I'm an animator, AMA!
A quick bit of background for you...
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
Original post by chelseadagg3r
A quick bit of background for you...
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
How/when did you get started? Is it as stressful as people make it out to be?
Original post by ml55
what's the end goal for you
Absolutely no idea. I've been looking into PhDs because I find the research and film theory and everything super interesting actually
Original post by Annonymous66
How/when did you get started? Is it as stressful as people make it out to be?
I had some friends who have their own animation company that was doing really well so that got me interested in it and learning more about it, and they let me go and work with them for 5 weeks where they showed me some stuff and gave me some software and I worked on a couple of things for them. I was 18 at this point and was taking a year out after my first year of college. I'm now about to turn 22. It can be really stressful so you do genuinely have to enjoy the process because. It's so time consuming and things can go wrong that you didn't plan for, which is stressful when deadlines are tight
do you like the fratellis
Original post by hewgcrusty
do you like the fratellis
Yes I do, good spot
Original post by chelseadagg3r
A quick bit of background for you...
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
What's been the most interesting project you've worked on?
What would be one piece of advice you'd give to someone looking to go into animation?
Original post by shadowdweller
What's been the most interesting project you've worked on?
What would be one piece of advice you'd give to someone looking to go into animation?
What would be one piece of advice you'd give to someone looking to go into animation?
The most interesting project, for me, has been the piece I did for Nottingham Mencap. They wanted a short video that they could use as a teaching tool for some of their service users with severe learning disabilities to help them understand and recognise the difference between real friends and 'false friends' online that may be out to exploit them, and what to do should they be concerned about it. I got to meet some of the people they work with and had a tour of their building which was absolutely covered with their artwork so it was really lovely. I also promoted it at an event in the local community and I believe it was picked up by TV and radio.
For advice, use tutorials and learn new skills. Jump out of your comfort zone and try new things. There are some really good tutorials on YouTube for all kinds of softwares, both free and licensed, and it's a good way to learn new skills that you can apply to other projects and also build up a portfolio. Trying lots of new things also helps you realise where your skills and your passion lies. That, and collaborate! Get online and chat to other people trying to get into animation. Network and go to events. Get yourself out there and work with other people. It's really important!
@chelseadagg3r thank you for the answers above 
What are the best and worst parts of being an animator?
What are the best and worst parts of being an animator?
@chelseadagg3r
I bet it takes a lot longer than people think! Can you give us some example of how long animating certain things have taken please?
I bet it takes a lot longer than people think! Can you give us some example of how long animating certain things have taken please?
Original post by chelseadagg3r
A quick bit of background for you...
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
I'm currently 2/3 the way through a degree in animation, and before and during this have worked on projects with clients including animation for children based on a game, an informative piece for people with severe learning disabilities for a charity, and creating to-scale models of medieval buildings for a TV show.
AMA!
That’s amazing!!! Does a person need to be a really good drawer to make it through the animation pathway? I’m really interested and kinda worried that I’m not gonna do well with animation if I’m pretty bad at drawing. 😔
Also, how much do you think you’ve progressed over these years of doing animation?
What programmes do you use? had to do a bit of animation last year for my project and used 3DSMax, 1000 took me a lot of work so you have my sympathy 
had to do a bit of animation last year for my project and used 3DSMax, 1000 took me a lot of work so you have my sympathy Original post by BurstingBubbles
@chelseadagg3r
I bet it takes a lot longer than people think! Can you give us some example of how long animating certain things have taken please?
I bet it takes a lot longer than people think! Can you give us some example of how long animating certain things have taken please?
Absolutely
I made a 45 second piece, a very simple one, a few months ago and that took over 7 weeks of full time workOriginal post by shadowdweller
@chelseadagg3r thank you for the answers above
What are the best and worst parts of being an animator?
What are the best and worst parts of being an animator?
I like the general office/studio culture. It really depends on where you're working of course but often it's quite relaxed and the people are really interesting and you just get to work on so many different projects that are so wildly different as well. You're always learning. The worst part is the deadlines. You have to factor in time for things to go wrong, but you can predict every possibility. If something goes wrong with your computer or your software, it can be really bad but the deadlines are always so tight as it is that it can get really stressful.
