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Unit 11
Careers
Max Zaina
Research
Task A - Researching into Three Job Opportunities in my Area
The main areas of an occupation and jobs that i want to look into for the future for myself are involved in some way into animation. (particularly into 2D animation as that is my main interest). With physically drawing each of the frames for the animation, wether it be for a film, and advert, a game, or for a small video on YouTube, maybe for some free lance work.
2D Animation
The basic properties and qualities of a general animator is to create and implement movements and emotion into an object of any kind. Wether it be a full body character/animal in the scene or any other anatomist object.
For 2D animation, it was traditionally made with a basic pencil on multiple pages of paper, which are reeled through to make the objects on the paper move. But now a days, people use online, computer programs, with a digital drawing pad and pen to animate these the same way.
The reason i want to go into this industry in the world is that i've always had a thing for 2D animation. For mainly all of its aspects. With the style of animation and how its produced, as well as the artistic detail that goes into each of the frames of the animation, which i find an extremely artistic and quite beautiful, unlike anything else that can be produced by other mains of photography and development.
There are a lot of different job opportunities for 2D animation in the world, especially with it growing currently in the worlds film industry and essentially "coming back" in a way for in also other forms of visual media, like on for kids cartoons, adverts, on YouTube as well as other social media platforms, like Facebookand Instagram. So I think I will be able to find a job pretty easily and confidently after I finish my university. Some of the job opportunities that I did find available when I looked on online I didn't fancy that much, as they were more for management and directory, which I wasn't looking for specifically. What I had in mind was to be of a graphics designer, actually making the animations and any of the other effects, which there were also a wide range of opportunities for.
Task B - Progress Opportunities
Options for Management:
- https://jobs.theguardian.com/job/7322072/website-and-performance-manager-cool-fmcg-brand-/
- https://www.totaljobs.com/job/creative-designer/kloeckner-metals-uk-job92975771
Options for Graphic Animation:
- https://www.totaljobs.com/job/motion-graphics-designer/the-orchard-agency-job93216422
- https://www.totaljobs.com/job/visual-designer/people-first-recruitment-job93153122
3D & CGI Animation
Another version of animation that I might like the concept of is 3D or CGI animation. Which is another type of version of animation where you create and generate the entire model of the character or object for the animation scene pre production of the animating, and use the programs and features on the computers to program the movements of the characters instead.
There are a lot more job opportunities for this type of animation in the world currently, as this style of animation has become more popular for making animated films, and videos and many other visual based medias and marketings, compared to the traditional animation, as its a lot more advanced and you can produce a lot more content a lot faster and with much more realistic high graphics visuals.
Options for 3D Animation:
- https://www.totaljobs.com/job/engineer/job-heron-job93140350
- https://www.totaljobs.com/job/game-animator/the-tec-recruitment-group-limited-job93329835
- https://www.totaljobs.com/job/3d-animator/intersurgical-job92973539
3D Animation Rigging
One last area of animation that I purely thought I would enjoy doing the most for a future occupation compared to the other option for animation that were I was looking through.
Rigging is mainly used for another area for 3D animation, where the technical animator for this would take 3D model design, which was pre made by another animator, and then would go onto adding specific rigs to all the models components, like the limbs and facial features, for the previous animators to then use for there video to make the specific characteristic movements.
I found that there weren't as many specific job opportunities for this particular area of animation, as this sort of job falls into the same sort of area of basic 3D animation.
Options for Animator Rigging:
- https://careers.blue-zoo.co.uk/vacancies/146/3d-maya-rigger-experienced.html?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic
- https://www.recruit.net/job/technical-animator-jobs/8D06F4EB01029D06?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic
- https://gamejobs.co/Character-Rigger-Character-Artist-at-Epic-Games?utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&utm_source=google_jobs_apply&utm_medium=organic
Task C - University Opportunities
Researching further into university options that provide certain courses and classes that I think will improve on my skills for the chosen job areas, as listed in Task A above. And areas that I think I will enjoy the most.
For this task, i worked in a very intricate procedure on the UCAS website for looking for the right two university that i thought would best benefit me for improving my skills in animation, as there is a lot of information that is presented to me when i look at the description for each of the courses for each of them, and is too much for me to process and distinguish which one i think is best for myself for my animation skills.
So, the first thing that i did was categories all the universities by the TEF reward that they were given in their description, which i looked up to be the distinction that was given to each of the uni's by over people for the uni's general teaching excellence. It was categorised by its different colours which where presented like the medals in the Olympics, with bronze being the lowest quality, and gold being the best. i decided to determine my university's by solely choosing the gold reward, as i distinguished it to be the best (i also chose a couple of other uni's with silver reward, as i still liked the description of the courses that they would provide for), i plotted all of these chosen uni's on a word document to then go through a process of elimination to determine which uni would be the best.
i used this method to shorten the list of uni's that would be available to me, as well as various other features, like the states information that is also given in the uni's description area, looking for the highest numbers possible. This and I also decided to add a filter to the list of uni’s beforehand, with shortening the distance area all around the place I live for universities slightly closer to my destination than it being spread out all over the country, as I didn’t want to move that far away from my home and city.
