If anyone is actually on that grind, hmu, i want to be a showrunner not an animator. I have plenty of ideas, some more fleshed than others, but i need help bringing them to life
As someone who has worked in the industry for a dozen years, you're not wrong that things are really bad right now. That said, I graduated in 2007 - there was a double whammy of a writer's strike and economic crash right around then and jobs evaporated. It took years for the industry to recover, and I didn't actually get a job in the industry until 2011 - but I did! And had a good run of consistent work for 12 years in a row before the industry got into a major downturn again. When I was in school, my professors told me "2D is dead. If you want a job you need to learn Maya and either work in CG movies or work in video games." That seemed to genuinely be true in that instant, but guess what? 2D television animation recovered and even experienced a major boom, and I wound up being able to work on 2D like I wanted to in the first place. My point is, these things come and go in cycles and waves. There are up and down times that come and go. If you start school now when things are crappy it's entirely possible the market will be in an up-turn by the time you graduate. So don't give up specifically because of what the industry looks like today. The industry today is not the industry tomorrow. The only certainty is that it won't stay the same. If you have other reasons to give up animation and do something else, more power to you. But don't give up on it for that reason only.
Oh, one more note. You don't necessarily need an art degree to work in animation. If you have all the skills you can get a job with no degree (you have to be genuinely good, of course, and network make connections to apply for jobs). Art school is ridiculously expensive, and in my opinion, not necessarily worth the massive amount of debt one would incur. The fancy expensive art schools genuinely will get you to a much higher skill level and will potentially leave you with better connections out the gate. But you can technically achieve those things on your own, too, with self teaching and reaching out and networking yourself. I recommend people consider things like community colleges or state schools or anywhere they can get a cheaper art degree or take advantage of scholarships. If you have a ton of money, go for the big name schools, but you can get into the industry without that.
@@jackcusumanoOop just saw your comment, god works in mysterious ways! I scrolled through your channel and I see you produced your own indie series! So it looks like you have a good grasp on what it takes to make it in the animation industry. With that being said, can you be brutally honest and critic the animations I posted to see if I am good enough for the animation industry? Like if I need to work on how xyz should move, perspective etc, I'd really appreciate to hear feedback from you.
Did you end up learning 3d and working on 3d projects? Do you think you would need to learn 3d to get a job? (Im asking because I’m not sure wether to learn 2d or 3d animation to hopefully get a job in the future)
My animation program in college consisted *entirely* of learning Maya/3d. I was told (this was around 2006-ish) by my professors that 2d was dead, and therefore I should *only* learn 3d and would *only* be able to work on CG movies or video games - everything else was dead forever. So I did that, to get the degree, then I never ever opened Maya again in my entire life after graduating. I taught myself various 2d softwares and got work doing 2d animation, because it's what I personally like and wanted to do. So my advice is learn whatever you truly like and want to do. If you prefer 2d, learn 2d and go for that. If you truly like and want to work in 3d, learn 3d. It certainly couldn't hurt to know the extra software, so if you want to learn 3d, go for it! But it's not a 100% requirement or necessity.@@Silver77cyn
Having been a freelance 2D animator for 5 years, I can definitely say that there's plenty of fun work out there, it's just not at the enormous studios that everyone has heard of. Then again, there's no shame in not making art and animation into a career. Not every passion needs to be monetized
Yeah it’s true it doesn’t have to be monetized. Although it’s still stressful deciding what to go to college for and what to spend a majority of the time studying and working on. If art is not going to be a job, a lot of people won’t fair well going to art school because they’ll need to spend that time and money working towards a different career, instead. I know some people will get an art degree regardless but it’s definitely not that simple for everyone even if they love art.
I really apprecaite you putting this video out Chrissy - this is SUCH an important topic that I discuss with my students all the time. I'm really thinking about touching on the topic myself. Regardless, if anything an older artist can share here is - stick with what you love, life has a way of coming around full-circle. Something obsolete becomes popular again and you're years of practice ahead of the pack. And I saw this happen more than once in the animation industry - and yet, year after year, new 2D and 3D animators pop out of the dirt decade after decade... ...thankfully :)
Animation Student here. I got a full time job while studying online. I know online isn’t for everybody, but I find what I learned at Animschool for a 12k loan much more valuable than what ringling offers for 40k.
