Resource: The Animation Letters Project

The Animation Letters Project is a wonderful, inspiring project started by animator Willie Downs.  The letters on his site are submitted by professional animators from throughout the industry.  I love reading these letters, and consider this an invaluable resource for any aspiring animator!

http://theanimatorlettersproject.com/

Matt Estes; Solid Advice

Hello Friend,

You want to know how to become an animator? Start. But let me be more clear. Study, consume, seek-out animation. There is so much to know about animation before you ever start studying the applied principles of animation. I would encourage you to become an enthusiastic scholar of the medium before you begin practicing it in earnest. In addition to that, I would encourage you to become a student of another field before you embark on your studies of animation. My advice is to go to college and learn about something you are passionate about. What do you absolutely LOVE other than animation? If you couldn’t be an animator, what would you be? Study that. Study something that you are passionate about outside of the artistic field. This is not because you need to be prepared to fail as an animator, it is because you have the opportunity now to learn to animate without attending a four year college. And what is better than a talented animator? A very intelligent, talented animator. Study something that makes you happy, something that you feel a need to know more about. In addition to this pursuit, push yourself to excel in math, science, and history. An advanced understanding of these three topics will give you a great edge over many of your future-peers in the animation industry. Knowing why something works, why something happened, or how a series of events unfolded will always benefit you. At the very least, it will flavor your research and help you to a novel solution to your problem faster than if you did not have that reservoir of knowledge. Another reason I recommend that you go to a university before you study animation is that you will develop the necessary study habits the first time around. Learning to set powerful goals (and reach them), learning to manage your time wisely, and how to effectively build social networks. With these skills, you will be able to advance well beyond your counterparts when you do start to study animation in earnest. You will also have spent your time in college watching all the animation you could find, attending festivals, reading books, subscribing to blogs. While you’re in college, get a job as a PA at a studio in your area. You might not know the name of it yet…but it’s there. There are video game, advertising, and animation studios EVERYWHERE. Find one, and get a job at it. Decide where you are going to work, and pursue that goal. Building this experience early is key, and will give you valuable insight into how the industry is run. Go to conventions, you will meet more people there than you can possibly imagine (okay…so, like…500-ish people per convention.) As soon as you have finished your studies, TRAVEL. Go somewhere that you have never been before. At least one place. Spend enough time there to really experience the people, space, and culture. If you can manage to start saving now, spend several months abroad. These experiences will help you to cultivate a more appealing story in your character and give you a set of influences to draw upon when you create your scenes that many people do not have. Also, animation is hard work that takes a very large time commitment to succeed. You will not have much time to travel for the first several years of your career. When you return from your travels. Enroll in an animation specific program. Most of these will be 18-24 months. You can go anywhere you like. One of the best programs is Animation Mentor (Travis and I are both Alumni) but there are MANY other options. I would encourage you to research all of them and choose the one that you think is the best fit for you. While you are studying at your new animation school, you should still be working at a studio. The connections you will build at this studio will help you to succeed in your eventual job-hunt upon graduating from animation-school. Upon graduating, choose a studio that you want to work for and tailor your reel to them. Create shots just for them. If they don’t like it. Make new ones based on their feedback. If they don’t like it, rinse/repeat. I know somebody who took 7 years to finally get their job at ILM, but they got to work on Star Wars, and that was the goal. There are a few things that you can start doing now to ensure your success (in any field);

1.       There is nothing that you cannot achieve through hard-work and kindness.

2.       Set a goal and pursue it relentlessly.

3.       “I am, because we are.” Lift up those around you, and they will lift you up in turn. Do not be afraid to do the first good deed. If you continually help, you will be helped.

4.       Choose a career that makes you happy, and the rest will take care of itself.


If you have any other questions, Travis can tell you how to get in touch with me.

Good luck, my friend! I wish you all the best!

Cheers,

Matt Estes

Animation Ladies Representin'

...And the ladies take the lead here on Animator Start, with super helpful links to some great info.

First, Teresa Storhoff sends her wonderful blog.

www.teresan18.blogspot.com

Start from the beginning (using the chronological navigation device, or CND on the right-hand side of the display): this blog documents her journey, starting even BEFORE she began at Animation Mentor, and all the way into her very successful career as a professional animator.

Thanks for sharing, Teresa!

Next, the wonderfully talented Rachel Hanson sends an awesome link regarding women within the industry.  Some great interviews on here!:

ladyanimators.blogspot.com

Thank you Rachel!

Come on, men!  Step it up!!

[Incidentally, it's not really called a CND...]

Trav

Ready? Start!

Welcome to Animator Start!

When I graduated high school, I had precious few insights into the world of animation, and how one would go about launching an animation education/career.  I hope, with this blog, to give a little support to animation hopefuls finding themselves in a similar situation.

They say the animation journey is never over -- we are continuously learning -- but where are you at in your journey TODAY?  How and when did you get your start?  What useful tips would you give to the next generation?  What do you wish someone had told you when you were starting out?

If you have ANYTHING you would like to share, please send it to my email: animator.trav@gmail.com.

Be safe out there!

Trav