One of the most important things to show yourself off and get work is a show reel. I made myself a showreel in easter of 2022 so I could apply for internships. I was unfortantly unsuccessful but my showreel was also very basic, as it was before i had made any films and only had my animation excerises on it.
obviously my work has improved alot since then. Ill try to put together a quick attempt at a 2023 showreel so i can apply to summer internships before they close applications. I would like to have someone look at it properly after deadlines and make sure I’m show casing the best of my work.
https://youtu.be/ieaYjUlzEG4
I would love to but more 3D and mixed media work in this reel but I’m afraid my experiemental stuff isn’t very strong and I need to work on it some more. I think thats something I’m going to try and focus more on after the course and in my spare time. I really love maing films and I know that i will need to apply for commercail jobs but I dont think I’ll ever stop pursuing passion projects in my spare time, and hopeful passion projects will just make more employasble as I learn new things.
Something I would love to do is work in the EU speciaically the Netherlands as I have many dutch friends especially working or studying art and animation. Luckly for me I have an itialian passport so even with Brexit I should still be able to move and work in the EU.
Studios in the Netherlands So it turns out there are lots of animation and game studios in the Netherlands. Alot of the studios are 3D, or mixed media. 3D is something I’ve wanted to work more on now I’m more confident as a 2D animator so this might be something worth working towards for the future. There are also alot of advertising Studios in the Netherlands. Obviouslt they arent all animation adverts but there are exapmples of animation in most fo there showreels so it seems like there is possibl;ity for freelance work too.
Phunk Studios
Phunk is an Amsterdam based animation studio. They create advertising and and produce films and serises for around the globe. They seem to have an enpahisis on 3D animation but from watching their show reel, they also have some 2D work and seem to be pushing more into combining both Mediums which is something I’m very interested in. They definetly have more of a house style that is very bright cartoony and suited for advertising. They seem like a much newer company, its defintly someone i would try to reach out possibly in the future as I like their style and it could be fun to explore even just for a freelance project.
Submarine
Submarine is another Amsterdam based company but unlike Phunk they seem to veer more into film making than advertising. They also create a bigger varriety of work using many different mediums and styles. They have 2 more offices in both London and Los Angeles, so there is potential for moving around. They also produce Live action work such as documentries and really seem to encourage experiemtnation and exploration of differnt mediums, having a whole section on their website for “hybrid” movies.
Bohemia Interactive
I mentioned before that the Netherlands is home to alot of game studios. I think i managed to find at least 5 whitch only a cursory search, which seems like so much for the size of the county, though I guess the same could be argued for animation studios. I don’t have a huge interest in working on video games, as I’m not a coder and usually the realistic style of most triple A games doesn’t interest me. But in looking into these studios alot of them are looking for concept artist of character designers and modelers. Something I think I would quite enjoy and could apply my knowledge to.
Paladin
I really ment it when I said there were alot of games companies. Something alittle different and more appling to me style wise is Paladin’s work. they make app games and more child friednly conctent havuing worked with brands like Nintendo, Netflix and Bandai. The work on Tamagotchi makes me particularly excited, as that was a huge part of my childhood. Their base of opperations is The Hague which is such a stunning city. Its not an industry I know alot about but with the amount of oppurtunities its defintly something I will be looking into.
So I was first introduced to The Lines work through Gorillaz, on the music vdieo for Humility. I’ve been a massive fan of Gorillaz since I was a kid and so when they returned in 2018 and I saw they were working with a new animation studio I was so excited and started researching into them and all their ongoing projects. It was crazy to me when I got on to the same course Tim McCourt, one of the founders of The Line, also did.
I know that the line have a very popular intern program. I’ve applied a few times just in case, while knowing I didn’t really have the skills or knowledge to help or be of use. I will of course keep applying and hope that now I know more of what I am doing.
I also know they are very good for hiring talent and people with distinct styles and strengths.
I know this is a long shot and a big dream of mine. But honestly if I had unlimited resources I would love to create my own Studio and just start making films.
Places like The Line and small shows like Smiling Friends and seeing the success and just amazing work they put out really makes me want to see if this is a possibility for me in the future.
There are obviously a lot of questions I have and I have no idea where to even start with this research or who to reach out to for more information, but I’ll see what I can find out.
How To? So firstly I’d need to register my business. For a Studio I couldn’t register as a soul trader, which is what I’ve been working as before with selling art and freelancing. I think I’d need to register the Studio as a Limited Company. That way you can hire an accountant and your personal finances are separate from the business. I talked to my uncle who started and runs his own business and he addvised me to use Campanies House, to check if the business name is avalible and there are also a bunch of research and advice avalible for start ups.
I’d also have to look into types of insurance I’d need for the business. I need to have Employers liability insurances if I was to start employing people outside the initial start up. Other than that I think the only other insurance that would seem like a good idea would be Cyber insurance
I’d also need consider if we would work from a sit or we would work from home. Obviously this is an additional cost that would be considered a luxury and wouldn’t be viable until the Studio was making any money. If we work from home you can also claim back things like heating, electricty and Wifi on tax.
