The following advice is offered here in response to having students and/or recent graduates asking for advice regarding breaking into the computer graphics animation and visual effects industry. It is a little bit of a compilation of things I have heard from other industry professionals, as well as my own direct experience with hiring for both large and small companies. At the bottom of this page is some excellent additional advice from Chris Perry, a Hampshire College professor and Pixar alum.
This is by no means intended to be the definitive authority on any of these subjects, and there will be exceptions to any of these tidbits, but I'm hoping that having a basic document that I can point people to will help with some basics. Let me know if you have different experiences or have any other helpful suggestions!
If you have not already exhausted the web for sources of information about
a career in computer graphics, here is one good place to start: http://animation.about.com/od/careertips/a/animationcareer.htm
and then you should really exhaust the web for sources of information!
About Schools:
There are now a large number of schools where you can get direct hands on training in the field of computer graphics. Schools like SCAD (http://www.scad.edu/) Ringling (http://www.ringling.edu/) Full Sail (http://www.fullsail.edu) and Vancouver Film school (http://www.vfs.com/) are just a few of the schools from which students can expect good training and a head start when applying for that first job in CG.
Many, many other schools (like Hampshire College or UMass) offer both courses in animation, as well as full blown degree programs. As with any education, if you have the initiative and drive you can make even the most lackluster program work for you, but you have to push yourself and your instructors. If you are just starting look into schools, you will have to do a lot of research in order to find one that meets your needs in terms finances, location, and specific areas of study.
An education is different than technical training, and I am a strong proponent of a well rounded education for reasons too philosophical and too numerous to list here. In today's faster cheaper society it is tempting for students to want training rather than an education, but remember that learning Maya does not teach you how to create emotionally moving images. It is also my personal philosophy that since animation and visual effects are "art in motion" that students should take both art and film making courses in addition to computer graphics. PLEASE, do not think that you only need to learn a piece of software to become good in this field.
Getting into the field without a formal education:
If you have the drive, the talent and the stick-to-it-iveness to make yourself appealing to companies without going to school, then it is entirely possible to do. You can buy excellent tutorials from places like digital tutors (www.digitaltutors.com) or gnomon (www.thegnomonworkshop.com). However the above advice about education still stands, and art and film making should still be given serious attention. Additionally, simply doing tutorials does not give you the kind of peer or mentor feedback you need. There are a number of on-line schools developing a response to this need, such as Animation Mentor (http://www.animationmentor.com/).
Internships:
Nobody wants to give their work away for free, but the industry relies more and more on internships. You should get either school credit or minimal pay for your internship. While you may be willing to work for free, it's not wise, and may not even be legal. Set a time limit on your internship, usually 3 months or slightly longer. Show initiative during your internship, offer to learn specific things that you see might help the company. Be positive and never, ever, have the attitude they should be grateful you are there (even if they should).
To find companies that offer internships, you will need to call them directly. Search google, search the yellow pages, and ask family and friends if they know of any companies. If you are willing to move for your career, then start looking near and far now. If you do not want to move for your career, then you may need to make your career path fit your geographical location, and look into medical animation, architectural visualization, or some other niche market of CG that is not as heavily location oriented as the entertainment industry.
Choosing your specific career path:
When I started in this field many family and friends knew that I was doing
computer graphic special effects, and so they would ask me to build a website
for them or get their printer working (they still do!). But just because the
general public doesn't understand how specific our industry is, doesn't mean
it's okay for you. This field is becoming more specialized and more complex.
For example, if you say you want to be an animator, does that mean you want
to do technical animation for feature length animated films, or low poly character
animation for games, or motion graphics animation for television? You may not
have to decide right now, but the sooner you have an idea of exactly what you
want to do, and for what market, the better. I have a close friend who is an
outstanding animator, he went to California and quickly found work in the game
industry. Soon he found that he could not move into the feature film industry
despite being a fantastic animator. Now, after 12 years he has finally gotten
his first job working in feature length motion pictures, and in part he was
able to make the move because he has been doing his own film quality personal
side project for about 5 years. The moral of this story is something I say quite
often, if you do not decide what you want be, it will be decided for you. Not
to suggest it's impossible to change, but it is quite easy to find yourself
pigeon holed, so think hard about it now and be choosy about your options. I
was recently talking to someone at Sony who said "One of the cardinal sins
at Sony is saying that you also want to do something else" such as being
an animator and saying you would also like to do lighting. The large companies
it seems want you to want to be a specialist.
