Dear 3D animation student,
Before you leave the 3D animation school and enter the glamorous and lucrative world of animation, let me share with you a few pieces of advice.
To succeed in your chosen field, draw, draw, and draw. I know that sound like a broken record, but nothing separates a talented animator from a second-rate artist except a portfolio of awful drawings. To keep up with the latest trends, invest in a quality computer, laptop, or tablet. Gain an edge over your rivals by adapting as many styles as possible. Likewise, never assume you already know everything. The moment you do, you’ll stop growing as an artist.
Meet as many directors, producers, and animators as possible. Friends hire their talented friends and their networks are tight-knit.
Post your work on sites and forums and join an online community. This way, you’ll receive helpful notes and feedback on your work and get updates on the latest techniques and trends.
Enjoy your stay in the 3D animation school. Besides gaining valuable art skills, an animation degree will be your ticket to a rewarding job and a thriving career.
Do not just focus on your technical skills. Explore other art forms, too, such as filmmaking, photography, editing, dancing, and acting. Why did I include the last two? Well, you cannot animate a person dancing boogie or ballet unless you experience or at least analyze clearly the basis for each step. You can read all the books in the world, but you will only learn the art of animation when you do it yourself.
Gain plenty of experience. Internships will give you rare knowledge you cannot learn in a classroom or in front of a computer. Who knows, you may just transform that “little” training period into a full time, waged position.
Love what you do, not because people consider it “cool,” but because you enjoy animating and you feel incomplete not doing it.
Do not be afraid to ask questions. Remember, even the smartest and most talented artists started from zero at some point.
Attend seminars and lectures. I cannot think of a single college or university that doesn’t bring lecturers and guest speakers to campus for its students. Take advantage of these unique chances! Even the most famous lecturers who speak in college forums shake hands and answer questions after their talk. Check out your school’s calendar of events and get a group of students from your major to attend the event with you.
Join animation contests. Competitions are excellent opportunities to grow as an artist and develop your art career. Jurors are often expert artists with extensive experiences in the field. You can learn a great deal of knowledge from them. Also, winning an art competition feels great. You can add it on your resume and discuss it during job interviews. Use those competitions to show you’re serious about your craft.
Stay up to date with the animation industry. If you don’t, newcomers might take your place in an instant. Strive to be the best, but always stay humble. Remember, it’s better to be a silver-medal artist respected by millions than a gold-medal artist hated by billions.
Finally, be professional and grow up, but never forget the kid inside you.
Sincerely,
Your Future Self
P.S. Are you looking for the best 3D animation school that could lead you to a plethora of opportunities even while in college? Consider CIIT Philippines. Check out its website to discover the different digital animation courses you can take.
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Sources: animationcareerreview.com | blog.portfolium.com | animationcrush.com | huffingtonpost.com | agora-gallery.com