getting a job

[jublin]

how the heck do i do it, man?!

haha hey there guys/girls. I'm just curious how most of you have found work. Do you mostly do freelance animation jobs? I really want to get my foot in the door and would love to work at a studio, but unfortunately I haven't had the experience to jump right in. Any suggestions on how to get started? Even just to have an assistant job (to pay the bills) or an internship at a big company would be amazing. I live in southern california and I'm not sure about the best way to go about starting this epic job hunt.

any advice would be much appreciated. thanks a ton
-justin

[ElusiveMoose]

Hey, Justin. Welcome.

There are probably just as many ways to get into animation as there are styles of animation. And not every job is right for every animator.

Take a look at Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive (http://astore.amazon.com/aeonsector-20/detail/1581154453/103-4788052-1326254) by David Levy. It'll take you from the beginning (to go to school or not) through all the different types of jobs in animation, getting your first job, surviving the ups and downs, etc. It's a great book for someone looking to learn about the field.

Good luck.

[andylatham82]

I'm in much the same situation as you. I'm desperate to animate for a living. I have been trying to teach myself the basics, while doing bits of freelance work here and there (I have a portfolio website (http://www.andysanimation.co.uk), through which I have got a couple of bits of work). I also have a blog (http://andysanimation.blogspot.com). The idea is to get noticed.

I desperately want to be taken on by a studio, but they all want experience. I'm hoping if I get some more freelance stuff I might be able to impress one enough to take me on.