I'm at the Student Level. How Many Hours Should I Practice? How Many Hours Do I Need to Work at a Professional Level in the US?

This is another difficult question, because the answer is different for everyone.

Malcolm Gladwell writes that it takes, on average, 10,000 hours of practice and study for anyone to become truly proficient at something.

For myself, I just added up on a calculator all the time I spent studying/practicing animation in school (including stuff like figure drawing), time with my mentors, and animating on my own. I added all of that up, and it turns out that my animation education time before landing my dream job at ILM was 18,400 hours.

That might sound daunting, and it clearly took me more than the requisite 10,000 hours, but really we're just talking about 5 years of focused studying in order to have a reel that got me into ILM. I have no idea if that's average, fast, or slow, but we're all going to have different speeds as we study and absorb this animation stuff.

I would guess that the number of hours "necessary" to excel in animation would be radically different from one person to the next. I think the actual number of hours is irrelevant -- what matters is how much you can focus on animation.

For me, especially during the 4 years where I was focusing the most on learning this stuff, animation was my life. If I was awake, I was animating. That literally isn't really much of an exaggeration. I wasn't going out much with friends, I didn't have a girlfriend, I was missing movies I had been excited to see, I didn't get to play the video games I wanted to play, etc. Animation was my life.

Maybe that isn't always the healthiest way to approach something, but it's probably the fastest, and certainly works.

I know not everyone has the option of focusing their whole day on animation - you have families or non-animation jobs and other responsibilities. Well, my advice then is to just focus as much time as you can. If all you can do is 5 hours every night after your kids go to bed, then start spending those 5 hours animating or studying animation.

5 hours a night is 1,780 hours per year. If you manage to squeeze in an extra 10 hours each weekend, then you're talking about 2,300 hours per year, and suddenly that 10,000 hours doesn't seem so far off!

I wish animation was something you could learn in a few months, but it just isn't. It's an endlessly complex art that takes a lifetime to master, and that first 10,000 hours will only get you to the tip of the iceberg. Luckily for us, the rest of that iceberg is a ton of fun to spend that next 100,000 hours exploring!

Hope that helps!
Shawn :)

Guest Blogger Shawn Kelly

By: Unknown On 13.51

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How Important Is It To Get An Internship As A Beginning Animator?

Of course it will depend on the type of internship. Sometimes animation students get internships doing PA type of stuff in companies that are not so great... I mean, if what you really want is to animate you probably won't be happy making xerox copies or going pick up dinner for the boss. This type of internship will probably not turn you into a better animator. It's true though that getting an internship in any of the big studios, even if it's not exactly in production, can be a nice way to get a feeling for how it all works, and also to get good connections and some professional experience. So it all depends on what is the internship like, and in what company.

The best situation is to get an internship where you can develop your skills as an animator and artist, and in a good studio. This type of internship is a wonderful way to start a professional career. Well, at least it worked for me! I was an intern first at Briquet Studios in Sao Paulo (2D), and then at Rhythm & Hues Studios in LA and these two experiences were crucial to my background. At Briquet Studios I was lucky to be an intern under the supervision of Renato dos Anjos – he later ended up moving to the US and worked as supervising animator on Bolt, Surf's Up and Open Season. I knew nothing about animation at that time, so it was really my very first experience, a way to get a feeling for how it all worked on a professional environment. The studio was really small but their work was great, Renato was really good and I learned so much from him. It was not enough time to get good at it, but I felt the experience planted the seed of animation on a fertile soil.

A couple of years after that, I went to School of Visual Arts in New York for my master's degree. During my first summer vacation I got an internship position at Rhythm & Hues. It was amazing. I felt I learned more in this time than in all my time at school! Rhythm & Hues had classes set up for new employers and interns, it was very organized and that's when I really started to understand what 3D was all about. I learned so much. I came back to school after the summer full of energy and started working on my short film. I also met a lot of really nice people, made important professional connections and went to a couple of cool camping trips. Fun times!

So, based on my personal experience, I think a good internship can help turn a student into a good professional. I was lucky in that my internships were really about the animation work. They were also at good companies with a solid reputation. It was a real learning experience on many levels.

Some of my students get internships and I see how positively the experience affects them. In many cases, a company offering an internship program has hopes that that student will be a possible hire in the near future. In a way, you are being “tested” by them, while at the same time you will be learning tons of useful things. Some companies have a very structured internship program – they put a lot of thought into it, and these are the internships you should definitely apply for! Here in California I know that Dreamworks, Pixar, Disney and Rhythm & Hues all offer this type of opportunity. And I bet there are other companies with great internship programs that I just don't know about.

