CoolDrMoney 2012-05-12 18:40:55

fanart provided by Mr. Jordan Bortner of Bortner enterprises

Hoboweasel 2012-05-12 19:13:12

I'm not entirely sure where you could get work, but keep in mind that many employers have need of web-designers and artists. I'm sort of banking on some other job to keep me fiscally endowed until I decide what the hell I want to do with myself; however, until then, I want to do as well in college as I can. I'm not sure what degree I should go for, but I'm currently going for an AA (i.e. an 'Associate in Arts' degree: a.k.a. a general 'transfer somewhere very far away' degree) because a lot of things that happened during high school messed up my chances at a good college (I also didn't have much of a direction at that time either).

I suppose the most important thing is to find out where you want to live (like Rhode Island), then see what employers would offer (in one form or another) web-designing opportunities. If you really want to make a profession of it, I suggest you try and look up some job opportunities online (craigslist might not be a bad idea, actually); perhaps you can work from your house if it turns out that way.

Anyways, I hope that helps (a little at least), and I hope you find a good job. Good luck, dude.

Hulalaoo 2012-05-12 19:15:14

well, you can make a kickstart proyect and take all the money and never release it

RatherRandomReality 2012-05-12 20:37:27

Hang yourself now. It's all downhill from where you're at.

SpamClamberton 2012-05-12 20:55:39

I read that as "fishing collage". I say you should make a photo collage of people fishing, that'll REEL in some money HAW HAW HAW get it?

Well, the way I see it your choices are basically

-Freelancing, which means creative control will vary from project to project, and working on a lot of ads for clueless middle aged men who think they're going to make the next big social network.

-Working at a studio, which can vary from wonderful to horrible depending on the studio. Small studios are fun and you have creative freedom and with each project you're involved in you can have some input rather than be given a strict model sheet for a bad kids show while someone with a whip yells "TWEEN" behind you. However small studios are basically just a group of people freelancing when it comes down to it. Still, your superiors can worry about finding the work at least. Also you could start your own studio if you know any other cool animators in the area.

-Making it big on the internet and rolling in Youtube $$$, which would have pressure to keep releasing, be topical and appeal to the internet audience, but you have total control. You can do a parody of something popular that's gonna get you lots of clicks (and there's nothing wrong with that), but if you're not feeling it, you've got no responsibility to anyone else to make it. it's not like you have a boss leaning over your shoulder going "I wanna see creepers and trollfaces, pronto!"
Having a parody or two might be a wise way to direct traffic to your stuff, but it's up to you how you play that, and you don't have to do anything you're not proud of.
Of course two glaring problems with this is that there's no way of guarantee you'll make any decent money at all, and it's hardly a long-term solution.
One extra plus is that freelance work will come to YOU that way. I'm nobody on the internet, I hardly ever release anything, and I only ever upload it to Newgrounds when I do, and I certainly don't make any money, but even so, every now and then I get emails (especially just after releasing something) from people offering me a little bit of cash to make an ad or something for them. I still don't make enough to stay alive from animating at the moment but it's some nice little pocket money.

I still have no idea what I'll do when I finish College. SIIIIIIIIIIIGHHHHH

I can hear my Chinese neighbour orgasming.

Short-Factor 2012-05-12 21:24:56

College is for suckers. I'm completely self taught and doing just as well if not better than graduates. The same four years I could have blown $70000 on I used to train myself, a profession out of love and not mundanely a career option. It turns out most things in America are private enterprises more interested in persuading you to pay them for their services, and there's a lot of peddlers, some aware of it and some unaware of it. Parents, teachers, counselors, will all try to convince you that you NEED this and you HAVE to do that. I found out most of it is pointless garbage or complete nonsense, things you can give yourself.
"I never let school get in the way of my education." - Mark Twain

SpamClamberton 2012-05-12 22:16:51

No idea. I don't freelance full time, I just do odd jobs for people when they approach me, cuz my main focus right now is University. I don't know many people who get by freelancing by themselves either. I do know a few small studios though. I remember talking to one of the guys at <a href="http://rubberhousestudio.com/">http://rubberhousestudio.com/</a> , which is just 2 friends basically. He was saying when they were starting out the first thing they needed to do was to make an animation so they had something they could use as a 'business card'. I'm not sure how else they promoted themselves apart from being involved in competitions and making web content and such, but they're managing to stay afloat and they've had some pretty big clients.

In Australia we can apply for Government funding for animations, and there's a lot of film makers who pitch their idea, convince them that their film will be good for the country's art scene, get a bunch of money, animate their movie over the next few years, use up the money, come up with a new idea to pitch, and they just do this their whole lives until they die. They're never financially very well off but they get to stay alive and make all their movies. It sucks that you don't have that option over there.
New Zealand is even better, they can get government money just to make a music video for a local band or something small like that. They got the government funding art all over the fucking place.

Daneximuz 2012-05-13 00:01:39

when i got out of college, i gave myself some vacations, not too much, like 3 months.
I kept looking online for jobs, using demo reels of what i can do cause i was looking for a job in the animation area. I showed it around and finally got a few interviews, i guess the only problem is that people ask for a lot when you start out, but you can't get experience if you don't have a job. It's a vicious cycle, but you gotta keep trying and looking.