If you want to be a generalist, someone who does a lot of different things in
CG, then you are probably narrowing your career choices down to working for
(or owning) smaller companies. Those companies can be great for a host of reasons,
but beware that they are more prone to swings in the market and the economy.
Where to apply?
So you say you don't know who is offering internships, or who is hiring? This
is where contacts play a large role. But what if you are just starting out and
you don't have any contacts? Then you need to make some!
True story... I was working making slide shows, mainly for the pharmaceutical
industry, for several years, and knew that it was not what I wanted to do when
I grew up. Finally, not really knowing where to start I went to a career counselor
(you can find one through the yellow pages or perhaps your school). One piece
of advice she gave me was, look in the yellow pages (we didn't have google then!),
find places that do what you want to do, and start making calls. Introduce yourself
as someone who is interested in the field and JUST WANTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT
IT, and ask them for an "informational interview". Just an informal
chat where you ask them how they got into the field, what they think are valuable
skills, etc. I found a guy that did animatronics (like at Disneyworld) outside
Philadelphia. I interviewed him, and he suggested I contact this place called
The Trumbull Company that was doing some cool stuff in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
I called them, and they were willing to let me talk to them and show me around.
I interviewed 6 people over two days at the facility that had just finished
the Back to the Future ride. I went home, and 1 week later they called me and
offered me a job in 3D! I had never done anything in 3D before that.
So there's your free career counselor advice (actually career counselors do
a lot more than that and I do recommend them). But the moral here is you can
find a way in if you are friendly and seek out relationships. Look for users
groups, associations, etc. Join Siggraph (www.siggraph.org)
or other local tech oriented organizations.
For on line job boards there are several good ones, such as www.awn.com,
www.creativeheads.net, and www.vfxpro.com.
Who gets hired?
There are several factors that go into hiring. In my opinion, they are (in rough order of importance):
1. The Demo reel and demonstrated skill set.
2. Personality
3. Who you know/connections/ recommendations
4. Education/school reputation in industry
5. Luck
As with anything there are exceptions, but here's a little more on each:
1. The demo reel and demonstrated skills set:
I have been asked many times for help and direction in setting up a demo reel.
Basically, get clips of all your work. Pick the best work of what you have done,
(ask family and friends if you can't tell what's your best work). Write down
exactly what you did on the shots, including software, inspiration, etc., and
make that your "shot breakdown". Assemble your reel with best work
first. If you are a student/entry level, keep it to 2 minutes or less. Better
to have only 1:30 of good work, than 3 minutes that includes below par clips.
If you feel you must show entire pieces, put them after the end of your actual
reel as a "bonus".
Don't show every last bit of student work you have done unless you have only
done 2 minutes of outstanding work as a student.
If you need to, create a couple of versions for different jobs, this will allow
you to apply for specific jobs with tailor made demo reels. If you are looking
to get into a particular field, say modeling or rigging, take the time to create
a demo video of how you did something, showing the phases of your efforts through
to the finished product. If you want to be a rigger, show some rigging. You
wouldn't show only photography to get a job as a painter, so don't show only
modeling to get a job as a animator.
If you are doing lip sync animation, then you will obviously need sound. As
for music, many studios turn down the sound for big reel review sessions, but
you can always include something non offensive to the ear.
If you don't have high quality stuff to put on your reel, then you are probably
not ready for prime time and you should spend some time making a better reel.
Make a 15 - 30 second sequence that you can be proud of, especially one that
demonstrates that you are capable of grasping the area of production you are
applying for.