Of course it is not exactly easy to get an internship at one of the best companies in the world - they are very competitive programs, but these would be the first ones I would try if I was a student now. I know it sounds hyperbolic, but it can be life changing to spend a summer working at a studio like any of these. You will meet amazing artists and professionals. You will get to know how the pipeline works, how is the day to day of a CG artist, how the films are done, what the work ethics are like. You will learn about work flow, techniques and art, and you will learn it from real artists. It can make a real difference in your career.

Guest blogger Raquel Rabbit

By: Unknown On 09.58

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What Do You Enjoy Most About Being An Animator?

There are so many things that I love about being an animator. I'm surrounded by so many talented artists - it's intimidating and inspiring at the same time, but it allows me to be a student, continuing to learn and push myself. I love that I am around people who share the same love for cinema and cartoons.

One of the best things about being an animator is that I get to be an actor and breathe life into a character. What's really great is that I'll go to the movies and sit next to a complete stranger that will laugh or cry at my performance, and they won't know that was done by the person sitting right beside them.


The things that I love most, though, is that, if I'm fortunate enough, I will be part of something timeless - a film that children and adults will continue to watch and love after I'm long gone. Something that my children's children will show their children, and say "Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Great Grandpa Hartline did that!"


Guest blogger Aaron Hartline

By: Unknown On 11.09

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How Do You Balance Life With Animation?

Well, when I was working full time in the industry I actually had a lot of fun, made many good friends and really enjoyed what I was doing. So animation and work in general were a big part of my life. Overall it didn't feel unbalanced, even though I always felt that a 10 hour work journey is a bit much for someone who has the desire to also pursue other interests in life outside of animation. But overall, working in the industry felt like it was the right thing for me at the time. Still, I found time to sing in a couple of bands, make puppets, write a couple of children's books, go out, enjoy my friends, go camping, etc.

What I found harder was to balance studio animation with personal animation. Let me explain: After school, I thought I was going to be able to work full time in an animation studio and also do my short films on the side. Unfortunately, somehow this was never possible. That also happened to a bunch of my friends. I know a lot of people who had dreams of making many short films; they actually had stories, character designs, etc., all waiting to come to life. The reality is that it is really hard to work on your short film after 10 hours (at least) of animating in a studio. So, I could never really balance animating in a studio with animating my own shorts!

In any case, after many years working in the industry I felt that the 10 hours a day was not really working for me, because I really wanted to spend more time on my personal projects. I also missed having a different type of interaction with people. I love teaching, and little by little I got more involved with teaching. So I got a tenure track position in a university, where I teach animation and help students with their own short film projects. In addition, I am a mentor at Animation Mentor, and I love the work I do with them. Parallel to my work in the university, I do some freelance work doing animation – in 2005 I worked on Henry Sellick's Moongirl and on Charlotte's Web, the next year I worked on Happy Feet and on a couple of cool coke spots (with Psyop), in 2007 I worked on SpiderWick Chronicles, and last year I did some freelance for Wildbrain.

Also, I now have time to dedicate to my own artistic projects, which feels great!

So, I think I found my own way to balance life and animation. I interact with people, I discuss, study and practice animation all the time, and I have time to work on my own personal projects as well.

Guest blogger Raquel Rabbit

By: Unknown On 11.18

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It's All About the Drive: If You Really Want to Be an Animator, It Will Happen

As early as I can remember, I always viewed myself as a artist. Even in preschool, I took pride that my Snoopy drawings were worthy enough to be hung outside in the halls for all to see. As a child, I moved around a lot, from Chicago to D.C., Florida to Atlanta and then back to Chicago. New schools with new kids was always difficult, but my art seemed to open doors - kids would want to talk to the new kid that could draw their favorite cartoon character. But with each new school, I soon realized that there was always another kid that was considered the "best artist." And sometimes that kid was a lot better then I was. But rather than packing up my paper and pencils, I would set small goals for myself. If the "best artist" was in the school newspaper, then I would be in the paper as well. If the "best artist" was painting props for the upcoming school play, then I would take drama and also make props. If there was a call for artists to design the cover of the yearbook, each artist would submit one piece while I would submit three.

