This week we took time to prepare for our Mock interviews for the 19th November. In this mock interview we are to apply for a job role we are interested in and present ourselves to the interviewers who we are, and why we are suitable for the job. This process will also give us students some ease into the industry & interview stage, for the future.
BEFORE THE INTERVIEW
research company/studio/organisation
research job criteria
anticipate and practice interview questions – and prepare questions for the employer
if travelling to site by car, drive 10-15 minutes early and familiar yourself with area
dress professionally
DURING THE INTERVIEW
talk about qualifications, background, education, experiences
Attitude, be honest, sincere, professional
Intelligence – use communication skills, speak about company and its mission
Compatibility, speak about adapting to different work environments, examples of being an effective team player
Use the STAR Method – describe the Situation, what was the Task, describe the Action undertaken, what were the Results.
DO’S
give time to think about answers
be friendly not abrupt
be positive and honest
relax and talk to interview like a human being
talk about skills & achievements proudly
take deep breaths when tense and freezing up
prepare your answer to questions, but not off by heart
go with the flow
DON’TS
down play skills and achievements
sound too abrupt
get annoyed with interviewer
speak softly, or too loud
exaggerate and be dishonest
be negative
AFTER THE INTERVIEW
Ask when you may hear back from interviewer
Ask for feedback / where there could be improvement
As a task for this weeks lecture we took some time in groups to ask each other interview questions from the examples we were given. We picked out one from each category which were:
Skills
Experience
The Role
Ambitions
Personality
Odd questions
Do you have any questions for us?
I worked with three other classmates and we took turns to be the interviewee and interviewer. I was the interviewer first and I asked questions like:
What are your strengths/weaknesses?
What is your best achievement to date?
What would your first 30 days in the job look like?
What is your dream role?
Do you prefer to work in a team or independently?
What is your favourite animal?
For when I was the interviewee, I was asked similar questions and tried my best to answer them all confidently and professionally. I think this task was very rewarding and it made me feel a lot more confident in taking the mock interview soon.
In this assignment I am required to keep a research blog on 1 or 2 job roles in the animation industry I am interested in. I will find what skill set is required, what should and shouldn’t be in a portfolio/reel for this job, if it is an entry role or requires previous experience, and any other interesting insights. By the end of this research I hope to find 1 or two job roles I am interested in, and learn and understand the requirements of these jobs, so that I could be prepared to apply for a job in this industry for the future.
At first, it was difficult for me to choose a specific job role, as I do enjoy trying out every aspect of animation in this course. I also couldn’t figure out what aspect I am best at. However most recently I found out from a class we had, that I do enjoy 2D Animating a lot, and have some experience with it. I am also quite interested in a concept artist job as a lot of pieces of work I admire/inspired by, are based off concepts of a project.
A 2D Animator is the role of creating movement in a 2-dimensional space in cel, traditional drawings, or on computer software. 2D Animators convey stories, life and messages through their work by making characters, objects, and backgrounds move.
A 2D Animator could be working with many people to produce their work. They will work with writers and head of story to learn how to communicate this story they have made. They will work with concept, background, layout and character artists to determine the visual of the animation and how to portray it. They will work with sound designers and voice actors to accurately animate in beat and in time with any sound played.
A 2D Animator has roles and responsibilities they take on to do their best job. These include:
Producing frames
Rigging characters
Producing special effects & graphics
Inking and colouring
Animating scenes
Preparing actions & timing to dialogue & music
Cleanups
A 2D animator can work with many software and skills to produce animation, such as:
Pen and paper
Paint and cels
Artistic skills
Creative skills
Anatomy
Puppetry – traditional and digital
flexibility within projects
Toon Boom
Adobe Photoshop / Illustrator / After Effects
Krita
Blender
Now I will present 2 – 3 job applications that are looking for a 2D Animator at the moment. I will analyse their job description to see what skills they require, what they would look for in a portfolio / reel, and if this is an entry level position or not.