2. Personality:
You can't change who you are, but here's a couple of tips for how you should
and shouldn't present yourself when interviewing or talking to potential employers:
Don't be arrogant. Much as you may think you know what you are doing, and perhaps
you do, you don't know it all. Nobody does. You can quietly prove how much you
know through your actions once you are hired.
Don't blame others for your shortcomings. Don't explain or defend your reel
or lack of skills by blaming your teachers, your school, your previous internships,
your family, your time constraints, or your dog. A key factor for success in
this business is taking personal responsibility for your own work, and any hint
that you are a blamer indicates to potential employers that you will do the
same in production.
Be eager and willing to learn. Even though it's a little tricky, you need to
indicate that you have areas that you would like to focus on, say character
animation, but that you are interested in the whole process and are therefore
willing to do what they ask.
Understand that this field requires a rare mix of competing personality traits.
You must be part artist, and part technologist (left and right brained).
You must be able to focus on a solitary project on your computer, but also work
well as part of a team. You must be willing to take criticism, and then turn
around and share what you know. It is not a field for the overly defensive,
or the self deprecating.
3. Who you know/connections/ recommendations
It seems obvious, but much of this biz is about building and maintaining relationships.
Your internships, your professors, your first jobs.
The more initiative you show in your work, the more likely you are to make a
connection. Imagine a conversation where one of your friends is talking to someone
they just met who happens to be in the business. Which would be better for them
to say "oh, my friend wants to work in your field" or "oh, my
friend has been doing some really cool stuff in your field, completely on his/her
own because he/she is so interested in it."?
If you do have people you know that work for a company in the industry, don't
expect them to give you a job. Many large companies have HR departments that
you will have to go through no matter what. They may be able to put in a good
word for you, but show that you deserve that good word before you ask them to
do so. Instead ask for pointers on your reel, or suggestions for places you
could contact for an informational interview.
4. Education/school reputation in industry
It's true that some schools get more attention than others, it's true in this
field as in many others. But just as you can become a lawyer without a Harvard
law degree, you can work at ILM without going to SCAD. The reason certain schools
get more attention is not complicated, much of it comes down to confidence on
the part of the employer that the students from that school are well trained,
have been "tested" and have put together a reel showing their best
work. Then, as more students from that school get jobs, the students, faculty
and staff at the school have more connections, and so it goes.
If you want in to this field, but also value a good liberal arts education,
you may have to try a little harder to break in, but it will be worth it.
5. Luck
"Good luck is often with the man who doesn't include it in his plans."
-unknown
A better quote for this discussion is: “Luck is what happens when preparation
meets opportunity.” - Seneca
So prepare yourself for some good luck, and you'll be more likely to have it. Here's one more true story for you: I was going to Temple University for film making, working my way through college by working in the film department as a work study student, and also working at Radio Shack. One day a guy came in and bought a connector. When I asked him what it was for, he explained that it was used to connect his computer graphics machine to a video monitor. I sparked up a conversation, and he soon invited me in to see his studio. I took him up on it, and while there, he told me he happened to be looking for an assistant, and I jumped at the chance. I got that job, it was my first job in computer graphics. Lucky? Yes, but had I not been working at Radio Shack, had I not struck up a conversation, and had I not been eager to just look at his studio, that luck would never have presented itself.
Extra advice regarding applying:
Many companies will not respond to all applicants. Some will send out
a letter acknowledging that they have received your application, most wont.
Don't expect a company to get back to you. In some cases, even after
an interview, the company will go silent. Don't take it personally, it is unfortunately
the current state of things. The worst thing you could do is to get pissed off
at a company for not returning your call, or replying to your email, or telling
you if the job is filled, and you send them some nasty note. Keep all your bridges
clean and in tact. If you are lucky enough to have a conversation with a company
who has decided not to offer you a position, be gracious and politely ask them
if they were looking for something else on your reel, or if they have any suggestions
for how you could make yourself more appealing.
