Month: May 2024

I have been keeping an eye on any potential stop motion animation jobs coming up as that is my ultimate dream career. I have always had a love for stop motion as it’s my favourite medium and something I feel I have a natural affinity for. I noticed some jobs at Aardman were posted (for a Shaun the Sheep project!), so I got in contact with a woman I know who currently works at Aardman – Steph Marshall. I asked her for any advice on helping my application to succeed and here is what she said:

I applied for 3 different roles within the team: Art Assistant, Assistant Animator, and Puppet Maker. Here is the first that I heard back from:

So, not the best news, but hey there are still the other roles to hear back about! Who knows.

Time passes, and I eventually get this back:

While another rejection, I don’t feel too sad about it. I count it as a win that they’ve said they’ll keep my information on file. I replied back enthusiastically, hopefully conveying my determination to be successful in future!

And so far this is where this journey ends! I still haven’t heard back about the final role, which has a later start date than the others. I am hopeful about being contacted in future, and shall send occasional emails myself chasing up about any upcoming positions. It’s been incredibly helpful to be able to lean upon the network that I have built throughout this course, I have felt endlessly supported as I navigate this exciting yet tumultuous time.

In order to set myself up for the best chance at success in terms of breaking out into the animation industry I have taken the time to carefully curate my online presence and portfolio.

Instagram

Attached to the title is my artist Instagram page. I have spent time showcasing a range of my skills, from my illustration and drawing skills to my ability to create short animations and motion graphics, to updating my followers on my progress in creating my graduate film. I believe that this display of a wide range of my abilities markets me to future employers as a capable, creative and determined individual who is able to pick up new skills easily.

Portfolio

This sentiment is further reinforced by my portfolio, which showcases my films, as well as a more in depth look at the short animations and detailed illustrations I have created. I have also recently adapted it to include my work in prop design and puppet making, as that is a career path I am determined to go down.

I believe that my show reel will need adapting and changing with each new project I have under my belt, and I’ve learnt that its often good to have several show reels on rotation, each specifically demonstrating skills in the specific role that I am applying for.