1. Junior-Mid Animator – Creative Recruitment
The first job I found was on Reed.co.uk. This is for a recruiting branch called Creative Recruitment and it is offering a Junior-Mid Animator job based in London. This is a client job offer for corporate and promotional briefs.
Their essential skills for this job is to:
have intermediate After effects skills in 2D Animation & motion graphics
decent at video editing in Premiere Pro
be highly creative and thrive in lively creative environments
be self-motivated
have awesome showreel / website with range of projects
work on tight deadlines
love to interact with clients
This job application states it is ideal to have agency experience beforehand, however they advertise this job role as junior-mid which some graduates with 2D Animation experience could fall into.
They are looking for a showreel submission and a portfolio website with a range of projects. This ensures the studio of what you have previously worked on, and showcases your skills in action.
2. 2D Animator – Vanilla Recruitment
This next job role was also found on Reed.co.uk. The recruiting branch is called Vanilla Recruitment and they are looking for a passionate 2D Animator to join a commercial marketing service company to help international brands communicate with digital innovations. This is based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire and contains flexible working.
They list the duties that you will undertake in this role:
Create 2D text flashes & animations
generate creative content for digital screens and social media
work closely with other creatives & client services team to understand requirements
use initiative and working at pace whilst maintaining quality
work on diverse projects with consumer brands
They also list skills and experience required:
experience with 2D animation,, or an open minded animation graduate with practical work experience
Creative skills and experience with illustrator, After effects, Photoshop, InDesign
Ability to work to deadlines
excellent communication skills
Alternatively to the last job, this application is offered to ‘open-minded’ animation graduates with some work experience. This is ideal for graduates looking for their first big role in the industry.
3. 2D Animator – Zest Exec ltd
This last job I found was found on Indeed.com This is for a company/recruitment branch called Zest Exec ltd and they are looking for a 2D animator / motion designer to join the animation team. They will provide the chance to work with clients on a global scale, and the opportunity to work in a studio environment. They are based in Midlands, Nottingham, and they prefer to work in studio.
The requirements they look for are:
At least 2 years experience, but also consider graduate level appointments
require proven commercial proficiency in editing, asset creation and motion design with software After effects, Illustrator and Photoshop.
Experience in 2D design and motion
3D not required but added benefit
They also provide a list of skills to have:
Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Indesign – bonus
A solid communicator at all levels – both written and verbal
A passion for the sector, a willingness to learn and develop
This recruitment branch says they can consider graduate level appointments for this role, which means graduates have an opportunity to apply for this role depending on their experience.
This application requires the skills and qualities for being a 2D Animator, but also suggest 3D skills is a ‘benefit’ to the role. This could suggest that there are some range of tasks within the job role, relating to 3D aspects.
From these three jobs I can summarise what kind of skills a studio would look for in a 2D animator, and what to include in our portfolio/showreels for these roles.
The most required skills that these applications look for are:
After effects skills
video editing skills
experience with illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
communicator
to work on tight deadlines
When showcasing your portfolio and showreel, It would be ideal to include any work experience you have – especially agency work. You would include an indication that you have projects to show with experience in the software they mention the most etc. After effects, Illustrator, Premiere Pro; You would also include the types of mediums you have experimented with such as 2D Animation, video editing, design experimentation, and motion graphics.
It would be ideal to include any experience you have taken as an animation student or as an animation graduate – to present your industry work at the moment, or show you are prepared for the industry.
What I would guess that you shouldn’t include for this job role would be showing little, different, or no work experience at all. You would avoid indicating you have experience with software that is too distinct from the likes of After effects, Photoshop etc. Lastly, it would not be ideal to include work the opposite of 2D Animation eg. 3D art, 3D mechanics, rendered illustrations, or unfinished work.
