2nd year (1st Semester)
For this module, we were to explore the animation workplace professionally. This is said to strengthen our employability skills in the animation field and find ourselves potential opportunities to prepare for our placement next year.
Job Searching:
At first, I was lost not knowing the specific animation role I wanted to go in. This is where the amazing site, 'Screenskills' had helped me discover animation related job roles that I wasn't even aware of by the way how convenient it was laid out.
I've begun listing the ones that caught my interest which was concept artist, character designer, background designer, effects (FX) technical director (TD) and modeller. It showed that I was leaning more towards the visual aspect than the technical areas. After taking more thought into it I went with concept artist as drawing/designing was one of main the reasons why I got into animation in the first place.
We were then advised to find/stalk an artist around our level (graduate/junior) who is currently working within that role to help guide us in the right direction.
Research in Artists:
Although Nikolai Lockertsen is not a junior artist he's a concept artist I admire and the level I strive to be one day. I discovered him from Artstation but he also has a Youtube where he talks about his working style & methods etc. One of the many things I learnt from him was to be a great concept artist you need to spend at least an hour a day to practice your skills as you will need to have a great understanding of structures/anatomy forms.
Another artist is Laura Price (animator/environment artist) who is an amazing source for insight on how to get into this industry where she talks about her experience at Disney and her journey as well as tutorials on her youtube channel. I learnt to not lose hope when you're not chosen for a role, it's most likely that your work just doesn't fit into their style. She applied for a role but didn't get in but one of the interviewers liked her work so much he ended up recommending her to another company. This was really motivating to know that I should always try even though I might not get in. This exposure could still help me put my name out there.
A great lesson I learnt was networking to be active in the community by taken part. People hire people. Therefore, it's important to stand out by having your own colour/ being unique. Creating a Linkedin account was my first step towards that goal. Also, I already have an Instagram account specifically for this role and had helped me stay in-touch with my classmates.
We were suggested to find positions on 'Cartoonsaloon', however, at the moment there are not many offers yet. Some other suggestions were Awn, Indeed, Glassdoor, Reed, Monster and Linkedin.
Through Linkedin, I found a position for a concept artist for Atomhawk. I've chosen this company because I liked the style that they do. They have a more realistic style than a cartoony approach which line well with my art style. Also, they seem to have a great active community based on their website and other social accounts such as Twitter. From their specification it was clear I lack some of the requirements but I had hoped since I did have a few of the skills that were needed such as a strong background in traditional art. This helped me realise I needed to work on my technical areas e.g. anatomical, architectural, mechanical knowledge to fill those skill gap.
Industry facing material-
After some class lessons and research. Some of the key areas I focus on are keeping it professional, avoiding repetitive or common words, avoiding negativity and keeping my compositions and information layout in a pleasing manner. For the layout, I looked at a lot of examples online to made sure I go along the lines. One of my worries was that my CV did convey a more creative style rather than a simplified style so I worried that it might not come off as professionally as I wanted. However, for my feedback, they were happy with how I lay it out and it's more about the information that I put on that's important. Another problem was my lack of work experience. Then Brain (instructor) mentions that 'it's more about what you can do for them, than your work experience'. This really opened my eye to see what I am supposed to focus on and that should mention more about my current work.
Theme- my overall design focus was keeping the style lined e.g. my profile, icons, the bullet points and so on. I've also created a colour palette beforehand. I also learnt that having an icon/logo helps to become rememberable. Therefore I designed a simple bird icon placed next to my name so its the first thing you see. I also made sure it was completely original and that does not resemble any current designs out there. I've gone with an animal as it is more eye-catching and memorable as a brand.
Great reading on logo designs by Roy Millar: https://www.designhill.com/design-blog/powerful-tips-for-effective-logo-design/
Business card:
For my business card, I made sure to match the theme to my CV. One of the requirements is to make it memorable so I made sure my logo (bird) was next to my name and kept the colours limited.
Older version: the feedback I received was that the design was great but the composition of the text was all over the place. For that reason, I went back and lined it up better and made some minor adjustments.
