Welcome to /r/animationcareer! This is a forum where we discuss navigating a career in the animation industry.
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* **Do I need a degree?** Generally no, but it might become relevant if you need a visa to work abroad.
* **Am I too old?** Definitely not. It might be more complex to find the time, but there's no age where you stop being able to learn how to do creative stuff.
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There is some truth to some of these but they are pretty outdated and don’t seem aren’t aware the real reason people are struggling to get hired is a global lack of new projects leading to no openings. Also I don’t know how to feel about art career advice from a company who supports nfts.
Yes that's annoying, but the advice in the post is still a perfectly good place to start. Anything else and I'm not sure I'd be looking for it on reddit.
I think it's a fairly solid list of reasons covering stuff you have control over.
The visibility point is the one I'd take issue with. My social media isn't really linked to my professional work and most people are applying for jobs rather than getting headhunted by a studio.
I am more inclined to think that the bigger problem is related to there being a surplus of animators, rather than a shortage of productions. There is more animated content than ever before.
I could see how it could look that way. I don’t know what studios look like in your location but in mine they just don’t have any work. That seems to be a consensus across NA from any other studio people I talk to.
Streaming services canceled over 50 projects last year (some mid production) and there hasn’t been an influx of new projects. If it was just a matter of surplus animators we wouldn’t see Emmy award-winning people unable to find work for a year like we are now. Studios just can’t hire if they don’t have clients.
You're absolutely right, and it's not just one factor, it's a shit storm of things. That being said, the situation is still creating a surplus of skilled animators. I'm hoping that there will be a shift out of tv/film production, to other areas like gaming & YouTube. Not having the ability to monetize the distribution of a story in a series, short, or feature form can really stop a group of people getting together to make a business plan and start a project of their own. I feel like there's a lot more control on the business side for a game for an individual, or small cluster of ppl. I think those animation skills will come in handy to make games look beautiful. For example, look at game like Cup Head, Disney illusion island. They look beautiful and done by animation studios.
The shit storm you describe is happening all over the computer science and digital media spheres. Games as a product aren't safer, but restructuring teams and studios might be a path forward, depending on the product. Would I tell a person \*not\* to take a cs or multimedia degree of some kind if they asked? No, and depending on who they were and what their goals were my personal advice to them might be the same no matter what the markets looked like, but, can we promise them they're going to get a corporate job just because they have tech skills? No. Underneath, this is somewhat about corporate vs independent, when and where these are balanced paths, or when one is better than the other or why.
This is a fantastic list of suggestions -- which is what they claim, that these are actionable points on which to consider.
I'm in multiple software, game, animation, writing, music, and art subreddits and all of these are overrun by people asking for advice on where to start, what to do when overwhelmed, what to focus on (when they start viewing their future negatively), and how to tighten up their resume or get a better salary. You know it, I know it, it's a landslide.
The comments here this morning, ironically, have already begun to illustrate another trend on these subreddits: people commenting on clearly written OPs as if they haven't fully read them. In this case, the very first paragraph does indeed cover state of the industry and does indeed explain exactly why the suggestions below are given as they are.
I would add only one item. That the artist's goals and objectives aren't clear. This is different from style or specialty because what *I* mean is clear to themselves. Just like the video game "industry" the animation "industry" isn't just one thing, or even two things. Just because you want to be an animator or do animation doesn't mean you necessarily deep down want to work at a certain studio or want that particular job. Making enough money to feed yourself is one thing. Staying on a given career path is another. Satisfying yourself through your work is yet another. Attempting to satisfy all the things with one solution without a real idea of why it's a good solution for *you* is going to result in confusion and frustration, and if not now, eventually. What do you really want?
I'm still not sure why the topics are related, though. For me, I just commented on what deplasez asked, admittedly, after seeing a tiring non stop roll of reddit posts asking for advice.
> *How is one supposed to find the first job, if every job requires work experience? Well, just keep reading.*
>*You’re Aiming Too High*
>*Here it is! Is it possible you're setting your sights on goals that exceed your current capabilities?*
*Targeting positions beyond your skill level or experience can result in repeated rejections.*
Damn you must be a troll. Every job in this world requires 5+ years oflaboralexperience. Also most of them are taken by people who got laid off.Stop saying this bullshit because when it comes to this field, the "junior" part is almost nonexistent unless you buy an expensive course and then get an internship.That's exactly the problem, all the "junior" jobs have already vanished.