A concept artist is the role of creating visual development for a project. Concept artists explore and experiment with the looks and ideas for an animation. They can visualise character, props, environments and assets – as detailed illustrations, or as quick sketches. Each serve a purpose, and are used later on as reference for the whole production.
A concept artist could be working with others to produce their work. They work with types of designers such as character designers, and background designers, to provide initial ideas and reference for their progress. They would also work with the director and producer to produce artwork that reflects the story’s vision.
A concept artist has roles and responsibilities they take on to do their best job. These include:
Working from a brief
produce artwork of creatures, characters, environments, assets and more
providing attention to detail
explain and present pitch ideas clearly to team
adapt and refine work when needed
follow reference
A concept artist can work with many software and skills to produce concept art, such as:
Traditional pen and paper
Adobe photoshop / illustrator
Anatomy
Artistic skills
Creative skills
Graphic design
Zbrush
Clip studio Paint
Procreate
Krita
Autodesk Maya
Blender
Now I will present 2 – 3 job applications that are looking for a concept artist at the moment. I will analyse their job description to see what skills they require, what they would look for in a portfolio / reel, and if this is an entry level position or not.
1. Concept Artist – X4 Group
This first job role was found on Reed.co.uk. The recruitment company called X4 Group is looking for an experienced concept artist to work for a UK indie studio. They are offering a short-term contract to produce engaging visuals and concepts for a game in the production stage. They are based in London, UK and are currently working fully remotely.
They specify the role you will undertake at this studio:
Join the team for a PC & Console co-op survival horror game
Requires additional concept support for environments, characters and props
expertise in concept art
passion for creating fun and engaging visuals
The Concept Artist requirements:
A good track record of creating high quality art pieces
To produce quick rough drafts to aid communication and direction
strong work ethic, ability to work well with a team
Liaise productively with other team members and collaborate on ideas
The studio require someone with a passion for creating fun and engaging visuals. They also look for a strong portfolio of previous concept art work – to prove your skills and present your abilities.
The application states they are looking for an experienced concept artist, which could work out for a graduate if they are primarily focused on concept art.
2. Concept artist UK – Double Eleven
This job was found on Indeed.com. The studio called Double Eleven is looking for a concept artist to develop initial concepts, and work with Art and design leads to produce a range of work from environments / characters / storyboards to marketing content. This studio is based in Middlesbrough UK, and they are currently working remotely until it is safe to return to their HQ.
They list what roles you will take in the position:
Creating concept art for characters, environments, objects
Finish work within deadlines
Create high quality illustrations
Work with the Art Manager & leads to create high quality consistent visuals
Work with the design team to solve problems where Art and Design meet
create inspirational concepts and prototype art to pitch game ideas
Iterate on ideas using quick sketches and thumbnails
The skills and type of applicant they are looking for are:
Photoshop and / or Painter
Good communication skills
Good team player
Creativity, motivation, enthusiasm, adaptability
Strong sense of colour theory, lighting
Strong sense of design and composition
A passion for games art and games development
Knowledge of multiple art styles and techniques
This job role specifies ‘All relevant qualifications considered’ so it could be possible a graduate could apply for this role. In addition, they ask for a portfolio submission to support their application.
They let the applicants know that all without an accompanying portfolio will not be considered, so it is vital to include one, or else they will not look through your application.
From these two jobs I can summarise what kind of skills a studio would look for in a Concept artist, and what to include in our portfolio/showreels for these roles.
The most required skills that these applications look for are:
Collaborator
High quality illustrator
Photoshop skills
Strong sense of design
communicator
When showcasing your portfolio and showreel, It would be ideal to include any personal or group project experience, especially if you were in the concept artist role. You would include an indication that you have projects to show with experience in the software they mention the most etc. Illustrator, Photoshop, pen on paper. You would also include the types of mediums you have experimented with such as character design, background design, colour study, equipment design etc.
It would be ideal to include any experience you have taken as an animation student or as an animation graduate – to present your industry work at the moment, or show you are prepared for the industry.
