How to Break Into the Animation Industry

Allow me to add some gasoline to your "animation fire". Clay Kaytis, blog host of the Animation Podcast, interviews professional animators working in the field and posts these interviews on his blog. His latest podcast is going to be of some interest to you if you are interested in breaking into the animation industry. In it, he interviews 4 animators currently working in industry at Disney, and they share many great tidbits of advice to help you improve and break into the animation industry.

Collectively, each animator talks about the following:

• Going to college to study animation.
• Continuing the practice of drawing.
• How to tailor your portfolio?
• Creating a voice and versatility in your work?
• Importance of figure and gesture drawing?
• Getting feedback on your work.
• What is it like working in an animation studio...good and bad.
• Importance of having "the drive".
• Starting out, aiming high.
• Having fun.
• Getting out of a creative or professional rut.
• The importance of working on your own projects...

Great advice! Are we crazy to want to be part of this industry? I think so.

The interview can be heard on the Animationmentor.com site, a great resource for learning how to animate from professionals in the industry.

Hopefully, these interviews inspire you. Keep drawing, keep painting and keep animating.

Fire it up!

- Randolf