Your comment is valid but infuriating for me as college kid, like I still got several years to study and already in debt, I can't reverse time I left to hope that things will get better personally for me someday 🥺
The film/art/animation industry WILL use your ambitions to their advantage and drive you to unhealthy work rates for a minimum pay. Consider if your dream is to just animate or to work in animation. I like to seperate my dream of art from a career as I know its so difficult to make a living off of art and most artist get exploited anyway. Sometimes you just have to get a regular job and use that to fund you ambitions and dreams outside in your spare time. Additionally maintaining a healthy mental state by not stressing about money will help you create better material that later you can possibly use to secure a job. From my experience in the film industry, a lot of the most succesful people have backgrounds in random other professions, so its actually a really smart idea to pursue nursing for now like you said while the economy is down.
I wish I had considered that in uni. the animation lessons took my breath away, it felt right, it was what i knew was for me. i spent all my free time in that class, and back then what i was thinking was "I'm not stupid enough to go into animation, it's such hard work". and then one day, "to hell with it, I am stupid". I might've been more careful with choosing my specialisation if the teachers told us how little animation jobs are in my country. I'd asses that out of our final year's group of 30 animation students, not more than 5 actually work in animation. I'm very lucky to have family support, since a lot of physical labor/retail would obliterate me (chronic pains and autism), even more than what I do right now. I went to art school as a shot for my dreams, started preparing only a year beforehand. I was supposed to go into physics, and I know that in the long run, that wouldn't work out for me. I should've aimed for IT when I was interested in it, when the industry was still hiring in bulks. Animating for oneself and animating as a job are so much different. It's difficult, somewhat satisfying, soul-draining. I learn a lot, but don't have time or energy to animate for myself. I wish I had that.
@@kazpaapzak8637 I finished uni over a year ago, have been working as a contract animator for that year on a few projects. finding a permanent position as a 2D animator has been rough, since there's not many entry level job openings.
the entertainment industry as a whole has been suffering ever since streaming services came into place. the trajectory that you decided on & your feelings are all valid. I do think that a revolution of independent media is on the brink of happening, i mean more and more people are wanting to work independently and i think it’s beautiful and artists should 100% do the same. Is it more work? sure, but at least we’ll be able to do what we’ve been dreaming of doing and still make livable wages. I wish you the best in life and thank you for this video.
Ay, the creators of some of the most popular shows didn't initially work in animation or study animation like the creator of Spongebob was a marine biologist before he decided to go and study animation when he was 28, the creator fo Beavis and Butthead studied physics in college and the head writer for Avatar The Last Air-bender was a business student. Hell, even the creator of Dragon Ball, didn't go to animation or art school and was doing various odd-jobs before he got picked up by Shonen Jump after entering a competition. Life isn't always as straight forward as going to art school and working in animation just like that, sometimes people take different, more windier paths but when we have a passion for something, no matter where we go, we will always find a way. So yeah, I don't see why you can't be nurse cuz if your passion is there then you'll still become a legendary animator some day. Honestly, I feel like young people these days are always pressured to achieve stuff as quickly and as efficiently as they can cuz we see people succeeding all the time on social media, which is why people who want to be animators feel this pressure to go to art school to learn animation because to them, that's the fastest way they can achieve their dreams, and we're rarely allowed to stumble or fail or explore different paths in life.
And the benefits of getting other life experiences in different jobs is that it allows you to become a more well-rounded individual with something unique to offer. The creator of SpongeBob, being a former marine biologist, allowed him to make create a beloved cartoon about underwater characters with a lot of fun marine life jokes and references.
Howdy, animation college alumni here: Absolutely every recent grad post-pandemic has been struggling to even get their foot in the door of the industry. Professors encouraged us all pandemic by saying 'everyone is hiring right now, demand is through the roof, you'll do fine.' and that may have been true for the two years everyone was stuck inside, but uh.. not anymore, if that was even the case to begin with. (my year graduated at around the same time covid restrictions were being lifted) Even with prestigious education, gorgeous films and internships, some if not all of my colleagues who were massive inspirations to me had to find work in other industries. And those who do find work doing animation for studios are often on short-lived (not to mention overworked) contracts. Im sick and tired of certain people, parents for example, who insist on how easy it is to get a job because 'everyone is hiring' like, even my friends who arent in animation are struggling to find any sort of entry level long term work. So, as grim as it sounds at least its not just the animation industry, but in animation's case its incredibly disheartening because the lack of work is a result of deliberate decisions from higher ups at big companies who are trying to save money by avoiding the medium entirely. Side note, you could absolutely learn everything an animation course has to offer through books and tutorials without paying 10k a year. But recruiters may insist that you have a degree as a job requirement. If you just want to get better at animation because you're passionate about it though, i strongly reccomend self-teaching and extensive practice. Also, learn Toonboom harmony premium if possible, the price is steep but it is industry standard and also just really good if you can figure it out. I say this because some people give up animation entirely just because they cant get into a college, and thats depressing. Dont do that, do what you love, but also do what you need to to survive. Its totally okay and everyone is feeling it rn.