What I would guess that you shouldn’t include for this job role would be showing little, different, or no work experience at all. You would avoid indicating you have experience with software that is too distinct from the likes of Photoshop, and other 2D drawing software. Lastly, it would not be ideal to include work the opposite of Concept Art eg. 3D mechanics, Animation, or unfinished work.
On week 7 of this term we got into campus to learn more about the industry material we should make for future job roles. Today we learned about cover letters, communication in emails, and portfolio / showreel design.
A Cover letter is a small, page long document that complements your CV. It does into more detail about who you are, why you are applying for a job, and what you can offer to this job. It provides the employer with some more details about you and shows your professionalism.
We focused on the structure of a cover letter, what contents go into a cover letter, how to research and talk about the job were applying for in the cover letter, and other details about ourselves and why we are applying for the job. These are:
Section 1: Explain why you are applying, what position, and if you have heard of the studio before
Section 2: What do you have to offer? Explain specific qualifications they require
Section 3: Thank the employer for considering you, and mention you are looking forward to hearing back from them
Don’t use superlatives to describe yourself – can sound too unrealistic
Be specific with your skills & qualities
Be positive
Don’t over design your document – a simple aligned document works
Be truthful in your letter
Do not copy everything from your CV, add more detail
An example of a suitable cover letter from the website Prospects.ac.uk
Later on we touched on emailing an employer. Emailing is an efficient way to contact employers and services and communicate. We focused on how to address the receiver, again the structure of an email, what contents to say and how to address it.
research the company or hiring manager you are contacting
If no information can be found, address them by ‘Dear Hiring Manager’
be professional – use a work email account
Follow instructions on advertised job, specify the subject you are addressing
Always customise your email for different employers – never copy and paste
Link your industry materials, and let them know you have attached them
proofread
An example of emailing your employer from the website thebalancecareers.com
Our next topic was about portfolio design and what to include for specific job applications. There are some points to remember for building a portfolio, these are:
present your art first – should be what a client/employer sees first
only include your best ‘Quality over Quantity’
Focus your portfolio to the job you’re applying for – eg. show 2D animation for a 2D animation job.
include practicality of our work – apply correct structure in your work that would work in a real project
Think about your role in the pipeline – think of the roles before and after your job role – make sure they work for everyone – you work as a team
Make portfolio easy to navigate – simple buttons and limited pages. – more clicks – more problems
Include work in progress pieces, only if the project is finished
keep portfolio up to date
provide contact info
An example of a portfolio website – our tutors portfolio
Source:
http://aodhanmcnicholl.com
Lastly we touched on showreels and how to present them/make them stand out well. There are points to remember for making a showreel, these are:
To bookend your showreel – show name, contact info, role
best work at the start and end
short and sweet – between 30 seconds to 1-2 minutes
edit to (copyright free) music to work on a beat – more catchy and entertaining
trim the fat, only show what you need to
focus your showreel based on the job role you’re applying for etc, present character animation for a character animation job
test audience – show it to family / friends / other artists
credit each of your shots – make them known
Example of a suitable showreel – our tutors showreel
On the 5th week, our tutor Alec gave us a talk about Job contracts, freelancing, and the option to choose placement year.
Animation Job contracts
For an animation job, the salary is quoted as an annual salary before tax. If it is a permanent contract, it may stay an annual salary review. Usually within an animation job, you can check to see if you are eligible for any bonuses, for example when you finish a project ahead of time.
The length of a contract in an animation job is usually a fixed term, for example, lengths between 3 / 6 / 12 months at a time. Some studios could offer a rolling contract if you wish to keep working with them. Permanent contracts are much less common in the entertainment industry, but they can still happen.
In an animation job, Some contracts could state if there is overtime and if it is paid. Alternatively, the impact of COVID has increased the use of remote work – means more Flexi-time.
