We went over cover letters, and did a task where we had to point out what was wrong with the example given. During this task, it became pretty obvious that a common pitfall is becoming too informal or rambling in the cover letter. It should be a short piece that covers anything you couldn’t put into your CV.
During my research into what makes a good cover letter, I came across the National Careers Service;
They include some good advice like ‘Convince them that you’re enthusiastic about working for them. Let them know you share their work values, culture and style.’ and ‘highlight your skills’. This resource will be quite helpful for me when I begin writing my cover letter.
I did some research into local studios to find job openings, and I came across Boulder Media, who, while not currently hiring, had an expression of interest open to 2D animators.
The use a third party recruitment system for their applications, so there was no name given to send the cover letter and CV to. To be safe, I’d address the letter as ‘Dear hiring manager’.
They seem to prioritise creativity, positivity and team work, so those would be things I highlight in my letter.
We had a panel in to talk to us about the industry and building careers within animation. There were professionals who had been working for years, and then a recent graduate in her first job. It was really beneficial to hear their stories and the many different ways they’ve achieved their goals. There was some reassurance that progress isn’t linear and there isn’t just one way to build a career in the industry.
I found it really interesting, talking about expectations in a studio setting, and the best way to market yourself for work. I think having the wide range of experience on the panel also helped get a better picture of how working professionally could pan out, and the stages my artist development could go through.
The advice they offered will definitely help me when I create my CV and cover letter.
Alec instructed us to find showreels that demonstrated good editing, so I found three that I think work really well.
This first one is by an artist I follow called Lemoncholy. She’s a student at Calarts, and I am always inspired by her work. Her showreel demonstrates her ability in a range of styles, and has editing that matches the beats of the music so it’s more aesthetically pleasing. I also really like her title card, the opening animation is super creative.
Again, I really like the opening animation, it’s simple, but really nicely timed with ease in and out of movements. The music choice is nice, with steady beats that make it easier to edit to. I like the timing of each clip.
This final showreel is nice, but I think it has a few issues. Some clips are a bit short and hard to process, the music choice is a little distracting, which takes away from the animation/ Otherwise, I like the variation of styles that were included in the showreel, and the pacing.
We were asked to do research on entry level jobs in the industry and note the skills they were looking for.
I went onto Glassdoor and found a listing for an animator at Moving Picture Company, which read as so:
So experience with software seems to be a big one, and flexibility of skills, judging by how they’d like the candidate to have some scripting knowledge.
Vero HR are looking a 3D animator:
Again knowledge of software, especially multiple software, is very valuable to companies. Adaptability seems to be a big one too.
Improbable are specifically looking a graduate animator to train in their studio:
I researched an animator called Victoria Pritchard, a Melbourne based artist and animator who has been working in the industry for 3 years. She attended RMIT University in Australia for Animation specifically and hold a Bachelor’s degree in the subject. Her first creative job was as a Social Media Designer for Australian Red Cross. Over time, she’s worked towards freelance animator work and working on temporary contracts, she’s partnered with big tech companies like Huion and Logitech to market creative products those companies are selling. She is also a Toon Boom Ambassador.
I found her showreel on Youtube
And her website has her portfolio, links to her LinkedIn and her showreel.
Her art journey definitely isn’t linear, she started off in a job that had very little animation and slowly worked her way up to the job she wanted. A lot of companies are looking for general experience creating content and it seems like as long as it’s generally connected to animation/vfx/games then it’ll suffice. Of course specific experience is preferred, but it isn’t a priority for a lot of mid-level placements.
I also looked at an artist who I admire, but she doesn’t work the role that I’m aspiring for. I wanted to include her because I found her resume and her animation work inspires me a lot. Her current job is as a layout artist at Yowza! Animation
Her name is Michelle Cheng, she’s a current student at Calarts, and holds a previous art degree from the Acadamy Of Realist Art Toronto. She worked as a director and producer on the short film ‘Enemy’, which ended up winning the Critic’s Choice Award at Overmountain Animation Film Festival.
Her website hosts her portfolio for animation, personal work and visual development
Her artistic journey also demonstrates a slow build to get towards the job you want. Entry level positions seem to be geared towards building experience in the industry in general, and then the artist can work towards their goal from there.