Going back to potentially employing people. Id need to look at how to do payroll, playing for National Insurance and so on. These are all things I think a professional could help me with, but I should have some idea of what they are at least are talking about and what goes into it. Also hiring an accountant would be expensive and the more I know the easier it would be to save money. Apps like Quickbooks and just doing your own book keeping will save you money but also be an easy resource to share with an accountant.
Creating a Client Base A studio is a nice idea but its pointless without a client base. I’d love to just use this Studio to make make movies, but that would require a lot of time and money. We could probably get some from funding and investors but in the long run this would be a passion project we might have to run on the side of commercial projects. But looking at places like The Line and Shotopop most of their work comes from music videos and advertising.
Funding The Uk has very few film funds in comparrison to other countries like France and Japan. I know the BFI, Film4, and the BBc have a few funding options you can apply for. There are also a few regional options. I remeber my boss Gustavo applying for a bunch of welsh film grants while we were storyboarding for his current film. It would probably be worth reaching out to him again in the future and seeing how easy or it was to apply.
The more I look into companies the more Freelancing seems to be the best option for me. I was really lucky to attend a networking event hosted by Shotopop. I ran to a few old students as well as getting to connect with people from ShotoPop, Run with the Golden Wolf, The Line, and Psyop.
Everyone was really friendly and gave some great advice about startiong in the industy. Getting jobs mostly seems to be about just knowing people, or being persistant with messaging and showing work.
After the event I looked more into Shotopop and how they employ their freelance workers. I reached out to one of their current freelancers, Freya Hotson and asked her a few questions about how she got the job and what it was like.
1. How did you manage to get work with Shotopop? Did they reach out to you?
Actually, this time I reached out. The start of this year has been scarily quiet all round, with lay offs at the big CGI studios, cost of living etc. After a boom period in covid suddenly everything disappeared so I was emailing around studios to find work and got lucky.
2. What is the reality of freelancing? Is there alot of team work? Or are you just left to your own devices and dealing with a director
I’d say every project and every studio is different. It’s also really different post-covid now 85% of people are working remotely (myself included). Some studios the director will be sitting with you, you’ll have coffee together, they’ll regularly check in and and see how shots are progressing (this is when we were all in house). But other times the director could be based in Paris or LA (especially on commercials) so you’d essentially never see them and spend more time liaising with the producer or your animation director/lead. I’d say these days you are often left to your own devices most of the time, but you’ll check in with your director 2/3 times a day It really has changed a lot over the last 2 years. Luckily I’d already made the contacts and worked in London for 10 years when covid hit, I imagine it must be very hard to make connections now.
3. How long does a project usually last
I’d say the average would be 8 weeks? It can be as short and sharp as 2 and I’d class a ‘long’ project as 6 months+. 6 to 8 weeks is probably the norm.
4. How easy is it for you to adapt styles to each project? Do you have to spend a day doing studies ?
Mmm, good question. I think most people tend to gravitate towards work that is more in ‘their style’/the style of animation they most enjoy. It can be really hard to adapt to some styles, when I worked on Love Death & Robots I really struggled to nail the style the whole time, it was really tough. I think you get used to having a short-cut way of working around difficult characters/models, which just comes with practise. Everyone cheats a little! These days there isn’t really any breathing space in schedules to have time to ‘get to know’ a character, unless you’re working on a feature film. It’s really hit the ground running.
5. What advice would you give to students or people starting in the industry?
Lots! Some things I still have to remember – everyone will progress at a different rate than you, don’t compare your progress to other people’s. It’s a very competitive industry, be kind and pull each other up. Sometimes you won’t get a job and your friends will and it really hurts, but everything works out for the best in the long run – sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise! That and – life drawing, life drawing, life drawing! It’s so good for you, it’s the best thing you can do for animation.
I’ve followed Selom for while so I was really excited to hear he was coming to give a lecture.
It was really useful to hear how he found work, with places like Disney and Google. But mainly it was really inspiring to see his art journey. It made me feel a lot better to hear he still attends classes and is working to become better even now. I’m very concerned about the level of my work and if I’m ready for the industry after this course so I appreciate hearing similar sentiments from someone else already established and working.
After class I approached Selom asking for help on my character design and how I can improve. He was super sweet and helpful and offered to draw over some of my designs to help me improve them and see where i can improve.
Looking further into The Line Animation, I really appricate how clean their style is and the level of detail they can get into their work while still producing smooth and expressive work.
Looking into one particualr artist Bishoy Gendi and specifically his clean-up work. Bishoy is one of animators at The Line Animation, and was lead animtor for their advert “Dear Alice”
I managed to get and interview with Bishoy and he kindly agreed to take an hour out of his dat and answer a few questions for me.
What is the main Job for a 2D Animation Supervisor? You are incharge of animation quality, briefing people, giving notes, and draw overs. You also decide who gets what scenes and have a close working relationship with Production and the Directors.