I got my degree in animation and now work at Walmart, nursing is a safe bet. I think I've accepted that I will never get a job in the industry unless I make a job for myself. Creatives are more powerful than the suits think. They think because they have the money, they choose what gets made. But I feel, in the end, passion is what makes art not money. Money makes it faster. I've been working on a video game that hopefully saves me from my current existence and can turn into a job for myself. I think we're gonna move into an era where animation is dominated by smaller indies rather than larger studios as larger studios don't really make animation anymore.
That sounds awesome! I'd like to know more indie games to play. Is said game available somewhere on the internet? Or some sort of premise? Wish you all the best for the project!
THIS IS SO TRUE ITS UNREAL, i feel this especially because i studied for art my whole life and nothing else and now that the animation industry is in shambles i feel so stuck on what to do
Hey Chrissy, Obviously you don't know me but some credibilities I have to talk on this topic are: - i currently go to a pretty well known art school for animation (3d animation at least, not a fan of drawing every frame (i go to mica!)) and game design (in which the games industry needs loads of animations to make games look good of course) - i have many other friends who did traditional college, especially for nursing, none of whom now pursue nursing or anything related to healthcare 1. nurses do make great money, but the work is quite grueling even if you're up for it. the healthcare industry is brutal in so many ways. my friends who did end up there are still there only out of passion for healthcare and helping people, not because of the pay. my friends who dropped nursing have now gone into things like nutrition or business and are much happier now even if they are theorhetically getting paid less. 2. big studio animation is definitely going down, but mid size/indie animation is on the rise. the animation industry as a whole is still super competitive, but you don't need to get jobs on big name movies and shows to make a good living. alumni from my school make all sorts of things like commercials, game animations, motion graphics, etc. and all have career successes. 3. one modification to the "follow your dreams" quote i find helpful is "follow your dreams, but not off a cliff", because what's most important is to find a balance. if your passion lies in art and drawing, i would reccomend going for some sort of art school or at least the art program at a decent school. 4. name recognition of your school is only important for industry giants, but overall what you achieve while in school trumps high over your school's name, or even what ends up on your diploma (there are General Fine Arts alumni from my school who now design toys for Hasbro). you do not have to go to calarts, ringling, sva, etc. to have a fighting chance. you can find a lot of success just by going to a normal school's art program, making your porfolio and practice about animation, and taking initiative. 5. if you're taking enough initiative to go to pre college programs, do industry research, practice practice practice your art, etc., I strongly believe you're in that "13%" acceptance pool the Ringling people were talking about. it's something i wish I had done more of before going to college and i'm nothing but fortunate that things still worked out for me. otherwise, it's never a bad idea to take a gap year or just a gap semester while youre still figuring things out or waiting to see how things turn out. 6. you don't need to go to college to get into the art and animation industry. it's definitely a big bonus, but that's mostly for networking and professional development reasons, not necessarily for learning new skills and techniques (though ofc you'll learn those too). the value of my school for me isn't really that i learn a lot in my classes, but in the extensive network of successful alumni, experience professors, and networking events around the town my school's in. I could talk forever about this because I feel strongly about people in your specific dilemma going into a different field than what they want to avoid the pain of working for what you do want and not achieving it or it not being what they expected, but that's all I'll say for now. We can talk more if you'd like though!