Final version: I also added some warm hues to give it a more welcoming vibe. I do see some improvements as its a lot more pleasing to the eye after those minor fixes.
Cover letter:
For my cover letter layout, I kept it simple with some of the colours from my CV as I don't want any art that might distract the reader. I really followed strictly the presentation given during one of the class lessons in Professional Practice such as sticking to my theme and avoiding negativity. I've also read some cover letter examples on Google Images to get an idea of where I'm going with this.
Showreel/portfolio:
During my research, I found a great channel called, 'Riot Games' that delve into animation roles. They have great videos that give great insights into the business. It also helped me realise what skills I needed to show in my portfolio. I've also watched many examples of concept art showreel videos online and it gave me an idea of how work could be presented.
Due to my limited concept art pieces at the moment my showreel is a general vision of all my best current works such as my 3D models, sculpt, concept art, texturing and so on. As of now, I don't want any music as it's not necessary although this might change in the future. However, for now, I feel like its better to let the pieces speak for themselves rather having music which can alter the mood, especially for concept art pieces.
Other-
Talks:
There were people who worked in the animation industry came by to talk about their experience. There were also previous students from our university (e.g Becca Blair) as well as industry people (e.g David McGrath from Paper Owl Films) talk about how it's not always a smooth journey. It's a competitive industry, there will be times you lose hope, you'll be going from place to place and that one of the most important thing to figure out what you want and things do get better. I thought it was interesting to see realistically other people's outlook on this industry. I learnt that you usually don't work long term, it's important to take the risk, you should always work on your skills and keep in touch with the community and lastly, they were once also at our position at a point which was reassuring to hear.
Workshop:
Day 1- Resilience and self-management
Starting in a work environment can be stressful. Not having a stable mentality to pave your future can be tough. We were delighted that we were given a two-day workshop on resilience and self-management. We distance ourselves from our phones (placing them in a box) and took part in activities that reflect on how situations can affect our emotions etc. Personally, it helped me a lot coming from a very stressful person which tends to lead to depression and anxiety. Learning techniques and methods such as grounding exercises and creating a calm space help aid those areas.
Day 2- Mindful leadership
I recognise that I am a compromiser where I feel that I tend to ensure both sides are considered to reach a settlement in the means that we give up an unnecessary need for the team. This workshop helped me realise how to be more mindful towards the approach with the people your working with in order to achieve the highest potential.
Mock Interview: (a short overview)
One of the areas that we were being assessed was a 10min mock interview in front of a 2-3 person panel which is terrifying. Out of the job titles list, I've chosen Concept artist for Outplay Entertainment.
I prepared myself for this by having answers to common questions. Researching the job specification and their company. Developing a portfolio to showcase my abilities in relation to this role as well as compatibility with the company's style. I dressed appropriately and came earlier to prepare.
The interview went decent, though I could've done a lot better. I felt that my body language was great as I introduce myself. I was knowledgable about the company and the requirements. I ensure I was curious by asking questions at the end and the research I did beforehand paid off. Although I'm still not at the level I wanted to be. My communication skills still have a lot of work and my answers need to be more defined and my portfolio is not up to my standard. However, I was happy to see that I've improved from my past interviews as I feel more relaxed and knew what to expect. I hope to see myself do better in my next one.
Overview Module Reflection:
I personally think I did alright but there are many areas I need to polish up on such as my show reel and cover letter. The presentations in the class had helped me exceptionally to know what direction I needed to go. The feedback was helpful for me to make changes that I couldn't see for myself. I realise how much work I don't have that displays good knowledge of anatomy, character designs, environments etc. My goal is to try to work every day in those areas even if it's a min or two, to develop works that truly represent my current skills and meet those requirements.
I also started delving into what's next after my studies from a great book called, 'How to get a job you'll Love' by John Lee that mentions different ways to approach your career also more info. on interviews, job applications and so on. This module has really helped me gain more knowledge about the animation industry and do see dramatic improvements from my previous CV in the past. My layout looked better as ever and my writing has been more relevant and specific to my job role I'm applying. I will continue to refine/alter my CV etc. as my skills improve in the future.