In college, I went to study animation and again I realized I was way out of my league. Some students had been animating for years already. Students were talking about the Nine Old Men, and I was thinking to myself 'I thought there were only seven dwarfs?' I knew that I would never be able to compete, they had too much experience and practice. I was in way over my head. So again, I put my head down and learned as much as I could, focusing on the little goals. I noticed studios were starting to turn to computer animation, so I took a night class to learn Softimage. I noticed that animators that posted their animated short films on the internet were getting a lot of exposure, so I worked 9 to 5 on my day job then 5 to 2 a.m. on my own short films - submitting them to SIGGRAPH and Mind's Eye videos.

I knew I was not the best - that there were many more out there that were way more talented then I was. But I knew I had something much better then talent: drive. I figured, if everyone else was going to be more talented, then I was going to be the most driven. I seriously believed if I kept working and working at it, one day, some day I would get my foot in the door.

I remember taking the Disney back lot tour of animation down in Florida when I was in college. I brought my portfolio along in hopes that they would look at it. When I handed it to the animator giving the tour, she turned to the rest of the tourists and announced, "It is easier to get a spot on an NBA team than it is to get a job at Disney." My mom looked at me and said, "Are you sure you want to do this?" DEFINITELY!

The day I saw Toy Story was the day I knew I wanted to work for Pixar. Well, it ended up taking me 14 years to get my dream job. For a long time, I had a board so full of rejection letters next to my desk that they were literally falling on the ground because the pins couldn't hold that many papers layered over each other. But after a mile long of rejection letters, many demo reels, interviews that didn't pan out, and countless hours in front of a computer working on the next thing that might get me into Pixar, I'm actually animating a Buzz and Woody.

If you really want it bad enough, and you put everything you have into it. It WILL happen.


Guest blogger Aaron Hartline

By: Unknown On 14.30

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What's the Most Rewarding Thing about Being an Animator?

That's a really great question, and something I've been struggling with lately, to be honest.

I mean, there are all sorts of easy answers...The excitement of getting to work with artists who inspire you, or the joy of finding such an amazing group of friends in this industry, the thrill of sitting next to your family as you see your name in the credits, or the creative stimulation from the ever-changing challenges you're presented with...

The truth, though, is that the last year especially, I've been feeling like my contribution to the world as an animator is... well, not as great as it could be were I to jump ship and throw myself into something else. Something more "meaningful." Building houses, becoming a doctor, joining the Peace Corps, HELPING people in some way. In any way.

It seems like every other person I meet is a nurse or a doctor or a social worker or a counselor or something who's directly impacting the lives of the people around them in a tangible way. I'm so envious of what they do and their accomplishments and it really has been making me feel like our accomplishments pale in comparison in such a glaring and overwhelming way.

Don't get me wrong, I *love* animation. I'm as passionate about this stuff now as I ever have been, and know darn well that I've been blessed and lucky beyond anything I deserve in this industry. I love animating, I love talking about animation, and I love meeting and getting to know animators. This job is crazy inspiring artistically, and more fun than anyone should have in a "job."

But how can I meet a firefighter and think that what I do matters in any real way compared to the lives he saves on a weekly basis?

I won't lie – it's had me down. I don't know how many of you have felt the same way, but I suspect many of you have thought about this... We don't have a lot of time here on this ball of Earth, and I want to know that I spent it well, you know?

At least that's how I was feeling this week until I had dinner with an old friend of mine who reopened my eyes to what we are truly doing.

He reminded me of an experience we both shared. When we were 5, we both separately saw Empire Strikes Back, and it changed our lives in a very real way. It gave us a passion for storytelling, and a dream to help create new worlds.

He pointed out that while we may not be building someone a house today, we might just help inspire a whole new generation of dreamers and storytellers. That there are 5 year olds out there just like us, with piles of creativity just waiting to be unlocked by a film or TV show or game that knocks their socks off and lights a fire within them, just as we were blown away by Empire, Nimh, Jurassic Park, and Toy Story. And those 5 year olds in turn will grow up to tell a whole new batch of stories and create lasting works of art that could uplift and inspire countless others, not to mention the possibility of taking the art form we love to a whole new level as future animators.

This also got me thinking about how most animators work on projects whose primary goal is to entertain an audience, and thus distract them from their daily miseries and troubles. Storytelling in all its forms has always served to help people escape their sadnesses, their illnesses, their fears, and their disappointments. While hiding from the difficult truths that hound our daily lives isn't generally the best way of dealing with them, I do think that temporary reprieves from those troubles are an important part of coping with them, absorbing them, and getting ready to move on from them.

And so, in yet another way, storytelling does serve a very important purpose, and one we can be proud to be a part of!