whoa, thanks for taking the time to write out all your thoughts! To clarify, I definitely don't plan on stopping art anytime soon. To further my portfolio and drawing/animation skills, I actually plan to minor in animation or double major in nursing and studio art (which is possible at my two top college choices right now). While I am skeptical of exactly how strong those programs are going to be, I've always been able to take initiate for my own practice with resources online and if worst comes to worst and the programs aren't great, at least I will have the time, space, and some resources to further my art. I would love to work on indie animation projects because that looks so promising and interesting right now, so with the right portfolio, I'm hoping to be able to do that remotely instead of having to bring my entire life to the insane city of LA where animation giants reside. I'll definitely be referencing your comment again, and I wish ya the best with all future projects :)
With the rise of Ai and companies playing it safe, it's extremally justified to be worried where animation as a whole is heading. That being said, I feel like this has led to the rise of indie studios making incredibly unique works, like Murder drones, amazing digital circus, helluva boss ect. With the rise and popularity of studios like this, I hope it continues and more animations and studios pop up that are making animation independently. That being said these jobs are less reliable than huge companies who have lots of systems and funding in place.
I’ve worked only for indie studios and one studio that calls itself indie but really isn’t. I’ve never been able to support myself with animation, even when I was working on a show that is awaiting its Amazon prime release or storyboarding videos for a RU-vidr with millions of views per video. I’ve gotten laid off twice in two years. I’ve never been an Animation employee, only a contractor. There is no stability in freelancing for indie studios. And there are not enough big studio jobs anymore. I quit animation last year and got a job in landscape design. I get paid way more now and can actually financially support myself. I still do animation commissions, but only for fun. And it’s way more fun to draw without worrying about applying for jobs or making portfolio pieces. The animation industry cannot take my passion anymore.
Animation Student here. Everything you said is unfathomably spot on, even more so now in 2024. I'm current studying computer animation at college and I can fairly confidently say the industry is not built for entry level grads at the moment. Same with the games industry and tech in general. With every crash there is a surge that will follow, and there is jobs for the talented and hard working. Not an easy industry, and very much a scary one at that. My guess is that by around 2026, the industry will have recovered and made some substantial leaps forward.
Hey, went through the same thing with you from like 5-10 years ago. (I'm making this comment before fully watching the video) Besides everything please don't beat down yourself down for not pursuing your "dreams." Art will find its way back to you eventually, and I think it's important to maintain a positive relationship with art while you're studying for something else. I massively failed that and fell into a super long term and deep resentment for me and my art. I desperately want to get back into drawing on a daily basis but now trying to make art or just practice feels like walking down to the basement where my dead teenage son's corpse is rotting, stare at it, and getting remind that you effing hate him, his death was your fault, and you also have to find a way to bring him back to life. I had additional art related trauma that is unique to my upbringing and the rigorous bone grinding and exploitive art education scene & hiring practices in my home country so it's just more severe than what regularly would be but whatever you do with your upcoming like five years please don't let that happen to yourself. NEVER BEAT YOURSELF DOWN FOR NOT CHOOSING TO STUDY ART IN UNI NOR DO ANYTHING THAT WILL LEAD TO A NEGATIVE SELF LOATHING WHEN IT COMES TO ART. No matter whether you end an amateur(which is a wonderful thing also), semi-pro, or professional later in your life, I wish you only joy and happiness when you are studying and making art. No one has to live like me so please just keep my warning in mind... I'll watch the rest of the video now. Thank you for creating this. 💖
Exactly in the same boat. Animation is such an amazing industry, it is such an appealing and romantic path to follow it as my future career; however, in reality it just seems like it cannot accomodate everyone who's interested in the field. I am also worried in general about how the landscape will look like in 3-5 years considering the impact of A.I. on storyboarding, concept art, and potentially more down the line. I hate this uncertainty so much (｡•́︿•̀｡)
When I was applying, I had to choose between applying for animation and computer engineering. I took one look at the animation industry and immediately chose CE. It’s hard for sure, but at the end of the day I believe I dodged a huge bullet. Animating as a hobby is good enough for me
I just saw this, Chrissy. Do your 'life', stay inspired, keep growing and never...I mean NEVER, give up on what you love. I've been in the animation industry fifty (yes, you heard right) years...all in feature films. I've had the highest highs as an 2D animator, story artist and director...and some soul-crushing lows. It's how you grow and work through those times and still stay invested in the career you still love. Great ideas and stories are truly needed. Stay in there...things can and do change.
This video was great I sat down and watched the whole thing. I'm trying to do video game development as a career and am I trying to follow my dreams. There is a big difference though from your situation with animation, I'm studying for computer science so If I graduate and I can't end up following my dreams I can always get another job with my degree. I know exactly what you are talking about people telling you to follow your dreams though. People will tell you to follow your dreams but also there is so many unsuccessful games, its scary trying to do that sort of thing. I honestly have a lot of doubts I'll ever get to what I want. Also I actually really liked elemental.