In terms of legal rights, contracts should state employee and employer rights, terms of contract termination, notice periods etc. Creative studios may provide contractual, non-disclosure agreements for all work undertaken.
We know retirement is a long way off for us, but it is a common thing, and worth planning now when we start working. Although, our employer could also auto-enrol you into a workplace pension. And if we are, or become self-employed in the future – we should set up a personal pension.
There is ultimately a difference between having experience vs no experience before you attempt to look for a job.
Having work experience up to 3-5+ years allows for
levelling up skill and speed in efficient time
time to build a network of contacts
gain confidence in your abilities
Having little to no work experience requires the need to
create a professional standard of portfolio work that will capture clients
The speed/skill of workflow would need work on
‘Effort and perseverance is the key’
Location
Belfast /NI
fewer studios and advertising agencies
cheaper rent / cost of living
Nice to live close to home, or at home
England / London
more studios – one of the main bases in Europe for Animation /VFX / Advertising agencies
Expensive rent
More cities with different creative opportunities etc. Bristol, Cardiff, Manchester
Remote / In-house
Covid has allowed more business to go remotely – to stop the spread the virus
can be competing against cheaper labour markets – where places are going fully remote
Freelancing ‘in-house’ or close, is easier to manage in a team environment – may be called in occasionally
In-house reduces cost of software
building trust to work from home, will allow you to be more flexible to work remotely – benefit in future jobs
Pricing / Overheads
This is a good triangle diagram which categories what is good, cheap or fast work. No work can be all three at the same time. When a client asks for work to be fast etc. following this graph will let you know that this work may not be the best quality, or may be more expensive – if you are to work at a fast pace. It is good to know what you are worth.
Pricing
Day rate – min – £200-300 and up (England) – £150 and up (NI)
Project quote – Day rate x number of days – with % discount (eg. 10 to 20%)
Note – your prices can vary depending on the medium / quality of your experience
Overheads
Hardware – PCs, External drives
Software licenses – can be billed to client separately
May get asked for creative input, but also rejected
keep networking
Keep learning – training in studios
Keep your showreel / portfolio up to date
Keep looking for opportunities near the end of your contract
build your brand / artwork by blogging, vlogging, social media
Work at work! Stay off phone / social media at work
Take regular breaks from screen
From this lecture I have more knowledge about the insides of applying for jobs, working on contracts, freelancing and more. It is refreshing to finally understand what the different types of contracts are, how to calculate my pricing and pay rate, how tax will affect this and so on.
After our lecture, We took on a task by looking through a chosen brief. We were to read through the brief and identify areas of concern that we should be addressing to a client for effective communication in the future.
My group worked on the Bar promotion advert brief. The concerns we found were:
Are there character designs to work from to make ‘character animations ‘ of the ‘anthropomorphic animals’? Or do we create both the character designs, and animation?
What drink/food are we promoting? What bar are we promoting?
What style should the animation be in? What visual direction do we have?
How will the animation play out? Do we make a script/storyboard/animatic to plan this?
This seems like a lot of work to be delivered in one month
What software/hardware am I using? Do I pay for my own supplies?
What is the pay rate?
It is good to know that we understand the errors in this brief and what we would consider communicating to the client about in order to make our job easier and smoother. It lets us know we are prepared to work for our own worth, and take on work we know we can handle, instead of being underpaid, or overworked.
This week in our Professional Practice lecture we talked to three industry guests, and previous graduates of Ulster University in Animation. We talked to:
Zoe Woods – Graduated in 2018, Working for Framestore AI as a Layout technical director in London
Aisling McElroy – Graduated in 2018 – Working for Italic Pig as Production co-ordinator in Holywood
Greg Woodcock – Graduated in 2008 – Working for Dimension Studio as an Animator in Newcastle/London
Zoe Woods is currently a layout Technical Director at frame store IA. she graduated in 2018 from Ulster University. Zoe completed a placement year at Enter Yes as an Animation Intern. Zoe went into the animation course wanting to work in the Gaming industry, however she bounced between gaming and VFX while studying. She has worked on shows such as Millie Inbetween, Pip and Posy, and Jessy and Nessy.
