Archive of ‘Professional Practice’ category

Professional Practice – My Showreel & Portfolio

Above is my completed showreel!

I again used my Online Angel mascot in the intro for my showreel. I wanted to have some personal work beside my name.

I would have liked to have included more 2D work, however most of my dynamic/moving work from Uni at the moment is 3D work – I’d like to update it again once my walk cycles are complete, and maybe do some personal animation practice too. Once the NI Screen animation course begins, hopefully I will have more 2D experience and can make my  showreel more specific to my interests.

In terms of my editing, I was happy with the song I chose and the layout of my clips, however next time I would like to make a more interesting title screen, and maybe make something in After Effects.

Professional Practice – CV & Cover Email

My Cover Email

For my cover email, I applied as if I were applying to Studio Meala. Studio Meala are an Irish studio. The studio creates really colourful and fun 2D animations with unique art styles. They have been hired for a few animated music videos, something I am really interested in working on. When asking Sean, the studios founder, about the studio’s experience working on that MV I was told the client gave them a lot of creative freedom and allowed them to come up with the concept. This kind of creative freedom, and the studio’s unique style, really appeals to me. They often post on twitter or instagram when they are hiring, so I keep up to date with their socials.

When writing my cover letter, I tried to express this interest and enthusiasm, without sounding too overbearing. I kept personal details such as hobbies and interests to a minimum, as they are something that will be discussed a little in my CV. I tried not to dwell too much on my specific skills as they would be discussed in further detail in my CV, so I gave a brief outline of what I am capable of.

Animation CV

This is my animation CV. My focus lies in 2D artwork, so most of my skills mentioned apply to this; however, I did include a list of 3D programs I am capable of using. Because most people would recognise my “brand” name over my real name, I used it at the top of my CV. It’s more recognisable, more searchable online, and it’s the handle I prefer using in general. Depending on the job I am applying for, I would alter this; my personal interests in art would definitely conflict with, for example, a kids show. However because some staff at the studio would already recognise this handle, and they tend to work on more adult-aimed animations, I felt it was applicable in this case.

In terms of my CV’s design, I wanted it to reflect me. I used a purple colour scheme, because it’s my favourite colour, and added my little mascot character, Online Angel.

This bloody angel represents everything I like; Retro anime, cuteness, and horror!
I added some cloud vectors to decorate the page to make it as if she is in heaven. With creative industries, you can show your creativity from the get go with a personalised CV.

I always include my experience with making merchandise, traveling and attending conventions because I think it shows my passion for drawing and creating, and sharing my work, as well as demonstrating organisational skills, and problem solving skills, as there’s a lot that can go wrong when it comes to ordering stock, flying, hotels, etc.

While 2D art is my focus, I still included my knowledge of certain 3D programs, to show my wide variety of skills and that I am flexible and capable of learning.

Professional Practice Week 2 – Looking at Showreel Examples

 

This week I was tasked with looking at a few showreels that have good editing or title cards.

First, I looked for a few showreels from Irish friends and acquantances who work in animation. This showreel is by a friend named Lucy Toner, who specialses in 2DFX.

Lucy’s showreel is clean cut and focused on her area of specialty, 2DFX. It clearly shows her strengths and skills. The title card has a recognisable logo at the start and end and has her contact information clearly presented.

The next showreel is from an Irish studio, Studio Meala.

Given it is a showreel for a studio rather than a singular person, it is longer than a regular showreel would be – it is showcasing more peoples’ works, and a wider range of styles and projects. I think this showreel does a great job of showcasing the studio’s unique styles of 2D animation. The upbeat music syncs well with the showreels content. While there is a variety of styles, each segment clearly shows the specific style of animation the studio is capable and it is clear what type of animated projects they would be suited to.

Next, I had a look online for some showreels from other artists from around the world.

I found this showreel I really liked by Taqibunn on Youtube.

I really loved the art style of this animator. This showreel shows animations from different stages of completion – some animations are fully coloured whereas others remain as just linework, however each segment shows great skill and movement. No segment is too long – it shows just enough movement from each animation to understand the artist’s skill. The title card for the showreel is simple and clear, featuring the year of the reel’s publication and the artist’s username.

I also took a list at this showreel from lemoncholy on YouTube.

This showreel was shorter than others I looked at, but it doesn’t need much more. The artist’s style is very clear from the clips that are shown. The artist’s title card also works in a piece of animation for the showreel, without distracting you from their information. Their elegant linework and movement comes across great in this showreel.

 

 

 

 

Professional Practice Week 1 – Research on Jobs

For this week I was tasked with looking into jobs within animation/art fields that I would be interested in.

One of my tasks was to research a junior/mid level artist working in a role I like. My ultimate goal is to be a colourist for comics, so I asked my friend Rebecca if she would be willing to answer a few questions for me. Rebecca Nalty started off doing background art for BBC’s Danger Mouse, before landing her role as a comic book colourist in 2017. She attended IADT and studied animation in Dublin.

Rebecca’s portfolio website can be viewed here. Her LinkedIn can be found here.

I asked Rebecca two questions which she answered for me.

Where did you begin your career?
“I started out training under Jordie Bellaire, who was taking on colourist interns at the time. I’d been interested in learning to colour comics for awhile and the timing of the internship just happened to work out perfectly, so I decided to apply. Everything I learned from Jordie has been invaluable, even to this day. I got some very practical insight into the industry as well as learning the basics of colouring itself. It really made me understand from the get go how important it is to have mentors and peers to learn from and look out for you in this industry, particularly because it’s all remote work. After about 6 months or so of training, I received my first work offer from Boom Studios and have been getting regular comic work ever since.”

How did you get to your current position?
“Mostly consistency! Skill and talent is very important of course, but I’ve learned over the years that good work ethic, reliability, communication and just generally being a nice person to work with matters so much more than talent. I feel being dependable is extra important for a colourist because we have a lot of hidden responsibilities, since we’re at the end of the production line. It’s very common for scripts or artwork to be late, but missing a printer deadline can be very costly for a publisher, so the responsibility of making up for lost time, very often falls on the colourist’s shoulders. Proving to your editors that you can still make deadlines, despite how little time there sometimes is, is so important and won’t go unnoticed. I think a combination of being reliable as well as good at what I do is how I’m able to stay in the industry and keep getting work!”

These are some examples of pages she has coloured from her portfolio.

From Transformers Wreckers: Tread and Circuits

Sparrowhawk

Sparrowhawk

From Sparrowhawk.

 

Where to look for animation related jobs? How to prepare for an interview?

From speaking with Rebecca, internships seem to be a great place to start when breaking into creative industries. Networking will always play a huge role in finding opportunities like this. I like to keep active on social media sites such as twitter and attend comic conventions as it’s a more natural and informal way of making these connections and getting my work out there. Aside from this, ArtStation is a good way to keep an eye out for creative jobs. – you can sign up for emails for job notifications that suit your qualitifcations from around the world.

How to prepare for an interview?

When going for a job interview, it’s always important to take into consideration the vibe of the establishment – when working in CEX, I dressed casually, but nicely, for my interview. Someone from the same round of interviews, who would eventually go on to work with me a few years later, showed up to the interview in a suit, and was not considered for the job. I always think of this example when going for job interviews now; I always consider who the employees of the establishment are right now and how would be best appropriate to act, dress, etc. around them.

I also keep the STAR method in mind for interviews; Situation, Task, Action, Result. Employers will usually ask you questions about situations that have gone wrong or unexpectedly, and how you coped with them. I always find it hard to remember exact situations on the spot, so it’s always good to take notes and keep a few in mind.