Starogre 2012-05-13 00:07:32

to add to what Daneximuz said, another thing to think about is spending a few months on 'vacation' where you do your own work ontop of your school work to add to a demo reel. Something that EVERY company wants is someone who can work quick. SO MANY demo reels have perfect walk/run cycles etc. You can master it and perfect it, but it comes down to how long it took to make it. Practicing doing work quickly without the pressure of other classes will give you more an idea what you can charge for freelance work, and tell employers honest quick numbers.

Starogre 2012-05-13 00:19:17

oh also
freelancer.com

lots of sections of different media to bid a price on a project

Gerkinman 2012-05-13 03:55:38

Felix is partially right. It all really is about getting your work out there, the guys at Rubber House have the advantage of status however, one is ex WETA Workshop, and that carries a lot of weight. And not to put down your work, but those guys are immensely talented with a lot more years of experience.

If I were you Id be contacting as many recruitment agencies as you can, put together a nice site and portfolio and let them to do work for you. It takes a long time to build up enough of a reputation and a client base to make a living as a freelancer. It took me 6 years to get to a comfortable position, most of that time was spent networking.

Honestly, if you really want to work in animation, id say push for advertising work. The jobs are short, generally more creative then TV series work, you get to work with lots of fun and diverse brands so you are always doing something different AND it pays a tonne better then most other forms of animation work. Also learning a bit of motion graphics work will get you ahead, only knowing Flash is the key to failure in this industry now. My freelance didn't pick up until I started learning Premier, Final Cut and After Effects. Picking up Toon Boom and TV paint is a good idea as well. Its all about diversity and clients would rather hire someone that can tackle any part of the job they throw at them then someone who is specialised in one particular area. Its more cost effective for them and that makes you more appealing.

But thats just my opinion. Best of luck mate.

ToonCastleTV 2012-05-13 20:23:50

im in the same boat at you man. im trying to get a job at an animation studio, and doing my own thing in the mean time. I wish you the best of luck man, thanks for all the support throughout the years. I believe in you buddy

f0d 2012-05-14 06:10:39

hey cdm sup bro long time no see

im also on the job hunt, hoping to graduate from grad film school in september. already have several options im considering for work, and i have talked to a lot of friends who are already off working at various studios (nickelodeon, titmouse, pixar, marketing studios, etc.) to weigh my options.

it definitely helps to be in an entertainment capital like LA, this place is just teeming with studios and marketing companies looking for guys like us. i dunno about rhode island though, maybe you should move out here man haha. obviously that might not be an option, but nonetheless don't let anyone tell you there isn't any work to be found in animation right now, that is total bullshit. it is all about your location and your portfolio / reel. i also feel like there are more job options for animators now than there ever were back in the traditional days, and far more thriving industries that we can now jump into (internet, games, mobile, etc) if the movies and TV thing doesn't work out.

i have already been successfully freelancing for a few years, but since i work almost entirely for student clients in the film school, i tend to undercharge a lot to fit their low budgets. but because you make connections out of it that come back to help you down the line, and the work is relatively easy to do, i would say its worth it to freelance just as a networking strategy. now, if you're gonna freelance online, make sure you aren't like me and you don't undersell yourself. you should never make less than 25 an hr for animation work, and ive had a lot of people tell me that the real number is closer to 75 an hr. someone last night told me that they do storyboards for 600 a day.

I definitely agree with gerkinman that you need to be versatile. to list just a few of the freelance jobs i've done: web design, flash as3 coding, motion graphics, title design, after effects vfx compositing, and storyboarding. just straight flash animation is harder to find work for, but its out there as well. as3 skills definitely improve the chances you'll get a flash job.

and finally id say learn maya and other 3d programs if you havent already. get really good at one aspect of it, like modeling, rigging, or animation, and make a reel with this specialty in mind. that will open up tons of options if you're good at it. lots of movies and videogames use maya now

imjeffhip 2012-05-14 11:35:31

I used Mographwiki.net to find companies (<a href="http://mographwiki.net/Category">http://mographwiki.net/Category</a>:Companies). Just send out a bunch of cold emails asking for a job, internship or what not.

Motionographer and Cold Hard Flash have job sections too.

If not you can always make the jump and move to cities like LA, Atlanta or NYC. They always have animation jobs going.

Luis 2012-05-14 16:09:15

Might be tough working in a studio in Rhode Island, though with risd in the vicinity maybe it does have some sort of pulse. i found freelancing fulltime to be tough coming straight out of college. My professional network was low and my knowledge of the business side of it was also low and so it was rough, so much so that i ended up working corporate, which in the end im glad i did. I was able to pay my bills and reserve my creative drive for projects i wanted to do for my own benefit. I think i could probably do ok freelancing if i went back to it at this point in my career.

I also think that the business is different than when i graduated in that you can do alot of stuff online and contractors are more 'ok' with it than they were 8 years ago. The fucked up thing about freelancing as a career is that you have to be super on top of other stuff beyond animation. Taxes in particular are really something important to self manage.

Solidson 2012-07-18 19:13:12

Fuck you. Sonic X Cosmic Chase was awesome.