So there's no single thing that will get you in, no golden ticket into this chocolate factory, no certain school or certain degree, no special skill that will guarantee you an interview. But if you pay attention to all the stuff above, you've got a really good shot! Good luck!
link to Eric Wilson's personal website.
Advice from Chris Perry:
I do not and have never envied those trying to "break in" to this industry. It is highly competitive. There aren't firmly established patterns one can follow to translate their B.A. degree into, say, a Visual Effects Supervisor position at some major studio. If you get in, many entry-level jobs pay poorly and have awful hours. Plus, you will likely work on a number of media productions that you think are just plain bad.
It's not all bad news, though. The recession may not hurt the entertainment industry too badly. The other people who work in this business are, in general, a creative and interesting and smart bunch. Each job presents new challenges. Talent and hard work, once identified, are rewarded. There's always plenty to learn. Every now and then you work on something that really impacts someone in a profound way. There are a growing number of smaller studios picking up work from Hollywood (and elsewhere) which allows for one to be in this business without having to be in a major urban area.
So, advice?
I believe that connections are critical and you should always be developing them. Not because connections translate into offers of employment, but because if you have connections you have information. If you think all the possible positions you might be qualified for will appear magically on some job website you're crazy! Some positions are never posted. Some places have internships but don't advertise that fact.
I'll take a stab at something for the sake of argument, not something I've thought much about but it seems to resonate with a few people's histories (including my own): YOUR BREAK-IN JOB IS LIKELY AT A PLACE THAT, TODAY, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW EXISTS!
So how are you going to find it?
Good connections know you, your interests, your talents, and understand what you're looking for in a career/job. A good connection is like having some extra eyes in on meetings you'd otherwise not be able to attend.
I first heard about Rhythm & Hues from someone I chatted with at a SIGGRAPH conference. I didn't even know the place existed. I knew the work, but not the studio. This person raved about the studio and from their limited experience with me thought that my interests and personality aligned pretty well with the studio's. I met this person through a fellow grad student who thought we would hit it off. I am infinitely grateful for that introduction and the subsequent conversation, because it ultimately led to my applying to the studio. Neither of those people "got" me the job, of course. They just were my window into the place. But a critical window it was that they provided.
More advice:
Attend SIGGRAPH, ideally as a student volunteer. It's a free ride, or close to it, when you are an S.V., and you get to see the industry in a week-long crazy flood of information and excitement.
Go to SIGGRAPH *before* you need a job. It's no fun to grovel for work at that
show, it's better to see what the hell everyone is doing, build a list of companies
you want to track, and try to
develop some friendships as well. Many studios do interview specifically at
SIGGRAPH, but I see it as having more value as an information source than as
a job fair. Personally.
More:
Figure out what you love and pursue it. Shamelessly. Read about who is doing what in that area, learn the players, learn the techniques, hone your craft. This will not only help your demo reel (I agree with Eric, by the way, in the importance of the reel), but the research you do will give you information you need like which companies to apply to, whose career paths to emulate/study, etc.
This list is a fantastic research resource. I suspect that there are more active industry workers on this list who are supportive of liberal arts backgrounds than there are in most of our address books. Everyone on this list who is employed has a history they might be willing to share.
Finally:
Back to connections. The best connections are forged in the workplace. People
who have worked with you know your work ethic, creativity, skills, interests,
problem solving strategies, level of
commitment, etc. No stranger is going to know this stuff about you. Some classrooms
are like workplaces, and the connections forged therein are equally valuable.
Do what you can to amass experiences like these.
Working alone on your demo reel is one thing, and a good thing in the absence of other options, but working collaboratively on something is outstanding. You develop your reel AND your connections. This is why I think that despite the risk of exploitation, working for free on something substantial is invaluable (IF you couldn't get paid for doing the same gig).
In closing, and in case it doesn't go without saying, I want to let current
students know that of course you should come speak with me about options for
summers and for work beyond Hampshire. In my time here I've seen many students
go off into internships and jobs all over the place, and some of those paths
may be suitable for you to at least explore (and CORC won't know about them,
most likely).