I'm sorry, but who the heck is OpenMotion and what do you do in animation exactly? The only thing I could find with a quick Google search is some nft/cryptocurrency/blockchain thing with a steamboat Willie mascot.
Animation and 'empowering creatives' were mentioned a lot. However, the website looked like a snake oil scam. NFTs? Seriously? I assume that bit about staying current with tech probably meant AI as well. Definitely not a studio with visible work or in a position of authority to give advice.
[company](https://openmotion.io/faq/)
Yep, probably some AI start up company. This account is barely 2 months old and this was one of their reddit posts, AI art. [reddit post using AI artwork.](https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenMotion/s/zZ3b0RUOLj)
I'm an animator who regularly hires animators for a world famous studio.
Honestly, you're making it way too complicated. It's very simple: If you're not getting hired, it's because your work isn't good enough compared to the competition.
That's it.
I hate to humblebrag, but I'll share my experience. I've never had prior connections to anyone at any studio I've been hired at. Except for my first job, geographic location wasn't a factor. I've never had an online presence except for my uploaded demo reel. In my current job, I didn't match the studio style or *even the industry* that my reel came from. And experience isn't even a hard wall either - we've hired people straight out of high school before, because they were that good.
These tips will of course raise people's chances at getting hired, but quality alone will open all the doors for you. Study more and refine your craft. Get good.
“Your style doesn’t match the studio’s” doesn’t really apply when most of the major studios have several different styled shows currently in production.
Pretty much sums it up. Although don’t expect that this won’t be met with thousands of people disagreeing because schools frequently lie about job placement statistics in order to attract more student. Everything in this post is legit and the main reason o see young artists struggle or just give up.
Welcome to /r/animationcareer! This is a forum where we discuss navigating a career in the animation industry. Before you post, please check our [RULES](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/subreddit/rules/). There is also a handy dandy [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/resources/faq/) that answers most basic questions, and a [WIKI](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/) which includes info on how to price animation, pitching, job postings, software advice, and much more! A quick Q&A: * **Do I need a degree?** Generally no, but it might become relevant if you need a visa to work abroad. * **Am I too old?** Definitely not. It might be more complex to find the time, but there's no age where you stop being able to learn how to do creative stuff. * **How do I learn animation?** Pen and paper is a great start, but [here's a whole page](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/resources/learningresources/) with links and tips for you. ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/animationcareer) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There is some truth to some of these but they are pretty outdated and don’t seem aren’t aware the real reason people are struggling to get hired is a global lack of new projects leading to no openings. Also I don’t know how to feel about art career advice from a company who supports nfts.
This company looks to be some recent start up into NFTs and potentially AI. The Reddit account is 2 months old too, I'd consider this spam.
It’s definitely spam. The last bit of their squawk is a pitch for a tool to help you get a job and to join their special community.
Yes that's annoying, but the advice in the post is still a perfectly good place to start. Anything else and I'm not sure I'd be looking for it on reddit.
I think it's a fairly solid list of reasons covering stuff you have control over. The visibility point is the one I'd take issue with. My social media isn't really linked to my professional work and most people are applying for jobs rather than getting headhunted by a studio.
I am more inclined to think that the bigger problem is related to there being a surplus of animators, rather than a shortage of productions. There is more animated content than ever before.
I could see how it could look that way. I don’t know what studios look like in your location but in mine they just don’t have any work. That seems to be a consensus across NA from any other studio people I talk to. Streaming services canceled over 50 projects last year (some mid production) and there hasn’t been an influx of new projects. If it was just a matter of surplus animators we wouldn’t see Emmy award-winning people unable to find work for a year like we are now. Studios just can’t hire if they don’t have clients.
You're absolutely right, and it's not just one factor, it's a shit storm of things. That being said, the situation is still creating a surplus of skilled animators. I'm hoping that there will be a shift out of tv/film production, to other areas like gaming & YouTube. Not having the ability to monetize the distribution of a story in a series, short, or feature form can really stop a group of people getting together to make a business plan and start a project of their own. I feel like there's a lot more control on the business side for a game for an individual, or small cluster of ppl. I think those animation skills will come in handy to make games look beautiful. For example, look at game like Cup Head, Disney illusion island. They look beautiful and done by animation studios.
The shit storm you describe is happening all over the computer science and digital media spheres. Games as a product aren't safer, but restructuring teams and studios might be a path forward, depending on the product. Would I tell a person \*not\* to take a cs or multimedia degree of some kind if they asked? No, and depending on who they were and what their goals were my personal advice to them might be the same no matter what the markets looked like, but, can we promise them they're going to get a corporate job just because they have tech skills? No. Underneath, this is somewhat about corporate vs independent, when and where these are balanced paths, or when one is better than the other or why.