Zoe started as a runner at BBC Blackstaff, where she organised the behind the scenes of a show. She would organise the extras, do coffee runs, make phone calls, emails, hand out sheets and scripts and organising filming abroad, partys and more. Zoe became a Data wrangler at Jam Media, where she would look after the renders and point out issues that may appear – communicate with IT & compositors to address errors. Zoe moved onto 2D Render lead at Jam Media, where she led the team to organise shots, identify issues, and checking everyones work. Zoe then went onto become a Layout artist for many studios, where she sets up scenes, props, and characters ready for animation, setting up placement, blockings, and cameras to correct places. Zoe taught us a lot about the current role she takes as a layout artist, the studio workflow and how it is changing every year.
Aisling McElroy talked to us next.
Aisling McElroy is currently a production co-ordinator for Italic Pig, and she graduated in 2018 from Ulster University. Aisling went into the animation course wanting to do a bit of everything, but also always loved working within a team and organising a project – this led her to working in production. She completed a 3 year placement at Sixteen south, working on three different projects. She had dabbled in the likes of design, edit, audio recording, scripting etc. She graduated as a generalist, but wanted to pursue a role in production.
She found a job in Blackstaff Games where she produced for a small platform game, ‘Buildings have feelings too!’. Aisling took an opportunity to organise gaming play through for students in Belfast Met. She then went on to work for Taunt studios for a brief time. She was managing and reaching out to companies within Belfast and London to build up the studio, as they were just a starting company. Aisling moved over to Italic Pig where she has been working for 2 years now. Her role was an art-line producer at first, where she looking after the art department of the studio. She would be in change of the documentation, making sure everyone knows what they are doing, and scheduling. More recently she has become a Lead Producer for five different projects. She is learning to produce with many different teams, managing projects and deadlines. Aisling explains her role and the studio workflow when answering a few questions we asked.
Lastly Greg woodcock talked to us.
Greg Woodcock is an Animator working as a freelancer, currently working for Dimension Studio. He graduated in 2008 from Swansea Met University. He has been in the industry for 10+ years, and has created many projects such as console games, advertising, TV adverts, mobile apps casino games and more. Greg works primarily with 3D animation and rigging, and has a range tool sets in Autodesk Maya – going from project to project he said he is always learning new skills and collects tools to use in the future.
Greg’s first job was for the studio Serious Parody creating animation / body mechanics for a wrestling game. Currently he is working with VR and mobcap for a VR game at Dimension Studio. He takes on roles such as working with human IK & skeletons, and setting in keyframes. Greg emphasises the challenge of starting to find opportunities in the animation industry, and how the more experience you get, the more opportunities you could find.
These guest talks were very interesting to listen into. It was great to hear from people in the industry and what they have experienced so far into their careers. What I learnt about most is the reality that my options/roles may or may not change further in the future etc. could start wanting to be an animator, but become a producer. It also was interesting to know about what duties these guys took on for their different kinds of jobs, and how they felt about them.
This weeks Professional Practice class focused around the making, and presentation of showreels. First of all we joined the class with an example of an animation showreel we found and thought was very well edited and presented.
The showreel I found was from an artist/animator called Michelle Cheng (username Lemoncholy). Her winter 2021 showreel is intriguing to me all throughout the video. It starts with showcasing her contact details, and a beautiful visual of opening the door to a bathroom, in black negative space. During the showreel she showcases finished animations, sketch animations, cinematography skills, and colouring. At the end, the tail of the character swings by and reveals her contact details again, showing great editing skills also.