On top of that, we also occasionally get to be a part of a project that enlightens. Whether it's a film helping the audience broaden their worldview, a TV show teaching children to be selfless, or even the most action-packed video game forcing us to confront the consequences of violence; all of these mediums have the potential to be powerful methods to make people think and feel.

Of course, sometimes (many times, even) a story merely serves to excite and entertain and isn't very concerned with any particular message, and that's fine too. For those projects, we can feel good about still giving people the escape they need, and hopefully the inspiration they might not even have known they needed.

So, what's the most rewarding thing about being an animator? I guess it's the chance to inspire, the chance to teach, the chance to spread some laughter, and the chance to give an escape to people to desperately need it, even if only for a couple hours.

Thanks to my friend for reminding me that animation IS more than just having fun bringing something to life. I thought others out there might need a similar reminder, and when I saw this question come through from the blog, it seemed like a perfect chance to share.

So get out there and inspire/teach/entertain/rescue someone!!

Shawn :)

By: Unknown On 10.08

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Interview at a Studio: What Was the Interview Like?

Interview at a studio: What was the interview like? What kind of questions were you asked and what do you wear?

The dress code is always a tough one. We all know that this is not an industry where people wear three piece suits. In fact, many times, the people doing the interview will be wearing a t-shirt and blue jeans. Having been on both sides of the interview process, my advice is to wear something business casual. You don't want to be uncomfortable, but you still want to be the best dressed person in the room.

When I interviewed at Pixar, I remember walking into the atrium feeling excited and nervous at the same time. I sat on the couches at the main entrance, looking through some movie clippings they lay out for visitors, pretending to read as my leg bounced up and down 100 times per minute. When the HR rep finally came over and said "Aaron?" my voiced cracked as I replied "Yes!" She walked me up to the main conference room where I would be meeting 17 people (luckily not all at once!).

As I was walking up those steps this wave of calm came over me. Suddenly, I realized that although these people were very talented and accomplished artists, that at one time they were all in the same spot I am in now. They were all are fans of Pixar and really wanted to work there. It was then that I decided I wasn't going to treat them like animation superstars, but rather just people that share common interests in their love for animation.

When I interviewed at Blue Sky, I was talking to HR on the phone working out a time best to fly out to NY for the interview. She told me that Chris Wedge would be in Chicago next week and would I be able to meet him at his hotel. I was speechless. That was like your applying for a job at ILM and George Lucas will be interviewing you. "Hello? Mr Hartline?!" Again I answered with my high "Yes!"

Going to the hotel with my best button down shirt and dress slacks, I searched the lobby for the owner of BlueSky Studios. A man with a t-shirt and bluejeans comes up to me pushing his son in a stroller. Suddenly, he was no longer this star I saw accepting a Oscar just last month, but a laid back father. We talked about our kids, the difference between Chicago and NYC, and one of my favorite films - Cats Don't Dance.

On my first interview, I answered an ad for a videogame company. Showing up with my portfolio full of life drawings and cartoon sketches, the first question I got was "Do you know how to do computer animation?" I looked at him like a deer in headlights. The ad said 'fine artist / animator wanted' so I just told him that's what I did. He smiled and said "well, you'll learn. Besides, you know how to turn on one right?!" I laughed and said "of course" knowing full well I'd have to learn how to do that as well! Then he asked 'where do you see yourself in 5 years?' This one was easy, without hesitation I said 'Disney!' His face dropped. I knew my youth and inexperience got the better of me right then and there. "Well, I'd hoped that you would like it here enough to stay and grow as an artist." Stumbling to get my footing, I said "Oh yeah, of course!" I must have messed up on every aspect of that interview, but for some reason he took a chance on this kid still in school. I'm so glad he did, I can't imagine doing anything else with my life.


Guest blogger Aaron Hartline

By: Unknown On 10.40

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How Important Is an Art Background for an Animator Who Is Starting Out?

A great thing about computer animation is that it's given people who didn't think they had the "drawing chops" the opportunity to do what they love. I personally never thought that my drawing skills were good enough to be a 2D animator.

That being said there are so many other aspects of an art background that are intrinsic to being an animator. An understanding of composition, silhouette, positive and negative space...an animator has to have an understanding of these to be able create a believable performance. I would also say that an understanding of music helps an animator as well. Performances and actions feel a lot like music with changes in rhythm and tempo. Most animators I know play at least one musical instrument.

Guest Blogger Matthew Russell

By: Unknown On 10.41

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What’s Been One of the Most Challenging Projects You Worked On?

The single coolest thing about working in the animation business is that every project is jam-packed with its own set of challenges to overcome. Every sequence in that project has its own group of characters and performances and obstacles. And each shot within that sequence is overflowing with its own dizzying array of decisions, choices, and difficulties.