How long Does it take you to get used tyo woeking in different art styles? Do you have to do any studies? I never do any studies, most jobs finish in a week and the next job is the next day so I don’t have time. Studies are a good idea when you are a junior in the industrey, you have to be prepared to do the leg work make every job count, put more in than you need to, thats how you get remebered.
What are your favourite projects to work on? My favourite type of animations to do are “Secuga” these are basically the money shots, they take alot of time but they look the most impressive. I also enjoy doing any Acting, making the characters come to life in little details.
What are your least favourite kind of projects? Disorganised projects. Sometimes when teams are so big like cratoon network its easy to become disorginsed make mistakes in relaying messages. I also hate figuring out taxes
Whatdo you look for in collaberators? It really depends on the project. Drawing skilss are the number one skill I look up, also that you animate well. We ahve moved to working with people all over the world now and most work is fropm home there is very little studio work.
What would you have wanted to know when you were a student? I wish I had known how to animate on computer programes, when I was learning it was all paper animation so jumping to Flash/CC Animate was very difficult.
How long do projects usually take? It depends on the project and they type of project. Films can take anywhere from a year to 4-8 months Shorts can take 1 week to 6 weeks.
Any advice for me specifically? Sharpen your drawing skills, do as much as possible and work hard, all the extra hours will pay off!
The Line recently has been been posting process breakdowns showing their animation production line from start to finish. Their Process follows this Line 1. Rough 2. Tie Down 3. Clean and Colour 4. Shadow 5. Boom! Obviusly this is streamlined and simplified for the ease of social media and it missed out key stages such as. Character design, storyboard, and layout. But its a helpful insight into how much work goes into even such a simple scene.
Taliyah on a quest for her lost quarters in the Arcade 👀 Animation breakdown from Sessions: Star Guardian Taliyah
Recent obsession of mine is the new Disney show Owl House I have been keeping up to date with each episode as it has been released. I’m so impressed with the fluid 2D animation in this, character designs and the plot. I decided to look further into some of the talent behind the work starting with the story boards.
Some of the favourite work I have seen comes from Hayley Wong. She manages to capture Drama and movement so easily in her work. This scene in particular from the Episode “Hallow Mind” show cases really good knowledge of fabric physics and follow through. The work is so clean and thought through, the key animators and inbetween artists and left with very little room for error.
Another part of her work that impresses me so much is the emotion and the expressions. The character designs themselves have so much individuality to them and yet are so simple but even then getting these character to express such real sadness is impressive. I feel actually connected to scene and this episode in particular is a roller coaster of emotions and plot points.
Colour Design as i have found out is essential the final state of concept art. Such as character turn arounds, final colour keys, and possible any additional character information the animators will need. Since my brain is currently obsessed with the Disney show Owl House, I’m going to try and follow the production process of one of the episodes “Hollow Minds” and see if I can get a grasp of what goes into each episodes and even how well I think my work even fit into the process.
Colour Design by Vesela Stamenova
I managed to get in contact with Vesela Stamenova and ask her a bit about colour design and the production process
Question 1 How do you become a Colour designer? What skills do you need? I studied for traditional animation in university. My main focus was animation, but every art school requires you to take the basic classes for design , color , backgrounds. Practically in school you learn a bit of everything and then you focus on the part of the pipeline you want to learn the most As skills you need to understand color theory and harmony. You need to make sure your designs work together with the environment.
Question 2 How does the pipeline work from concept art to Colour Design? Which comes first Colour Design or Storybaording? Pipeline goes this way: writing, storyboards, Design backgrounds black and white, design black and white characters and props, efx. Then those go into color in the same order . After that all of those materials get shipped to overseas studio for animation or they stay in house and the animators start animation . After animation is done post production comes – mainly some changes in writing or plus song up the episodes putting everything together.
Question 3 How closely do you work with other teams? In animation you are always part of a team. You have to know how to work well with people and in a team because animation is not individual at least in the industry. Every part of the pipeline affects the next team working on the show so you have to be mindful of what you create for rest of the crew to work with. I personally work with every part of the pipeline besides writing. Every other part I have had to work with help or clarify so it makes their pro was easier and I receive scenes I can work with later in post
Question 4 What is it like to work for a huge company like Disney? Huge or not is the same . Pipe line is the same, process is the same. Disney is no different than other animation studios. Bigger companies just have more projects on deck than smaller companies.
Question 5 How much freedom/direction are you given? Especially with the effects and magic sheets Depends on the show of course but for the most part I have freedom to do whatever it needs to be done as long as it fits within the show style and what the show creator is looking for. I have been luck to have show runners that trusts me to come up with ideas myself and pitch them, not always the case tho
Colour Design by Shawn Responts
I’m super thankful to Vesela for responding t my questions and giving me a better idea of the creation process. I definitely want to look more at background design and colour theory going forward, and how I can use that in my final film. This is also a brilliant insight into what I should include in my portfolio for this kind of a job!
