Autonomous Animator
Tips for thriving as a work-at-home animator. By Martin Grebing
SIGGRAPH is the undisputed champion of Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics conventions. Achieving such stature over the years means it can offer lots of opportunities for networking and job seeking. On the other hand, it also means there will be lots of competition. Here are a few tips and tricks that could help you stand out from the crowd.
Reconnaissance
Before checking out this year’s SIGGRAPH virtual event with the intention of landing a job, you must first do your homework. An ounce of recon is worth a pound of resumes. Look up each and every company that you are even remotely interested in, find out everything you
can about them, discover important contacts, take notes and commit them to memory.
Being bright-eyed and enthusiastic and contacting the right person at each studio who is in charge of hiring will go a long way towards making an impressive first impression. Being memorable for your stunning professionalism is one of the best ways to stand out in a crowded marketplace where competition is fierce.
Lasers vs. Nets
When planning on how to best approach potential hiring companies, you need to make a decision whether you want to use a laser or a net.
The “Net Approach” involves generalizing your portfolio to try and cover a wide array of disciplines. This approach hedges your bets that the more variety you show, the more chances you have of showing something that a hiring manager wants to see.
On the other hand, the “Laser Approach” is for those of you who are passionate about specializing in one area for your entire career (such as being an effects artist). If this sounds like heaven to you, then you must hone your portfolio with laser-like focus in this single area so that if anyone in the world ever is looking for your particular specialty, you are much more likely to land on the shortlist.
Overexposure Is the Right Amount of Exposure
Create a digital version of your entire portfolio and put it securely online. This should consist of PDFs or JPGs of your resume and portfolio and multiple copies of your demo reel in various video file formats (.MOV, .MP4, etc.) to maximize the chances that the person
you are giving it to will be able to view the files. Since most of the events are online this year, you need a nicely designed web destination and digital portfolio where studios can see your background and check out your art and animated projects. While YouTube does this for you automatically, sometimes it can be a nice touch to have your work available on your own terms and file servers.
More applications = greater chance of being hired, so keep multiple copies of your portfolio on your person (and your devices) at all times so you can instantly, effortlessly give samples of your best work to anyone that may be hiring, or even someone who knows someone who may be hiring.
In case things go back to normal and we are able to have real-world recruiting events like CTN eXpo later this year, do yourself a huge favor and invest in custom memory sticks so you can have your name and contact info printed on the case or the stick itself. Don’t be afraid to stock up – you’ll get a better price per stick the more you order. Buy as many as you can possibly afford (over 100 if possible), and give them away like a street hustler passing out event flyers.
Stack Your Deck
If you want to stack the deck in your favor, have multiple versions of your demo reel on hand so you can readily drop off the most specific demo reel possible based on who you are giving it to and what they would like to see.
For example, have a generalist link available online and a specialist link available online. Based on who you are talking to and what approach you think would be best to take, you know which pocket to pick.
Portfolios on the Fly
What if you find the company of your dreams while browsing the SIGGRAPH site, but realize the latest edit of your demo reel needs to be tweaked to make the best impression possible?
Normally, you’d be out of luck. However, with a little pre-planning you can rise to the occasion. Before checking out all the companies that are recruiting this year, go overall the material you are able to include in your portfolio. Find out what exactly each recruiter or studio is looking for in a job applicant. Then, take the time to customize your portfolio to maximize your chances of making the best impression possible which could ultimately lead
to landing your dream job. ◆