I remember hearing about how bad the animation industry was doing back in 2013. Many animators were unable to afford to live in an apartment, so they lived out of their cars in the company parking lot. Most struggling to pay off their student loans, becoming effective slaves to the banks. 2D at that time had already been killed off. And the industry was even then full of soulless bureaucracy, advertisements, political correctness, j's, and an assortment of other terrible things that were driving people out of animation.
THIS !! I've felt so discouraged with the industry so far, with this situation and the increasing use of IA. Thank you so much for pointing everything out. It's important for the animation community to not feel like we're alone in this
Yah I agree. I didn't go to art school, and I'm not a professional artist. I like drawing and stuff but its I don't think its something I wanna peruse as a career. Well, maybe for book illustrations. Being an Author is my aspiration. I guess I'm fine with AI being used as TOOL to HELP us in jobs and stuff, but AI TAKING jobs entirely and taking over one of the cornerstones of human culture to me is unacceptable.
I felt like you were speaking right to me! As someone equally enamored with animation and art as a whole, I thought my life purpose would be to pursue it in college-- but just like you, I recognized the competitive nature of the field. Just like you, I turned to Nursing! And I’m completely OK with that! There’s nothing that should say your “job” has to be your passion- I want my “job” to support my passions! With indie animation on the rise, there’s never been a better time to just PURSUE what you want to make! If you love animation, you don’t necessarily need to go to college to enter the field! It’s all about networking, and you can do that just as well, maybe even BETTER by sharing your art online! Besides, I don’t want to work as someone’s buttmonkey for 15+ years before I can pursue my own ideas in the field. The animation industry is notoriously overcompetitive and underpaid- I’m a firm believer if you have enough passion for something, nothing can stop you! All this is to say I think you made a wise choice, and you’re no further from accomplishing what you want to from it!!
I am in the same boat as the person in the vid, how do you like your nursing journey thus far? I like how it brings great value to people, but I am also researching about nursing and peoples perspective on it, and despite their own con's that nurses go through, some say its easier to stay in the field if you have 'true passion' towards medicine. What do you think about this?
My friend you are smart as helllll for choosing nursing over animation. I'm so proud and happy for you. You will always have a job as a nurse, and you will have skills to fall back on for if you go for animation in the future and it doesn't work out right away. I went to school for animation years ago and graduated in 2016. I practice practice practiced like you and landed a mentorship with Netflix animation in 2023. That's SEVEN years after graduating art school. Art school is a SCAM and you won't be industry ready right away. Unfortunately for me, the Netflix program happen JUST as the strikes happened so all now I still haven't landed a job . I've always held down day jobs to finance my life, but with an art degree (all though we're very intelligent), there's not a lot of marketable things we can apply to with our degree. I've been doing customer service and administrative work all these years since graduating. I have art skills to the point where I have an illustration agent working for me and I illustrate books on the side, but I still need the day job bc illustration alone doesn't pay enough to live comfortably. And I'm 29, I'm exhausted of living paycheck to paycheck. I'm going back to community college to learn another skill in the fall. I'll be learning computer science. You can always do art on the side as a nurse. Or, with the income you'll make as a nurse, you'll be able to SAVE enough money to take a leave of absence one day and pursue an animation job. Choosing to be a nurse will give you so much more options! You kids are lucky that you can do all this research online before deciding what to do for college. In 2011 when I was looking into colleges.. I really had no idea how things really worked. Super excited for you!