As such, this job never gets boring. Not even a little bit! You're constantly learning about new things that apply to one scene or another - be it dance, kung-fu, acting, car-racing, or how airplanes work. This is a career where you are basically signing up to be a student of EVERYTHING for the rest of your life, so buckle up for a nonstop adventure of new ideas and topics to research!

That said, if I had to choose one project as the most challenging, I think I'd have to pick Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. I worked a lot on a character called Devastator, and figuring out how he was going to form together, rise up, and head off to rip down the pyramids was easily the most complex thing I've had the chance to work on, but also one of the most fun things I've ever animated!

Luckily, ILM has some absolutely incredible creature rigging geniuses (a word I don't use lightly) such as Kaori Ogino and Keiji Yamaguchi. Kaori rigged the creature, probably the most complicated rig ever done in CG, and Keiji was instrumental in helping animate some of the actual transforming geometry of the tractors coming together to form our big baddie.

Of course there are a lot of other people who come together to create something like Devastator, it certainly wasn't just the three of us, but I really felt the pressure on that character, both internal and external (I wanted it to be as cool as possible, just like everyone else did!) and as such, I have to say it was the biggest challenge I've faced.

But how cool is animation as a career when the biggest challenge is also the single most fun experience you've had in that career?

Man... sometimes I really love this job.

Thanks for the fun question!

Shawn :)

By: Unknown On 10.04

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What Should a Young Artist Do to Prepare for the Professional Animation Industry?

With so many blogs and web sites devoted to animation, there is a wealth of information available. I run through my list every morning to stay up to date on the many happenings.

When preparing your reel, it's a good idea to know a bit about the studio to which you are applying. Under the umbrella of the "animation industry" there are studios working in fully animated feature film, television, FX for live action, games and internet. While there may be some cross over, many studios have specific things they look for on a reel.

Speaking of reels. Never, ever, ever put work on your reel that does not belong to you. It seems like common sense, yet I have heard of it happening more than once. It can be quite frustrating to get rejection letters, I know, I have my own pile. But your reel represents who you are and what you can do. To try and pass another animators work off as your own, is fraud. Don’t do it or the animation gods will become most displeased and frown upon you for a thousand years….or even longer.

Once you are at a studio be prepared for “crunch time”, that glorious time when everyone pulls together to finish a project. The length and severity of crunch time will vary by studio and project, but know that it’s rare for a production to go from start to finish without some sort of crunch.

Meeting deadlines is important in all industries and the animation industry is no different. Depending on where your working you may frequently have reasonable deadlines or ones that are not so reasonable. Regardless, you will need to get your work in on time. Being consistently late will certainly put you on the naughty list and who wants that? Practice good time management to help you stay focused. If you have a week to complete a shot figure out when you need to have blocking approved, when you must be splining etc, in order to hit your target date. Having your own mini schedule will keep you on track and make your coordinators very happy.

And finally…upon landing that first gig in the industry, don’t ruin it by being a jerk. People in the professional animation industry like to work with nice, fun, modest people. You don't have to bring in donuts everyday to win over the hearts of your coworkers; although if you want to, I like chocolate. Check any ego at the door, be open to learning, listen, ask questions, have a sense of humor, be respectful of varying points of view, be part of the team. Studios want to foster healthy, positive, team-building environments.

Guest Blogger Ray Chase

By: Unknown On 10.35

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What Would Be Your Advice to a Graduating Student as They Begin Their Career as an Animator?

I think something that served me well was to dream big, but to also manage my expectations. Coming out of school, we all wanted that feature animation job but there’s only so much to go around. I ended up landing a gig at a smaller studio and worked there for almost four years before arriving at Sony. While I was there, I never lost sight of the type of career I wanted. I was happy doing character design, but my preference was to be animating. So if I had some free time, I‘d grab a pencil and paper and try to improve my reel. When I switched over to their computer animation department, I made the best of the resources there to continue learning and growing as an animator. It’s important to remember that no matter where you work, you can always build on your skill set. And don’t forget about the great contacts you can make. As anyone in this industry will tell you, it’s a small world out there for the animation community. Within a year of working, you’ll have built up a contact list that will include animators working in gaming, television and feature animation.

Good luck!

Guest Blogger Chris Williams

By: Unknown On 14.01

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Do You Have Any Tips for Animators Who Live Outside of the United States on How to Get a Job in the States?

