Special community: “Honestly, I think the animation community is such a special community. It’s small, everyone knows and cares about each other and cares so deeply about the craft”
Belonging beyond creativity: “Even if I’m not a creative person, I feel like I’m a part of something bigger than me. And it makes me want to do whatever I can to contribute to the medium and support the storytellers”
Community appreciation: “I think it’s a really special community”
Alternative contribution: “I would consider myself a failed animator. I love to draw, but cannot draw”
Finding purpose: “So the idea of working with creative people and finding talent that obviously have the skill set that is so, you know, in animation is just a great thing”
Problem-solving approach: “This is a skill-based industry. We’re trying to fix a problem by hiring people who have solutions. The solutions are typically their ability to create”
Innate vs. developed skills: “There are some things that are innate, like they do have artistic skills. They have personal style that we don’t want to mess with”
Development focus: “What we can help them with is honing that craft, figuring out how to work within a collaborative production environment so that they can continue to grow in their skill set”
Hidden support: “We have an artistic management team that most people don’t know about. Their whole job is to find what it is that people are really good at and help them hone in on that”
Talent growth: “Because at the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is grow our talent”
Business sense: “It’s good business to keep people around instead of continually hiring new people in and training them up”
Comprehensive learning: “Take your time and learn all the departments because you can’t manage all these departments if you don’t know what they do”
Personal experience: “I have worked all the departments and tried to learn what everyone does, what the coordinator does, what the artists do. I think that definitely has helped my knowledge today”
Recruiter accessibility: “One thing I do encourage people who are very new to the industry is network. Recruiters, they don’t mind it if you contact them, if you message them, if you email them”
Support purpose: “Because that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to help you get into the industry”
Personal control: “Try to do some personal projects or personal shots and put them on your reel. Because that’s something you control, right? That’s something you can create”
Portfolio priority: “Ultimately, it’s the portfolio. That’s what’s going to get you in the door”
Demo Reel Components
“For animation, that is. Because obviously the demo reel is what you need”
“That showcases your work. That showcases your performances”
“That showcases your lip sync, all the work that you’ve done on your reel”
Internship value: “There’s tons of internships. We’ve had a few interns here. I think that’s a good way to see. Is this for me?”
Coordinator roles: “Starting as a PA or a central coordinator. Someone who sees it all, scheduling it all. You can get a feel of which department you may like more”
Achievement recognition: “I am so proud of you for making it to the end of our course”
Integration time: “I mean now is the time to bring all of our learnings together. So that you can walk away from this with a storyboard to call your own”
Pitching practice: “Once you’re done. Try pitching this story to someone. By narrating the action, setting and dialogue. And see what they think”
Success metrics: “Is your story clear? Did it evoke emotions that you were going for?”
Continuous improvement: “If it doesn’t. Well that’s okay. That’s kind of the point of trying. You can iterate over and over. And tweak things until you’re happy with the end result”
Professional reality: “If you have to scrap everything and go back to the drawing board. Well you’re doing what I do everyday. After all. This is animation”
Gratitude: “Thank you so much for joining me. I hope you had fun in this course”
Learning goals: “Learned about the animation pipeline. And identified spots where you might fit in”
Final encouragement: “Go forth and stay inspired”
Quiz Question: What things can a young artist do to prepare to enter the animation industry?
Full Correct Answers (Multiple Select):
Build a Demo Reel ✓
Network With Recruiters ✓
Get an Internship ✓
Incorrect Option:
Get On-Set Experience (more relevant to live-action)
Quiz Summary
Industry preparation: Demo reel + Networking + Internships
The animation industry values passionate individuals who understand collaboration and are willing to grow within teams. Success comes through building strong portfolios, networking with industry professionals, gaining exposure through internships or entry-level positions, and recognizing that everyone experiences imposter syndrome while contributing creative value regardless of their specific role.