Breaking Into The Industry

Its not just about your demo reel, who you are, or who you know. Its about being fearless.

I've had this conversation countless times with creatives starting their career in the animation, film, and game industry. Breaking into entertainment based fields are a daunting task if you have no connections in one hand and a "standard college demo reel" in the other. It's also important to remember that everyone's experiences will be and are unique. There is no right way to break into the industry, but there are good practices and mindsets to cultivate that will increase your possibility of getting hired.

My past conversations have always had an accidental format, introductions, followed by my disclaimer above, and whether it was genuine curiosity or an easy conversation starter that prompted everyone to ask this question first, I'll never know, but I'm going to start this blog the same way.

"What is your story? How did you break into the industry?"

I began my animation career studying at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah Georgia. I went in believing that I was going to pursue a degree in performing arts but found that I missed drawing and was recommended to study animation instead. I gave it a try and quickly fell in love with acting through these characters. As I continued my curriculum, I was required to take a 3D animation course which quickly became my preferred medium (so much for drawing haha). While working on my senior film, a professor walked by and took notice of my camera work. He asked me if I would take his previsualization course after complimenting my shots. I had some free electives and no decisions made for them yet, so I decided to take the course and see what this previsualization (previs) was all about.

This course changed my life and career path. Even though I loved animation, I found that I wasn't often happy while doing it. We'd spend days, sometimes weeks on one shot, getting the smallest details out of a lip corner and that drove me properly insane! I just assumed that I'd learn to love that aspect of the art form.

Taking this previsualization course was just what I needed. Instead of two weeks animating one shot, I got to plan out an entire short film! I had always adored camera work and was able to take joy in making the camera a character, showing the audience a scene through my own imagination. Once I had my career focus decided upon, I started research. I found all the previsualization houses I was interested in by figuring out which worked on the projects I wanted to be involved with. I applied to those and larger companies that do previs in house. All of which came back with a "No.".

It was discouraging at first, but I had only just graduated and would be moving to LA to live with a friend in a few weeks. Once I was in LA, I noticed a drastic shift in job responses. Location mattered at the time, and still does to some companies, so that should be the first thing you research about the dream studio.

Are they on site, remote, or hybrid.

I received many interviews, but was still denied the positions I was applying for. I was told almost %100 of the time;

"Your demo reel is great, but you don't have enough experience."

This for me was the most infuriating part, and may be where you are as well. I would even ask what I could do to improve my demo reel, and all I got back was "nothing, its really good" or no response at all.

How was I expected to get experience, when nobody wants to give experience for fresh out of school positions? It was an endless cycle of frustration. I eventually got to the point where I needed a job, so I applied to studios looking for runners or PA's. I was immediately interviewed and hired on as a runner at MPC.

I chose to accept this position because it was still in the industry and I was determined to find a way to climb the ladder to being a previs artist. I made sure everyone there knew what I wanted, and eventually was given a chance to previs a commercial after my hours of running. A lot of people, including myself, frown upon free labor, but this was something that changed the game for me. I was given a chance to show them all in real time what I could do. I had half a day to previs a commercial for a candy company, and I did it. It looked rough as hell compared to what I can do now, but my ideas were clear and concise. This caught the attention of the head of previs at the time and I was asked to join their next project as a previs artist on "The One and Only Ivan".

While free labor is shitty, and absolute bullshit from bigger studios, sometimes it is exactly what you need to show what you're made of and make lasting connections. My advice after going through this experience not just with big companies, but indie projects as well is, if you happen to come across a project that excites the artist within you, but they truly can't afford to pay you, make a decision starting around these thoughts. (In no particular order) 1. Will I grow as an artist and learn something?

2. Will this give me a better demo reel piece than I currently have?

3. Will I make strong industry connections and possible friendships?

4. Is this project something I'd be proud to put on my resume?

5. Do I need to be paid at this point in time, for my time? (sometimes industry professionals just want to be an artist, so they join smaller projects for free so they can create without much studio/client restrictions. Others need to be paid since they are job hunting and both are totally okay.)

6. Are they willing to negotiate with me on my role and what I'll get out of this?

7. Do I have time to commit to this?

Answering those questions honestly with yourself is a really great start. I also know some artists who started this way with an independent studio and then were hired on after projects took off from funding. This is also a way that artists can "gain experience" but it's up to you whether or not this is a risk you want to take and yours alone.

Now back to MPC and my first previs gig. It was a short project for a Disney film, and I was so excited to be an artist and quite frankly to not be paid runner salary anymore. Those of you that know me, know what happened next. I was not given a raise, and was instead expected to work as a previs artist at a runners rate. This was a time where my answer to number 5, was a big bold YES.

After mustering some courage instigated by my friends, I negotiated for a raise but was only given $2.00 more. Believe it or not, at the time I was thrilled! Its funny how perspective changes things haha.