That's a tough one. It can be very difficult at times to come into the US on a Visa. There are a lot of factors, prime among them being how many visas the government is willing to allow and whether or not the studio you are applying to can afford a lawyer to get the visa situated for you.

However, one thing I know can help you get a job here: Awards.

If you are an award winning animator, recognized by institutions or film festivals or what have you -- these awards can make it much easier for the studio to argue your case and get you that visa. The way things work here is that if a studio wants to bring you to the US, the lawyers have to draw up the papers, apply for your visa, etc. There are application fees, lawyer fees, etc. This amounts to thousands of dollars. (I heard $7500 once, but I don't know how accurate that is). This money is NON-REFUNDABLE, so a studio, particularly any smaller studios, can't take the chance on an iffy visa application. If the visa is denied, they lose their money AND lose the artist they were hoping for.

However, if you have won awards through your work or through film festivals, be sure to let the studios know, because it increases your chances of getting a visa, which increases the chances that the studio will be willing to gamble on getting you that visa! Make sense?

So, my advice for international students who want to work in the US is this -- make a short film, make it amazing, get it into festivals, and win yourself some awards!

I know that's a tall order, and it might even sound impossible, but you know what? Someone is going to get their film into that festival. Someone is going to win an award. Someone is going to get their dream job.

Why can't it be you?

Good luck!

Shawn :)

By: Unknown On 15.33

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When Looking for an Animator Job, What is the Best Way to Approach a Company?

This depends a little on the type of studio you are applying to.

For smaller, local studios, it might be a great idea to show up in person and inquire about a job. This may give you the chance to meet someone "on the inside," or give them a chance to place a face with the name. If you do this, be armed with questions about the studio/jobs/internships/whatever, and be sure to not take up much of anyone's time. Assume they are really busy, and if you get a chance to talk to someone, make it a short introduction/inquiry, and try to set up a future chance to follow up with them.

For medium-sized or large studios, this is probably not the best idea, as it wouldn't be considered as professional, and the chances are slim that the receptionist or whoever you'd run into could help you very much. In these cases, you are better off following the standard application submission protocol that the studio likely details on their website.

And then for all companies, a great way to make contacts, ask about jobs, and get questions answered is to go to job fairs or conventions such as Siggraph where there are a lot of studios represented by a lot of recruiters and employees. This is the best environment to find out more about jobs and companies, and again, be sure to try to make solid contacts and follow up with them in the future! (And again, if you do follow up via email or phone, be sure not to be a pest! If you start calling them every week, you will NOT be getting a job with them!)

Best of luck!

Shawn :)

By: Unknown On 14.46

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How Important Is an Art Background for an Animator Who Is Starting Out?

There was a time when I thought that there was nothing more important for an animation student than a solid background in traditional art. Painting, drawing, color theory, art history, the works. At least that's what I was told, back in the day, and on the surface, it makes sense, doesn't it?

Of course an artistic background will help you as an animator. It's a no-brainer. Color design may inform staging decisions, drawing classes will certainly help with composition issues, figure drawing and an understanding of anatomy are helpful for any animator.

But if the question is whether or not an art background is absolutely NECESSARY to becoming a great animator, experience has taught me that the answer is no.

It isn't.

Now, to be clear, it certainly doesn't hurt! I'm thankful, in particular, for all those years of figure drawing. I may be a decade out of practice, and unable to accurately draw anything to save my life right now, but the anatomical and biomechanical knowledge I soaked up in those classes helps inform my animation decisions to this day.

If nothing else, as strange as it sounds, it was very helpful for me to just sit in a room with a naked person and study how their body worked without any of the important hip/spine interactions being hidden by clothing. I actually even learned more in between the model's poses than when he or she was actually holding a pose for us to draw! As an animation student, it was fascinating to watch them move from pose to pose, or climb up onto the stage, etc. In fact, I think I'd say that considering the sad state of the animation program I was attending at the time, I probably learned more about body mechanics during the spaces between figure drawings than I did in any of my "animation" classes!

That said, it isn't absolutely necessary. In fact, you know what kind of background would be helpful for an animator who is just starting out?

Yours!

That's right! ANY background is going to be helpful in SOME way. I've met animators who were fighter pilots, detectives, maintenance workers, engineers, architects, soldiers, bartenders, and athletes. All of these people bring their unique backgrounds and knowledge base to their work, and these life experiences inform the acting decisions of their characters, the stories they will tell, and the style of their work.

As animators, observation is one of the most important aspects of what we do. In order to bring a character to life, there is almost nothing more important than having a collection of interesting actions and acting choices we've observed and either committed to memory or written down or sketched. These actions we've set aside to remember are our secret weapons in the creation of memorable character performances.