After that, I then went onto the process of eliminating the choices in my list to get to the last two. I used the same system that as I did above, as well as look at the description given in the courses. I was looking for detailed descriptions for 2D, and also an enclosed variety of 3D/CGI animation and the other sorts of task that I will do during these courses. All to benefit my process of learning new skills for animation.
After I went through this process, I came to the final two conclusions for my university choices, University of Portsmouth and Staffordshire University. All of which I thought would be the best options for myself for 2D animation, purely based on the statistics. As well as improving on my other skills for the other types of animation with 3D and also special effects.
Task D - Finding current Job Opportunities in this Sector
Searching for job opportunities and other freelance, and festivals presented online. All for anything to do with 2D animation and to support these skills as well, with apprenticeships, and other opportunities.
The main job rolls i want to go for is a basic 2D animator, producer. Where i get on with actually drawing in the frames for the whole animation film or video. I'm not really looking for the roll of being the project manager for the film, or coming up with the story board for the film and producing it, or any other of those job rolls for making an animation film, i'm not interested in that.
Real Time Adds for Jobs & Occupations
Senior Animator - 2D & 3D Animator / Motion Graphics
For this add, the reason i chose it out of all the others on that website was because, just simply, it was the most recently posted job application at this time.
Also, in the description of the job, it stated all the basic facts about the job of the 2D and 3D animation applications that I was looking for.
The description also stated a bunch of other features and tasks that would be required when doing the job, all of which I wasn't really keen on. Small tasks, like having the skills to make good quality infographics, and in typography. All of which I think will be a bit irritating if I took the job, as I wouldn't consider myself to be good at these tasks, but I think I would make do with it to make progress for the other tasks that I would enjoy more so.
Animator
Kennington Creative Group
I liked the look of this job mainly because the description that it presented to me was fairly simple and strait forward. Also, it had an extremely good pay rate.
But one major flaw about this job application was that it wasn't exactly the roll of an animator that i was looking for. For this, i had to work well in the adobe program After Effects, which focuses more on animation for VFX, and altering the visuals for an already made film and its footage. I was looking more towards working on the abode Animate program, where i actually hand draw the each of the frames for the film instead.
Games Artist 2D & 3D
Funky Panda
For this last job choice, which I chose on another website like the ones above, to get better and wider range of different jobs presented to me all over the internet, and not just resorting to one website to look around on. That as well as the fact that I was unable to find any other jobs on those sites that suited me for the roll of an animator that I was looking for.
Continuing from my statement above, the reason I chose this one was because I found the description it gave for the general aspect of the job, was the closest thing that I could find on this website for the aspects of an animator (2D or 3D), compared to the other ones.
As well as the reason for this choice stated above, I also did like the look of the job as well, for implementing my animation skills into a video game. And also having to incorporate skills with the use of 3D animation, with the other programs like MAYA, and Unity, which I liked the look of when I played around with them. And I think this will be good for me for having to improve on my 3D animation skills, which I originally planned to improve on for my future occupations, alongside basic 2D animation. For this, I plan to look at tutorials and other various courses on the internet to improve on these skills for 3D animation.
Online Courses
Looking for any online courses to learn from and improve on my animation skills in preparation for most of the tasks for the job applications presented above.
For this, I planned to look for any courses or apprenticeships that would help me improve on my animation skill. Mainly for both my 2D and 3D skills, if I could find it.
cg spectrum
After making a basic search on the internet, I came across this online tutoring website, that, after I looked around on for a bit, realised that I really liked the look of it. For all the expects behind it, as well as the courses that it presents to me, which provides a multitude of different courses for both 2D and 3D animation which I found extremely useful.
https://www.cgspectrum.com/courses
I also really liked the basic layout of the website itself, how its all simple to me and makes it easier to get around and find the courses that I'm looking for and the other things it presents. Like how it gives you the opportunities to be mentored by professionals for most of the visual medias you know, films and video games, all of which they worked on the VFX, or animation for, and I can learn from, all of which I find extremely useful.
Skill Share
Another website that I found on the internet, just to implement the theme of multiple different sources and for looking for these courses online, was this one, which I also liked the general look of when I looked through it briefly.
It seems to present a bunch of visual tutorials, for multiple different areas of animation, with 2D and 3D, and multiple others, as well as being able to present it all with a simple to access method with the tabs at the top of the screen, which I found extremely useful.
Festivals & Funding Opportunities
Looking for any upcoming online, or real time festivals to present my work and get approval from, all to present in my portfolio for, again, a higher chance to get into a job, like the ones presented above.
Of coarse, for this one, like the others, I planned to look for any upcoming festivals that would relate to any version of animation.
Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival
After doing another basic search on the internet, I came across this one festival event recommended by the google search engine itself, and I was immediately taken by it, after just reading the description on it, I knew it was going to be a good event for this topic of visual media.