Her contact details are shown clear and neat within the video which makes it look professional. She has also kept between the 30-60 second length of a showreel, in which she presents many different kinds of work in this limited time. The music is very chill and not a distraction at all to what is being shown. I think this is a great example of an animation showreel, and I hope to achieve this level someday.
Next in this class, we were given an activity to edit a 30 second showreel of our tutors animation work. We got an introduction to Premiere Pro, where we would be editing this showreel, and started the activity during class.
I looked through my tutors work and thought his 3D animation, modelling, lighting, and compositing of the adverts and character animation he did were interesting to make into a short reel.
I used the provided music and collected each clip I wanted to present, and organised them into suitable places that would transition well, etc. At the end of Alec’s animation of the pea in the Lurkpak advert, I paired it with the Im Drink advert when they both presented the colour green. I also did a similar thing, where I paired the Freeview advert with his the Property pal advert, because they both took place in an outside/town space.
I had a bit of trouble getting to the 30 second limit, as I kept going over 2 minutes with the amount of clips I wanted to use. I had to take out most of the clips, and keep the ones I thought looked best. I also quickly made sure the clips played well with the beat of the music, as that is also a good skill to make your showreel look interesting.
Finally, I was happy with how it looked and exported the video. Here is the result.
To start off my module ‘Professional practice’ I have been asked to search for different jobs in the animation industry, and to write a brief description of these jobs. I will also look at job sites such as Indeed, Linked in or Reed, and write down a brief reflection of these jobs and its roles. Lastly I will find a junior or mid-level animator/artist that I like, and research them – their social medias, their career, their work and what their journey tells me.
As a result of this research task I will have found one or multiple animation job roles that I am interested in, I will have a better understanding of these jobs, their roles, and how to achieve this job. And, I will have a better understanding of how artists/animators are presented in the industry.
First of all I will pick out a couple of animation jobs that interest me, and find out what they actually entail.
2D Animator – 2d animators illustrate frame by frame or use vector images to create motion in 2-dimensional space. They work from concept artists, storyboard artists, and animatics work to produce a story or message into an animation. They implement the principles of animation into their work to convey the emotion and action the creators are looking to show.
3D Animator – 3D Animators create characters, assets and scenes from computer generation. 3D animators learn technical software to produce a 3-Dimensional object, and give it motion in a 3-dimensional space. They also work from concept artists, storyboard artists, and animatic editors work to produce a story or message into an animation.
Concept Artist – Concept artists comes up with the first initial ideas/looks/sketches for an animation, following the information and story made by the writer. They work with the writers, producer, and head of story to produce a good and engaging style for the animation. They provide visuals and references for animators, background artists, and character designers.
Animatic Editor – An animatic editor is the role of combining storyboards, audio and timing to an edited rendition of how the animation will play out. They work with storyboard artists, Audio composers and compositors to capture each of their creative work and display them in real time. An animatic editor will focus on using an editing software to bring these together and plan the pace, sounds, and key posing of an animation.
Background Designer – A background designer is the role of designing the environment of a scene in animation. They work with layout artists, concept artists and storyboard artists to capture the right colour, texture and lighting for a particular scene in a story. They also help to highlight which, and what kind of objects will or will not interact with the background scene.
Render Wrangler – A render wrangler monitors and controls the rendering process of a 3D/computer animation. They may work on multiple machines to produce rendered frames, and ensure that the technical data and software are all in control and running the way they plan. They will work with the animators, and technicians to ensure the rendering process runs smoothy. And if not, they are to solve the problem in efficient time.
Character Designer – a character designers job is to design and bring to life the visuals of characters in a story. They are given descriptions from the director and concept artists to produce experimental designs, and finalised designs of a character. These said characters can be produced in model sheets and professional layouts for modellers, animators and storyboard artists to capture the characters visual. They will ensure the characters are ‘on model’ within future work.
Animation/production assistant – A production assistant, or a ‘runner’ ensures that the animation production is running smoothly by helping out in anyway they can. Most trainees and internship roles for animation start out here. Production assistants work consists of taking notes in meetings and giving reports, organising work progress and workflow, printing scripts and necessary documents, etc.