In light of that, just about any life experience you have may come in handy during your animation career!

I would say that any artistic experience you can have, whether it's studying photography, visiting museums, or even reading comic books -- these are all more immediately helpful to you as an animator than your memory of the drunk who spilled everyone's drinks one night when you were tending bar. The drunk may come in handy at some point down the line as you craft a performance that takes place in a bar, but the artistic growth you've experienced in the first three examples is something that you'll be able to use from Day 1 as you jump into animation.

So sure, any art background is helpful to the animator, and obviously I think that figure drawing classes, in particular, can be very beneficial, but I've met too many incredible animators now who have next to no art background at all to be able to say that it's completely necessary.

While an art background, used properly, will be an advantage for any animator, the computer has removed the absolute need for draftsmanship. Keeping a character "on-model" is no longer an issue, at least as far as maintaining the mass goes. (taking the facial animation and acting choices off-model is still as big a problem and challenge as it ever was, though!) Being able to draw an accurate turntable of a character is a fantastic and enviable skill, but as our computer tools get more and more robust, there is increasingly room in the ranks of the world's animators for animation artists who have never picked up a pencil for serious drawing.

Of course, if you want to pursue 2D animation, obviously that means you WILL need strong draftsmanship and a well-rounded background in traditional art, but the question I get is usually referring to a career in 3D animation, which is a different story all together.

Animation students who don't have any artistic background at all may need to work a little harder to make up for it, but it's simply no longer necessary to have the drawing skills that many of our animation heroes possess.

What's necessary is that you have a passion to learn animation and a hunger to seek that knowledge out anywhere and everywhere. What's necessary is a keen sense of observation throughout your daily life, and the ability to learn from what you are observing. What's necessary is the ability apply those observations to your work, and to accurately recreate and exaggerate the life you see around you. What's necessary is the patience to plan your work out, and the tenacity to be detail-oriented enough to completely finish it. What's necessary is the desire to find criticism of your work and to grow from what you hear.

THAT's the stuff that's absolutely necessary. If you're missing any of the above, you might as well give up right now - you aren't going to make it as an animator. I'm sorry. That's the stuff you can't live without. Everything else is gravy. Sometimes the gravy really makes the dish, though - something we shouldn't ignore. In other words, your ice-cream sundae might be delicious, but it might not be able to compete with your neighbor who actually put the cherry on top, you know?

I do think that you can make a pretty darn good sundae without any art background, but if our goal as animators it to never stop learning (which is SHOULD be), I'd encourage all of you to study any and all aspects of art in any way you can.

And if you become an animator, having no art background at all, then guess what?

You're an artist.

...Which I guess means you have an art background now! Cool, huh?

Shawn :)

By: Unknown On 16.45

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When Do You Know If You Are Ready to Apply to Movie Studios?

For me, I lucked out and had an amazing mentor in Wayne Gilbert. He's an amazing teacher and he and his wife are incredibly generous people who took me under their wing and without his mentoring I have zero doubt that it would have taken an extra 10 years for me to get to ILM, ever I ever made it at all. I worked on the animation assignments he would give me (while working at my games job during the day) for about two years until Wayne said he thought it might be ready to send a demo reel in. So, for me, I knew it was ready when a professional told me so.

Obviously, this is an ideal situation to seek out, though not everyone will be able to find a professional. The best bets are to go to conferences like Siggraph or animation festivals and find professionals you can show your reel to. Many professional animators would be eager to look at your stuff and offer advice. This is something we have been doing at the Animation Mentor booth at Siggraph for the last couple years (having your demo reel critiqued by pros). The feedback has been great so I think a lot of people are finding this sort of thing very helpful.

If you can't travel to any major animation/CG conferences, then I would seek out online animation communities such as cg-char, which is what many of us did back in the day. Forums and communities like these can be invaluable for figuring out where your skills are at.

Lastly, I would encourage you to just apply for the jobs you want! There's really no downside to sending in a reel that might not be 100% ready. Maybe it's 95% ready, and they'll see the potential in you. Who knows? If you know for sure that it's nowhere near ready, that's another story, as you don't want to get a reputation for wasting the recruiter's time at a specific studio, or for badgering them with nonstop demo reels. Only send it in if you think it truly might fit with what they may be looking for, AND only reapply if you have made some significant changes to the reel. If they've already seen your older reel, be sure to put your newer stuff at the beginning or they may recognize the old work and say, "Hey, we've seen this one already" and turn it off.

