career in the animation industry should not hesitate to undertake a menial job before he or she lands a white-collar job. Sometimes you have to say yes to a job that in your view would hardly involve any artistic task and this usually happens when you are in the middle of your degree or you have just finished college, but these jobs would be useful to help you set a foot in the company. Don't get disheartened just give your best shot and stay persistent and you will see in no time your talent will be recognized and you would be doing what you were aiming for.
Animate and Design Right Away.
Don't wait for the right time start wherever you are and with whatever you have to make this time right!! . The sooner you step into taking clients and getting paid for your work the better it is. Don't hold back to work even for free to get the experience and prepare an amazing demo reel for your work to be used later in the future. Practicing your skills practically will give you far better working experience than you will gain in an institute. Giants like Disney and Pixar will not hire you as soon as you have finished college.
Work on your Demo Reel- Its the Key
Working for clients and gathering a heft amount of feedback from anyone you have worked with is the only gateway to your success. this is the only thing companies care about when they put out a job offer. Working on building a demo reel is significant for your hiring. If possible refrain from showing your unfinished assignments or some stuff that you might have produced in your initial years unless you think it's one of your major works that need to be shown. Having your own website at the start is not really necessary you can even choose to show your showreel on a YouTube channel, video, and other social sites combined with some other design work.
Freelance Work to the Rescue
Working solely for the purpose of making a showreel and gaining new skills under your belt can sometimes become boring and make you lose motivation especially when there are distractions like Netflix and Web. In order to kick in much-needed motivation and work on real-life animations with real-life clients try sending out your proposals on different freelancing sites with lower rates just to get a working experience and a little money to keep you going. You doing freelance work is already adding up to your skills and giving you vast exposure to the world of paid animation work.
That's a Wrap!
The above-provided tips are not exhaustive but, they will surely help you in keeping some important points in mind if you are planning to join the animation industry and gain some real-life working experience. Hope you liked it! Do share your stories and comments or any suggestions that you might have :)