I live in the midwest and earlier this year a 2-year animation specialty school was opened by Gavin Dell. The demand for animators is definitely there, but what's been falling short is the stories being told are a bit played out (imo) and how students are learning about animation as well (One of Gavin's reasons for wanting a school). How to do it, how to apply for work and how to navigate the terrain of being an animator and what it is studios are honestly looking for. Another thing Gavin mentioned was a lot of students when it comes to applying for jobs, aren't being taught thoroughly how to piece together a portfolio and appeal to the projects being produced by studios they're applying to. On the flip side with things like clipstudio and the new procreate dreams, people everywhere are gaining a lot of agency to create what they want, launching indie animated films into the conversation. I definitely see them becoming their own force in another couple years. I'm gonna send Gavin your video and see what thoughts he might have. He's been at it for 30+ years and witnessed 3D animations comeuppance, transitioned into it and then back to 2D and is currently working on the newer Futurama season. I personally have been wrestling with the idea of attending school for art, when I genuinely feel as if the resources I've discovered through YT and online classes are far more effective and cost accessible. Hollywood Animation academy is pretty affordable at less than 30k a year compared to larger universities, but still not something most people can achieve without a couple loans. The upside of course is your literally only studying animation and nothing else. 2D, 3D, Storyboarding etc. Thanks for making this. It's kind of just made me more inspired to do my own thing and not rely too much on working for major studios. Which to me has always been a means to help fast track creating my own indie films and shows by gaining industry level experience and making connections. I think I'm better off letting those things come as they may though and instead focus on chasing my specific dream of being an animator and not the dream of an animator at xyz. Working for a studio has never been the important part, but the telling of meaningful and lasting stories with my own unique perspective is what I want. Hollywoodanimationacademy.com
Girl I’m in a similar situation to u since I was a kid I knew I wanted to be an animator but now I’m doing a class on coding that I hate. Good luck with nursing and hopefully we can still make time for animation
so glad you're doing your own thing and what's best for you. As a bit of a youngster myself, I'm curious and quite scared for the industry. I think I want to be able to just do art for myself, but it's so hard to find the motivation, especially as everyone, myself included, is increasingly driven by others appreciating "content."
You're so cool man, thanks for expressing your own views on this, it was really interesting. Thanks for the motivational words too !! I hope it all works out for you
I work at an animation studio and have been for 4 years and last week they announced they were laying off a lot of the animators :( My friends at other animation studios are also going through lay offs. I'm really worried not only for myself but for future animators
Worked in animation for 20+ years and theres always a bleak time before its going to become great again. This industry indeed always raised and fell in waves…. Important is to keep going following your passion without comparing yourself too much with the competition. Getting a job is a lot about being at the right place at the right time and lots of luck really. The good things happen when least expected.
You're not wrong. I've been working in animation for 28 years and I haven't had work in almost a year now. It's getting scary. Wondering if it will bounce back.
i see this video recommended on disney's sleep hollow in english a few hours ago. I'm really glad i looked you up. I've been dreaming of being a writer, but the industry is kinda going to shit rn. so preach girl
I really been wanting to get into animation since middle school, ever since I was inspired by Flipnote Studio. Though I learned how rocky the industry was, early. Amd stuck to something more stable. Honestly, with animation, just go independent. No worry of corporate meddling. We now have more idie studios than ever.
I just want to say, as a 21 year old girl who has a huge passion for writing and animation, but has a car to pay off and a full-time job, following my dreams isn't the most important thing right now, but I believe if I keep working towards it, slowly but surely, I might one day be in a position to actually publish my fantasy series and maybe make some awesome fan animations, and maybe some original animations, too. I hope the best for you and the path you choose to follow. As Mike Rowe once said, "Don't follow your passion, but always bring it with you."
I’ve been unemployed from animation industry for a couple years, did a few features and tv shows, but things have been so dry I had to find other avenues of art and movies like being a teacher now. It’s all really sad but I haven’t given up, but I’m hopeful there’s gonna be a upbringing of indie studios very soon.
I’ve always wanted to be an animator but I also want to be a psychologist and I feel over the years I’ve been leaning more and more towards the psychology part and I love it but I keep getting these huge spirals of the fact that thousands of hours of content of my ideas of how I see the world will be gone. That nobody’s gonna see my dream rejects unless I animate 10 hours a day for to make half of one of my ideas and I’m so scared
This reminds me of the exact issues I had going to school for computer animation during the great recession. After college I just knew that I would have to retrain myself, move to California and do even more than my 4 years of school just to get a basic job in animation. So instead I worked Customer Service and went back to school for Graphic Design. That industry has its own issues, but there are just more opportunities where I live for a career in graphic design than in animation. I do feel sad about it sometimes, but Im glad I made the change. I just wanted to have ART as my career and I also wanted to eat and have health insurance :D So I did what was best for me. Whatever path you eventually take will work out for you though. I always say "A dream deferred" because I havent given up at all. I do what I can in my spare time. And I still enjoy art. I just have a more mature perspective on it and try to encourage others on their path.
im a first year in Sheridan's Bachelor of Animation, soon to be second year. Im in a school with like, an acceptance rate nearing single digits. And third years are struggling to get internships, something needed to be done during the summer of 3rd year and most arent getting any at all so the school pretty much resorted to hosting school run internship programs. Our teachers are warning us to get whatever we can in the job world because of how scarce things are.