Part-remote part-office job that allows those ‘starting their design career’ to apply
Requires skills in drawing, to be comfortable in storyboarding, knowledge of Adobe apps – after effects/photoshop/illustrator, experience with illustrating, experience with animation principles.
They look for someone self-motivated and passionate, confident in communicating ideas to the team, who can work on any client amends/follow brand guidelines, and someone enthusiastic about storytelling.
Asks for CV as you get in touch
2. Junior Animation Assistant
Indeed.com
RAW Pictures Ltd
Remote
Looking for someone ‘looking to start their career in the world of 2D animation’
Requires strong emphasis in 2D work, comfortable with adobe apps (after effects etc.), skills in 3D animation.
They look for someone that can fit into the ‘young and forward thinking company’, who are looking to grow their 2D and 3D skills, isn’t afraid to share their ideas and work in a team, has a strong work ethic, and someone who has studied animation before.
3. Junior Graphic Artist
Glassdoor.co.uk
Astra Games
Remote/Office
An Entry-level graphics role
Requires knowledge of 2D creation software (Adobe apps – After effects etc.), some experience of 3D design programs, knowledge of game engine workflows, knowledge of online gaming.
They look for someone who has the ability to take projects from briefing to delivery with creative and considered approach, a love for illustration & character design, a keen eye for detail and accuracy, ability to respond efficiently, must be organised, self-motivated, and a team player.
Asks for a portfolio / portfolio link in the application
Lastly, I will pick out a junior or mid-level animator/artist that I like, and research their progress/career.
Marie Lum (nickname PuccaNoodles) is a Los Angles based animator and illustrator.
Marie had studied at Otis College of Art and Design and majored with a BFA in animation. Marie shares her work and connects with others through her Twitter social, and Instagram social. She has built her own website to showcase her professional work, personal work, and her resume. Additionally, she has set up her own online store selling merchandise such as stickers, key-rings and caps.
In her resume you can see she has worked with many great companies such as Disney TV Animation, Warner Bros. Animation, and Cartoon Network. During the start of her career she worked for smaller studios such as Trinket Studios, Rose art Mattel, and Studio Yotta.
She is skilled in programmes such as Storyboard Pro, ToonBoom Harmony, Paint Tool Sai, Clip Studio Paint, Adobe software and Microsoft software.
Screenshots of: Marie Lum’s Instagram, Marie’s Linked In
Marie Lum’s career started in Studio Yotta in 2015 where she did animation clean-ups for shorts and cartoon pilots. She later on worked for Trinket Studios that year to create designs and assisted animations for a video game. In 2016 she ranged from many studios starting at Rose Art Mattel as an illustrator, moved towards Warner Bros. Animation as an animation production intern, then to Dreamworks TV as a clean-up animator. Marie moved upwards to Cartoon Network from 2017 to 2019 to work on Craig of the Week as a storyboard revisionist/artist. Marie returned to Warner Bros. in 2020 to work on storyboard revisions for Aquaman: King of Atlantis. Finally, Marie is currently working at Disney TV Animation as a storyboard artist, on an unannounced show!
Her journey has been long and it seems she has taken on many different roles in the animation industry. She started with junior jobs and worked her way up to be a talented storyboard artist. Her journey inspires me as she has worked hard to get to where she is, and that her style is so unique but fits well to where she works for etc. Her work for Infinity Train suits the style of the actual show.
Additionally, Marie has a big following for her art of her own original world called ‘Barrowdale Village Plaza’. Her profile pictures and art usually consist of the main character of this story, Biscotti.
You can find her work/portfolio on her website: http://www.marielumart.com
Her Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-lum-a8667389?trk=people-guest_people_search-card
Animatic/storyboard work
Personal animation, Artwork for Barrowdale Village Plaza