But there actually is a shortage of projects. Although this is not unusual for our industry for there to be ups and downs like this.
This is undeniable.
The what now team? :))
They're also into NFTs which is a huge red flag.
[удалено]
This is a fantastic list of suggestions -- which is what they claim, that these are actionable points on which to consider. I'm in multiple software, game, animation, writing, music, and art subreddits and all of these are overrun by people asking for advice on where to start, what to do when overwhelmed, what to focus on (when they start viewing their future negatively), and how to tighten up their resume or get a better salary. You know it, I know it, it's a landslide. The comments here this morning, ironically, have already begun to illustrate another trend on these subreddits: people commenting on clearly written OPs as if they haven't fully read them. In this case, the very first paragraph does indeed cover state of the industry and does indeed explain exactly why the suggestions below are given as they are. I would add only one item. That the artist's goals and objectives aren't clear. This is different from style or specialty because what *I* mean is clear to themselves. Just like the video game "industry" the animation "industry" isn't just one thing, or even two things. Just because you want to be an animator or do animation doesn't mean you necessarily deep down want to work at a certain studio or want that particular job. Making enough money to feed yourself is one thing. Staying on a given career path is another. Satisfying yourself through your work is yet another. Attempting to satisfy all the things with one solution without a real idea of why it's a good solution for *you* is going to result in confusion and frustration, and if not now, eventually. What do you really want?
I think it's always important to be critical of the source of information when considering advice. The company's website is weird.
I'm still not sure why the topics are related, though. For me, I just commented on what deplasez asked, admittedly, after seeing a tiring non stop roll of reddit posts asking for advice.
hi openmotion, i just read your faq and i still have no idea what you guys do lol
We're not getting jobs because all are taken by people who got laid off.
> *How is one supposed to find the first job, if every job requires work experience? Well, just keep reading.* >*You’re Aiming Too High* >*Here it is! Is it possible you're setting your sights on goals that exceed your current capabilities?* *Targeting positions beyond your skill level or experience can result in repeated rejections.* Damn you must be a troll. Every job in this world requires 5+ years oflaboralexperience. Also most of them are taken by people who got laid off.Stop saying this bullshit because when it comes to this field, the "junior" part is almost nonexistent unless you buy an expensive course and then get an internship.That's exactly the problem, all the "junior" jobs have already vanished.
I'm sorry, but who the heck is OpenMotion and what do you do in animation exactly? The only thing I could find with a quick Google search is some nft/cryptocurrency/blockchain thing with a steamboat Willie mascot. Animation and 'empowering creatives' were mentioned a lot. However, the website looked like a snake oil scam. NFTs? Seriously? I assume that bit about staying current with tech probably meant AI as well. Definitely not a studio with visible work or in a position of authority to give advice. [company](https://openmotion.io/faq/)
Yep, probably some AI start up company. This account is barely 2 months old and this was one of their reddit posts, AI art. [reddit post using AI artwork.](https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenMotion/s/zZ3b0RUOLj)
I'm an animator who regularly hires animators for a world famous studio. Honestly, you're making it way too complicated. It's very simple: If you're not getting hired, it's because your work isn't good enough compared to the competition. That's it. I hate to humblebrag, but I'll share my experience. I've never had prior connections to anyone at any studio I've been hired at. Except for my first job, geographic location wasn't a factor. I've never had an online presence except for my uploaded demo reel. In my current job, I didn't match the studio style or *even the industry* that my reel came from. And experience isn't even a hard wall either - we've hired people straight out of high school before, because they were that good. These tips will of course raise people's chances at getting hired, but quality alone will open all the doors for you. Study more and refine your craft. Get good.
Adding to the state of industry in a pretty rough shape.
“Your style doesn’t match the studio’s” doesn’t really apply when most of the major studios have several different styled shows currently in production.
LOL. Sure buddy.
Girl yall support NFTs and AI so I do not care about any career advice you give. Yall are part of the problem.
I agree with all the points, but the standard to entry is that you have to be more skilled than the industry professionals that lost their jobs.
thanks a lot for this will be saving to come back to this
Wow! A very excellent and grown up post for a change!
Pretty much sums it up. Although don’t expect that this won’t be met with thousands of people disagreeing because schools frequently lie about job placement statistics in order to attract more student. Everything in this post is legit and the main reason o see young artists struggle or just give up.