I haven’t been keeping up with what is going on recently in the industry. I did go to art school and majored in animation. Long story short, God changed my plans, so as of currently I'm exploring animal caretaking. I still make art but with a different purpose in mind. Surprisingly, I got a lot more offers and interest (which isn't much, but in comparison to the past) doing that than trying to get into the industry, be famous, rich, and so on. I may try animation again idk.
Honestly I don't understand why artists would even want to still get a job in animation industries. They treat their workers extremely poorly. We have social media and forums where you can join with fellow animators and do your own projects and get your work viewed by the thousands without a single company taking most of percentage of the share. Let the industries crumble and support indie studios!
i honestly love a bunch of the amateurish aspects of this video, like you looking away from the camera and at your script. i am going to actually subscribe to see where this channel will go! but i gotta agree, the industry is kinda fucked right now, and that really sucks. i'm still a high school student, but i have been making animations for three years now, and this also terrifies me. i will say though, i do think that things will improve, especially with a lot of indie animation becoming more popular. in fact, indie animation becoming more popular has only encouraged me that i really should have an animation studio of my own!
This video really speaks my mind. I’m also struggling to work in the animation industry (I’m working in the anime for the last 6 months). I can’t even earn enough to live. Cuz jobs now are short, unstable and low pay. I don’t even dare to dream of establishing other aspects of my life, like having a BF or moving out. It’s really sad that we were kinda “promised” that as long as we are good at what we are doing, we will be able to live well as an animator but I guess it’s no longer true. 😢
There are a few little inaccuracies with what you're saying, but there is nothing wrong with not going for your dream jobs, some dreams are bigger than what you do for a living. Have you given making comics a go out of curiosity?
As long as you’re not burying yourself in debt. There’s so much independent animations on the rise it’s as exciting as it is scary. You said by the end something that made me feel you aren’t fully giving up so I won’t bother you with trying to encourage you to keep going.
hey im going through this exact thing and it was disheartening at first, but id much rather have financial stability, when i get my job in accounting ill be able to have the means to pay for my passion and work on my skills in my freetime. its not ideal but its way better than being 200k in debt
You don't need to go to animation school to be an animator. I didn't go to art school. I'm still learning the 12 principles of animation and I'm practicing the fundamentals of art. I'm taking art classes online and it's very helpful. I'm also going back to school for IT because right now times are tough and you need to find any job. I'd still say never give up on your dreams but you have to be realistic.
Great points Chrissy. I've been working in this bussiness for 35 years and find your observations are spot on. This industry is way too top heavy to sustain itself. I'll pass on the advice my old man gave me. "Follow your dream, but get a trade so you can have an support system for that dream." You'd be better off buying the program (Harmony, Maya, Etc.) you like and, youtubing the crap out of tutorials and make your own content. Keep posting and practicing.
I feel you wholeheartedly on this. I’m from a small city Southern California and it was my dream to move to the big city, get in the film industry and work in an animation studio. But now I realize how sucky the pay is paying barely paying above minimum wage… ontop of the cost of living in California and the LA area. So now I’m expanding my horizons and applying all over which I recommend doing. I’m moving to other jobs related to art and I’m thinking of moving to Dallas, TX where some of my family moved to and there’s a number of art job opportunities out there and would be better financially for me. It’s healthy to have dreams but important to be realistic about them and the steps you take to get there. Your path can always change and that’s okay! I recommend applying all over and looking at aboard programs and internships for a year because that’s what a number of people have done before they get into the industry. Try to find jobs related to the art field if you can, do commissions, Etsy, etc. Also, I recommend taking art classes at community college because it’s significantly cheaper.
You should consider the game industry if film companies are tough at the moment. Maybe not quite what you want but you'd be working with similar types of people and the same skillset. Your could certainly find Visualiser/animatic job roles etc.