The project went really well, and my supervisor even vouched for me saying I was the best on the team! I was elated and thought for sure that they would keep me on as an artist, but soon before the project ended I was told I would go back to being a runner because they had no more projects. This terrified me because I had already tasted the life of an artist and I didn't want to go back. I spoke with my supervisor about the situation and he had instructed me to apply elsewhere, to a studio called Halon Entertainment.

I had applied to Halon before and was rejected out of school, but now I had a company and project name under my belt! I applied again and was immediately granted an interview. After one round I was hired on as a previs artist for The Call of the Wild. This is where my growth spurt occurred.

I worked at Halon for five and a half years on amazing projects and met some of the most important people in my life. I became a lead previs artist after a year taking on challenges and responsibilities as often as I could. I was hungry to learn and grow to become the artist I wanted to be.

After three years at Halon, I became a Supervisor for Animation, Layout, and Technical Animation. It was A LOT of work but rewarding due to the friendships I had made. I became very proficient in Unreal Engine and expanded my generalist skillsets to fields I never dreamed of touching.

After some time of doing the same thing over and over again due to a long term contract, I started to see a stagnant line when it came to what I was learning. I was working with people I loved but the content wasn't exciting me anymore. I really wanted to know what finals film animation was like and reached a point where I wanted to tell stories that meant something more to me.

To try and satisfy this need I worked on a couple of independent projects as a postvis and layout artist on the side. While it was fun to change up the content, I still didn't have the joy I once did for my craft. Around this time is when DreamWorks reached out to me and I submitted the application to make Shattered Glass Film a certified company. I was accepted into DreamWorks as a Real Time Layout Lead and our film was beginning! I could see that spark returning to me and a new wave approaching.

DreamWorks reaching out to me was not a mere coincidence. The only reason they knew I existed was because of a dear friend of mine who I worked alongside at Halon. She's a skilled animator and was on my team when I was supervising all three departments. It was her who recommended me to her friend at DreamWorks, and they sought me out on her recommendation.

Since then I worked on three feature films at the studio as a Lead and senior artist. I've also grown my business, Shattered Glass Film, into a studio that is making its own content and providing services to others in commercials, independent projects, and cinematics.

That is my current industry journey. I've worked for indie creators, students, and companies big and small from film to games and with each project I have learned a lot about myself and craft. I always recommend at least once in your career to join an independent project as it allows you to really flex your skillset and meet more industry professionals who can refer you to studios!

To address the "not enough experience" issue many artists face, this is when you should really seek out independent projects to get titles and experience on your resumes. One could also do what I did, which was applying for a job I didn't really want, at a company I was interested in being an artist at. It got my foot in the door and allowed me to falcon punch myself the rest of the way in.

No matter the job you are in, you should be constantly updating your portfolio and demo reels.

If you're not receiving the "not enough experience" response, then its time to ask yourself the honest question.

"Is what is currently on my demo reel something I could see being approved for a final film?"

If the answer is "No", you need to remove it from your demo reel. You can continue to work on this piece until that answer changes, but in all likelihood its time to move on to bigger and better pieces.

If the answer is "Yes" keep it and figure out why or what makes this piece excel. Then take that information and improve upon it in your next portfolio piece.

If you're not sure, the answer is "No" and you being unable to tell can mean one of two things.

1. You need to continue to develop your eye for good work.

2. You have some sort of attachment to this piece and aren't ready to let it go or start over. This is when I encourage you to reach out to artists you trust and ask how they think you can improve it.

Again these are meant to be honest answers to yourself. You'll feel it in your gut when you ask the question.

Other ways you can improve your demo reel are by collaborating with friends who have different focus's in the industry. Find content you love and recreate it, post your work on LinkedIn, Instagram, and artstation. The more you create and share the more likely a studio will notice you, especially if you're updating your applications.

This leads me to my next very important topic. Reach out to everyone!

Most people want to help and will respond to you asking for portfolio advice or reviews. Don't just reach out to one single artist however. Expand your network and message a handful from various positions of your focus, not just seniors. When you are reaching out to these artists be sure to thank them for their time and have your demo reel and resume attached so that they can look at it whenever they get the chance.

Cold calling isn't just for reviews, its also for jobs! My first roommate out in Los Angeles got his job as a storyboard artist at the Simpsons through a cold call. They hired him on as an intern and from there he was given an art test to be considered. While I was at Halon I had two artists reach out to me looking for work and we hired them onto the team because as a leader, I admired the drive to reach out and ask, as well as their portfolios. Cold calling wont work at every studio, but sometimes it works very well with small to medium size companies. Just make sure your demo reel is at the ready!

Breaking into the industry is a job of its own. It requires patience, putting in the time to hone your skills, and putting yourself out there to strangers and friends.

Some artists make a great demo reel and then apply to a handful of big name companies expecting to get the job. While the fortunate few get to say this worked for them, it didn't work for me and it may not work for you. So be fearless. Reach out to those you admire, ask to join projects that excite you or will push you to be better, and finally, remember that when you get the dream job, it's your responsibility to turn around and reach your hand out to those who are about to walk down the same path as you.

Stay tuned for more blogs where I dive into Demo reels, resumes, and oh so much more!