I personally don't know much about the festivals and what exactly they entail and provide for myself, but I knew this festival was going to be good quality with the description that it gave, with the rewards that it had, The Academy Rewards@, and the BAFTA's, which I particularly knew was popular, with hearing very highly of it. https://www.bafta.org
I also appreciate it for the place that its being hosted, Bristol, which generally, I know from hearing around to be one of the main places that most of the good visual media made in the UK comes from, with most of the countries main studios being positioned there, like the Aardman stop motion studios. And with some good, well known Universities being posted there too, which I glimpsed when searching for my University choices in the paragraphs above. Universities of Bristol
I also have some personal experience there with taking a small, one week course there, with the BFI Film Academy, Calling The Shots, for some small sessions in stop motion, which I liked the experience of.
https://callingtheshots.co.uk/bfianimation/
Task E - Goals
listing down all my personal plans and long term goals for my life in the media industry and what i plan to do to get there with my learning and end of term studies, as well as the universities i plan to go to, as presented above, and also any of the possible jobs rolls i found, any industry i plan to work in.
Short Term Goals
For my short term plan, i plan to continue on with my media studies at my current 6th form collage here at long road. With my second year after the summer, working on graphic art, in the animation section, particularly in 2D animation (as well as the other types, 3D and CGI), to improve on my soft and hard skills in that area.
Some soft skills might include - maybe working more with other students in a group project and producing a film or video in that way.
Some hard skills might be things like - understanding more of the film editing programs that are available to me to incorporate them into making more of my films so i use a wider range of different tools and resources to even greater improve on the quality of my work. And to also generally have a wider knowledge of the how to use each of the programs so i can create a more different genres of films if i need to. And maybe also improving on my skills to imagine and come up with better idea for the story of my films and the also the general design which i think i was lacking in FMP for my first year in this course at long road.
Medium Term Goals
After i do finish this course at this collage, i plan to then go to a collage in the uk, to even better improve on my ability of animation before applying for a job or doing free lance work for any company in the world. As so i would also have a better looking qualification for the job and that i would be able to apply more easily.
In honesty, i don't really mind were mind exactly where i go to for my university. as well as some of the choices i made above, i don't really mind as long as it has a high quality education for the animation subject, in all areas of 2D, 3D and CGI.
Alongside this, i would maybe also consider doing some online courses to improve on my skills even better. i planned to take on a course on the website i chose for above, the cg spectrum which, after having the quick glance that i did over it, looks like a really good online site for teaching animation skills, with the subjects and resources that it provides for, i think will be very useful.
Long Term Goals
For my long term plan, for which job application i plan to attend, i don't really know and, in honesty, i don't really mind either. i would be willing to go for any of the application i chose in the paragraphs above, with doing some free lance work for some smaller companies, for adverts or for video games.
But i also plan to aim for some of the higher animation industries and studios, like Disney or Pixar, but also any other companies that are working on movies for the film industry that resolve around 2D animation, most of all, like the companies that produced the most recent films like "Wolfwalkers", which was led by "Cartoon Saloon" and "Mélusine Productions", and also the Christmas film (that came out a few years ago) "Klaus", which was led by Sergio Pablos Animation Studios, and Atresmedia Cine. All of which were made in 2D classic style animation which i really liked the look of.
Senior Animator
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Task F - Progression Table
Making a small chart, displaying and describing in detail the progression route I plan to take in my future, for becoming a full time, 2D animator. What courses I'll take and how they'll help me for future routes. Eventually getting to the point of applying for a 2D animation job any specific company.
Task G - Companies To Work Experience
Researching at least two companies that I desire to work for in the future.
In honesty, I don't really mind which company I work for as long as its for the 2D animation department, and this proved to be a little more difficult than I expected. I realised that most of the well known companies like Pixar and Disney, don't really invest in the 2D animation style anymore, so they were no good. So after looking around for a while, I came across some work opportunities that at least fit the description I was looking for.
1: The SPA Studios - Creators of Klaus
I loved the Christmas film Klaus when I came out on Netflix a few years ago, it was unique and its animation style and texture was amazing, I couldn't believe that it was all 2 dimensional, with it having such depth which really fascinated me.
I went to look on their website for job opportunities, and I found some positions that I wasn't entirely sure were based around the subjects of 2D animation that I was looking for, but I figured that it was close enough. And I also figured that this page would update every year or so with different positions of working, and by the time I completed all the way through my progression route, there would be a job opportunity for me that I'm interested in.
2: Cartoon Network
After looking around the internet and doing research and thinking of all the possible studios in the world that are well known for 2D animation, I came to this conclusion for the second company I'd plan to work for in the future. Research Website
I remember watching the animations made by this studio when I was younger, and how much I enjoyed them. They do basic 2D animations, which I find to be perfect for the profession I'm looking for in the visual media industry. There aren't any applications for animators available on their website at this moment in time, but I'm hopping that it will be updated by the time I get around looking for positions.
Task H - Draft Letter
For this task, I had to write a basic draft letter to a company, to ask for a job application at their company. I had to include all details about myself and my skills in that would be useful for that department of work I was looking for, and what makes be unique and want them to want me.
I followed multiple examples given to me by the teacher and on the blog website to write this draft, which I found extremely useful for this task. AplusTopper, Blog Hub, Student Website Louanne Honey.
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