Introduction

This is the final blog relating to the end of year show. In it I will be covering the job direction I intend to pursue, the changes and I will make to my material and strategies based off my tutor’s feedback.

This also marks the final hand in for Ulster University, as now I will start hunting for a job as a pre-vis animator.

Career Direction

Over the course of my studies I was unsure what role within the industry I wished to pursue as I would have liked to work in all the areas, e.g: I love to create my own stories which entailed dialogue and script writing, but I also wanted to design and animate the characters. Within the industry these roles are often seen as separate fields, with each comprising a multiplication of job roles. This was really too broad a spectrum of interests, so if I wished to enter the industry I would need to narrow the field down substantially.

Near the end of the academic year I had the chance to sit down with both my tutors and a careers advisor. They suggested that I should work for a company as a pre-vis animator specializing in 3D projects. I am more content with this idea as working within a company will enable me to develop my skills and gain experience within the industry. This also works in that Pre-Vis Animators are in high demand, because whilst every animation company needs the role, not many seem to choose it. I will track down possible job opportunities with local companies hopefully securing me a place, continue to build my skills and give to the vehicle for career progression.

Overall Promotional Strategies

Whilst I was unsure of how the final show worked, or how to market myself, Henry gave me some key pointers. These included the generation of QR Codes to cut down on the amount of hyperlinks, and to have a quicker way to access my content on printed media. Additionally as e-mail and phone numbers are the main forms of business communication, platforms like Facebook and Discord are not as necessary. Other assistance was the ability to edit my information to make it more punchy and effective. I also went over my show material to clean it up, making it look visually neater and easier to read. Finally I will be using platforms like Instagram to have widespread promotion of my work and name, in addition to using specific hubs such as the NI Games Dev Network, where employers are always looking for new talent.

Final Overall Conclusion

Despite the disastrous effects of Covid, all my tutors, scribes and mentors worked very hard and with innovation to ensure I had a good time at university. No only did I learn an amazing amount in the three years, not just in class as they were always available to help when any difficulties arose. With my work completed (see below) all that is left to do is host my end of year show and graduate. I will be sad to say goodbye to university but it is now time to go into the commercial world putting my skills into practice and realizing my dreams.,

As this is the Final hand-in for my University career, I want to thank the people who helped me along my way, some are listed below and I am grateful for what they, and others gave me.