Shawn :)

By: Unknown On 16.41

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What’s the Role of the Animator? Is It Beneficial to Explore Different Disciplines?

At any medium-large studio (including games, TV, or feature films), an animator is hired to animate. Not to create textures or model characters or light scenes. Most bigger studios recognize that these are all skills that take decades to truly master, and that the true path to beautiful imagery onscreen is to fill the studio with expert specialists.

In other words, most studios aren't too hung up on finding people who "know a little about a lot of different disciplines." Most features and games studios are looking for an artist who "knows a LOT about ONE discipline."

It's the pairing up of these experts that results in the truly memorable work you'd see in any blockbuster film or A-list game.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with dabbling in all the different disciplines available to you as a CG artist, but we generally recommend that once you've found which discipline you are the most interested in - be it animation or modeling or lighting or rigging or textures or whatever - once you've found your "true calling," your best bet is to put the rest of that stuff aside and focus as much time as humanly possible on becoming a true expert in whatever that chosen field is.

Many people will say that this will limit your job opportunities, and guess what?

They're right. It will.

But I guess it boils down to you deciding what kind of job you are looking for, and what kind of career you are going to attempt. There is nothing wrong at all in deciding to be a generalist, and continue to learn about all aspects of this stuff called Computer Graphics. There are many jobs, especially junior-level jobs at smaller-to-medium-sized studios, where generalists are specifically sought out and encouraged.

However, I can't tell you how rare it is for a generalist to get a job as an animator at a major feature studio or large game studio. Almost every professional animator at that level has decided to focus at least MOST of their time on animation, even if they also enjoy other disciplines deep down...

Before I end that thought, though, it's really important to point out that if you are new to the industry, getting a junior job as a generalist can be one of THE best ways to break into this business.
Getting your foot in the door of a studio and getting *any* kind of professional experience is invaluable, and will help you make connections, learn the ropes, meet people to learn from, and look great on your resume.

If you aren't getting to spend most of your time at work actually animating and growing as an animator, then my advice is to work hard, do a great job, and then go home and animate your brains out and practice as much as you possibly can in your spare time. Read animation books, get involved in online animation communities, meet up with some animation student friends and watch some animated films frame-by-frame and talk about what you see...

Getting a job where you aren't doing *exactly* what you hope to be doing doesn't mean that you have to stop striving towards your dreams of working as an animator! It's more than common for animators to have to work their way up, and slowly climb that ladder until they finally get their dream job.

It's very rare for that to happen overnight, so don't automatically turn your nose up at jobs that aren't exactly what you hoped for... Just don't let that job stop you from continuing to move forward!


- Shawn :)

By: Unknown On 18.01

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Reader's Question: Is It Necessary To Learn Rigging?

Mac left a comment asking: I want to know that to become a successful animator, is it also necessary to learn rigging?

This is a great question, and of all the CG disciplines, rigging is certainly the most relevant to what we do as animators. Rigging truly is an art, and the rig an animator is given will make a huge impact on that animator's work - both in what the animator is capable of doing with the rig, and in how quickly the animator can get his work done.

Having a fast rig that you can work with quickly can make all the difference in the world when it comes to hitting your deadlines. On the flip-side, it takes a true rigging expert to create a rig that is fast, but is also very flexible and powerful, and has all of the options the animator requires when posing that character and creating a performance.

So for me, rigging is an incredibly important aspect of what we do.

That doesn't mean that we need to know everything about rigging ourselves, of course, as our job is often to simply be the animator. HOWEVER, if there is one thing that it is helpful to study a little bit and get *some* amount of understanding of, it's the basics of how your rig works, and how it's built.

I don't have a very deep understanding of how Optimus Prime is rigged up, but I know enough about his rig to know how I can pose him, what will break him, etc. And having a very rudimentary knowledge of how expressions work and so forth will help you at times with working with your character.

Additionally, many smaller studios prefer their animators to have a strong knowledge of rigging, and these smaller studios often have animator/riggers doing both jobs at once.

This is a case where knowing a bit about both jobs will open up more job opportunities for you, but be aware that these jobs are not generally going to be a feature film studios or often even larger games/tv studios. The big studios are still, by and large, looking for experts in each given field, as that structure has proven to provide the best quality work...

Anyway - like pretty much anything else, it can't hurt to learn a bit about rigging as long as it isn't distracting your time away from learning more about animation, but I wouldn't spend a ton of time with it unless you really love doing it!

shawn :)

By: Unknown On 19.35

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