Professional Practise and Industry Facing Materials
For this assignment, I developed three key element of a job application: a CV, a cover email and a showreel. As I am not actively applying for jobs or placements in the animation industry this year, I approached this assignment as a valuable exercise in understanding the importance of presenting myself professionally in a creative industry. This blog outlines the research, development and reflection that went into creating each component.
Creating a CV
Before I began creative my new CV I spent some time researching what makes a creative CV stand out. I read some articles advising on how to make a CV specifically for creative careers. I found this article from the University of Oxford’s Careers in the Creative Arts guide particularly helpful as it breaks down different approaches and requirements for a CV into a lot of detail. The article covers practical advice about layout, tone and visual presentation, with emphasis on expressing individuality without compromising how organised and legible the content is. I also looked at a few examples of CVs by illustrators and designers that I thought had a good balance of creative flair and professionalism. These examples stood out to me as I noticed a common technique of adding illustrations to their CV rather than a photo of themselves. This immediately communicates their creative style without interrupting the written content of the CV.
In my first draft of my CV I simply rewrote my old CV I used to apply to previous part time jobs. This CV had a simple format consisting of an ‘About me’ section and summaries of my work experience and education. to focus on skills and aspirations that would be applicable to a job in a creative industry.
However, while this version was functional and followed a standard format, I felt that it looked too plain and could be more refined to suit applying to creative jobs. In my second draft, I added a software section, hyperlinked my Instagram profile and split the text into two columns to allow it to all fit on one page. I think this looks much more thoughtfully arranged and gives a better impression that the CV is dense with information without being too busy. Additionally, as the illustration isn’t hidden on the second page it makes a more striking first impression that more effectively shows creative personality.
Cover E-Mail
A cover email acts as both a first impression and a short pitch explaining why I am a right match for the job. This part of the assignment requires not just self-promotion, but also company research and concise writing. My aim was to express interest in a specific job posting in a way that showed enthusiasm in a way that still came across as authentic and informed.
As I was not actually intending to apply to industry jobs, I was able to choose an example job posting that wasn’t necessarily in a location that would suit me. hence, I chose this posting from Blue Zoo Animation for the position of junior background artist. Before writing my mock email I browsed Blue Zoo’s YouTube channel to find recent work of theirs I could comment on. Their series of short, charming ads for the RSPB stood out to me as environmentalism is a key theme I want to pursue in my creative work.
Dear employer,
I hope this message finds you well. My name is Erin Reid, and I am excited to apply for the position of Junior Background Artist at Blue Zoo Animation as advertised. I am a passionate 2D artist with a strong background in creating immersive environments, and I am eager to contribute to your creative team.
With a Bachelor of Arts in Animation from Ulster University, my coursework has given me a broad range of experience in both 2D and 3D art, alongside personal projects and freelance commission work. These experiences have equipped me with skills in composition, shape language, perspective and visual storytelling to name a few.
I have followed Blue Zoo’s work, and I particularly enjoyed your recent ‘We Campaign Because They Can’t’ series for the RSPB. I am inspired by your studio’s uniquely charming and humorous approach to celebrating nature, which really comes through in your world-building. The way your team creates striking natural environments resonates with my own artistic vision and aspirations.
I believe my background in digital 2d painting will allow me to contribute effectively to Blue Zoo. I would love the opportunity to discuss how my skills and enthusiasm can further elevate the outstanding work you’re already doing.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to possibly discussing my application in more detail.
Warm regards,
Erin Reid
Showreel
Creating a showreel was likely the most challenging part of this assignment. I was worried I wouldn’t have enough content to make it feel complete as I haven’t done as much 2D animation this year as I had expected or hoped to.
As with the CV, I began by looking at examples. I watched a lot of showreels on YouTube and added my favourites to a paylist. I knew that I should put some of my best work towards the beginning but it was very hard to decide what that would be. I don’t honestly feel confident in having any of my 2D work from this year or last year as a first impression, and I wanted to use clips that were complete scenes rather than just assets so I ended up going back to my foundation year to make my showreel well over 30 seconds. Although this isn’t ideal I think it overall improves the showreel and gives a better balance of quality over recency. Additionally it helps show my personal style rather than focusing on projects where I had to adapt to be consistent with a project’s visual style.
After deciding on what clips to use and how to order them, I made a simple title card using an example of my background concept paintings and adding animated text in procreate. To add music I searched YouTube for license free music that would be fitting for my showreel and not distracting, and eventually settling on using the audio from this video.
Reflection
Overall this assignment has helped me understand the importance of professional self-presentation in the creative industries. Each component required different approaches to reflection, editing and self-evaluation. I would have liked to also make an ArtStation profile or similar online portfolio for this assignment if I had not ran out of time, as I have a lot of conceptual and illustrative work that would be relevant to job applications such as the aforementioned example from Blue Zoo.
I think my CV could be refined further to include more detail about my creative skills and maybe more visual development though I think it is well balanced already. My email felt a little forced on my end but I think from the perspective of a potential employer it would come across as confident and friendly. Finally, I think my showreel made the most of a limited selection of work to use, though I personally would not feel confident if I were to actually present it to a potential employer. In conclusion, this assignment was eye-opening as it brought a lot of areas for improvement to my attention which I can work on alongside alongside my EPY before returning to final year.