Original post by mistasguns
That’s amazing!!! Does a person need to be a really good drawer to make it through the animation pathway? I’m really interested and kinda worried that I’m not gonna do well with animation if I’m pretty bad at drawing. 😔
Also, how much do you think you’ve progressed over these years of doing animation?
Also, how much do you think you’ve progressed over these years of doing animation?
You need to be able to draw, but you don't need to be a brilliant artist. I take life drawing classes because I'm not good at drawing, but I understand movement and anatomy really well because I was a dancer for a long time so I actually picked up some transferable skills like that in other ways. With 3D animation you need to be able to draw well enough to get your ideas across so that others can understand them and interpret them properly but yeah, you don't need to be an illustrator!
Original post by CoolCavy
What programmes do you use? had to do a bit of animation last year for my project and used 3DSMax, 1000 took me a lot of work so you have my sympathy
had to do a bit of animation last year for my project and used 3DSMax, 1000 took me a lot of work so you have my sympathy I use Autodesk Maya mainly, which is the one usually used in industry. I used to use Cinema 4D, and still do from time to time, as that's what I trained in before going to uni. I also use one called TVPaint for 2D animations often alongside Photoshop. I use a lot of Adobe software for post production
How closely related to future jobs is your degree course?
Are there other routes into animation careers that don't involve studying and are those pathways particularly popular? (it's alright if you don't know, am just curious).
Are there other routes into animation careers that don't involve studying and are those pathways particularly popular? (it's alright if you don't know, am just curious).
Original post by 04MR17
How closely related to future jobs is your degree course?
Are there other routes into animation careers that don't involve studying and are those pathways particularly popular? (it's alright if you don't know, am just curious).
Are there other routes into animation careers that don't involve studying and are those pathways particularly popular? (it's alright if you don't know, am just curious).
To animation jobs my degree is really relevant. We do a lot of industry linked work and learn skills we need for different parts of the process, and we also do quite a bit of networking and show work at events. I actually want to keep animation as a 'thing on the side' situation now though and work somewhere around equality and diversity in higher education so while I've learned lots of transferable skills, not particularly relevant
There definitely are. You don't need a degree, but for me it was a good way to access industry links and the equipment I needed. I don't know of many people who came to animation from an animation degree. Some from other related degrees like illustration, but many self taught or through learning from others and working their way up in an organisation. There is a BTEC that has an animation module, maybe more by now, but I think you need more than that to learn enough to get into work
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- I've Just Reached 15K Posts, AMA! :D
- I'm a year 13 student at LSA (London Screen Academy) AMA
- I live in Japan AMA
- OCR GCE Computer Science NEA Game (My advice, and tips)
- Back From My 4 Year Hiatus & Today Is My 10th TSRVersary! #AMA
- KCL or Nottingham
- I've been on the studentroom 13 years but this is a new account AMA
- Asperger Female. AMA.
- I'm a girl that doesn't like women's football AMA
- I do a Linguistics degree, AMA!
- Queen mary (QMUL) biologist graduate- ask me anything (AMA)
- Ask Me Anything.
- I'm a student at LIS, ask me anything!
- listen to songs for free
- I am a giant Union Jack wearing toy bulldog AMA!
- 7 years on TSR - AMA 🎉
- I Have Less Than One Week Left At My Job - AMA!
- I have bpd AMA
- Ual or Westminster? Animation
- Where would be the best place to study animation or illustration?
Latest
Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
I am a pilot working towards a commercial licence. Ask me anything!Posted 4 months ago
Does a level 5 and 6 sports therapist qualification worth doing?Posted 4 months ago
HO: CS Operational Delivery AO Role - Continuous Residency RequirementLast reply 8 months ago
Do I need degree for work in IT. As a software developer?Last reply 9 months ago
Are recruitment consultants negatively affected if I don't get the job?Trending
Last reply 1 week ago
I am a pilot working towards a commercial licence. Ask me anything!Posted 4 months ago
Does a level 5 and 6 sports therapist qualification worth doing?Posted 4 months ago
HO: CS Operational Delivery AO Role - Continuous Residency RequirementLast reply 8 months ago
Do I need degree for work in IT. As a software developer?Last reply 9 months ago
Are recruitment consultants negatively affected if I don't get the job?