This video is super interesting, and i think the same pattern can be felt in other sectors, i have been working for almost 15 years now as a designer and the future seems a bit grim, we need to collectively change the way we think about work, art and how it relates to our economy. Thanks for your thoughts on this matter
Hey, thank you for the video. the algorithm randomly bring me here. I can highly feel your situation. Im a "Media art and design" student and i realy dont know what to do with it at the end of my becholor. What i know is the huge amount of cool things and especially the people who change all that you are. You can grow so much and at some point you may have an idea what to do in the future and where you are realy needed. Bye:)
Sad but TRUE! You can get a non-animation job and use your free time to make your own projects. Working at an animation studio takes up a lot of time and energy and if you can work on your own films, you can do it. BUT, this industry goes up and down in wave. Always have a Plan B. Good advice in your video!
as someone in their second semester of college (community college, so at least i'm avoiding Art School Debt) for animation right now, by god i feel this. it's very scary! i love animation, but sometimes i feel like i should pursue a more stable career ahaha but i have NO CLUE what that would even be. i feel very lost currently
I recently graduated and im going through the exact same anxietys! But perhaps some words of luke warm engouragement are in place. .. One thing is true and its is that the industry can change pretty unexpectedly. The industry was in an even worse place during the eighties, and then BAMM! 'who framed roger rabbit!! BAMM! little mermaid!! The industry radically changed in just a couple of years! I just started working as an animator so maybe its all just a way for me to cope, but the animation industry has proven to always change. You can start at art school (Not that you have to go to art school that shit 's expensive) and by the time you graduate the industry will likely look different, it did for me. I started in 2018 and at the time, the future of animation was netflix. Original shows were popping up left and right, Klaus and Wolfwalkers were gearing up for production, everyone was excited. flashforward to now and the entire indusrty is in disarray. The point being that every boom has a bust and viseversa, wich can be very anxiety inducing (I geuss blame capatilism). Idk maybe this helps staying motivated maybe not.
imo, you can learn art and animation and get into the industry at home, all you need is an art/animation program, RU-vid tutorials, and motivation. Art schools have always been more about the connections you get while attending rather than the skills you build, and with the internet and social media it’s becoming less of a necessity to dump thousands of dollars into student loans to do that. So, it’s a good idea to pursue another degree while working on your art skills in your free time, so you have the skill to get an art job if you really want one! It just feels too risky rn to spend all that money and time on art school especially with AI and stuff.
ive been working in animation for 9 years. And u made the right choice. Animation industry is dying. Ive worked for 9 years straight and it was great... I did notice shows were getting worse and worse. They started to lose money and now I a lot of animators are out of work. Its super hard as someone who doesn't have any experience to get in right now. As there are veterans are out of work. I would love to grab a bunch of animators to make our own thing but i personally dont know many animator willing to take the chance. It is what it is. I recommend if you want to do animation. take a online course like animation mentor or ianimate.. Continue with ur college in Nursing and make that ur main job right now. Make animation a side thing. Maybe in the future the industry will bounce back and since u were animating on ur spare time u probably gotten better and would have a cool reel and get hired.
today i was thinking the same. Growing up there was many original shows. cartoon network for example had many original shows and now everyone is scared to do something original. why is that. i mean everything in theaters rn is a sequel. nothing is original. why is everything seen as an investment and there is no risk. there was leaks about spider-verse style batman beyond movie everyone loved the idea and again nothing. I am also about to give up on my dreams. since i dont live in france, LA or Toronto there is nothing on 3d animation. i've never in my life saw job postings for it. i mean i still do it in my free time thinking i would just email everysingle studio when i feel good enough but in the meantime i try to be 3d artist and stuff arnt great there either
I work at LAIKA my dream is still Pixar , I worked in mailroom at Nickelodeon and got my first job later it was harrrrrd but I did not want to give up. LAIKA is unique cause they are not part of corporate. Loved working on Encanto because it was original I am an artist first and love creative driven projects
Stephen Hillenberg and Derek Drymon - the creator of Spongebob Squarepants and the original creative director refused to support the WGA when it tried to bring animation under its wing - Spongebob was a classic union buster just like Walk Disney - his legacy is what is happening today
No disrespect to animation I love it as much as the next person but now I kind of wish I want to see a Good ORIGINAL Live Action G-Rated Fantasy movie with Big Action and Stunning VFX and most of the Cast are Human Actors (that's not a Disney style Remake) and it's Story feels like a Top-Tier Pixar or DreamWorks Movie.
I hear you. I'm a 40 year animation vet in Hollywood and I've never seen it this dry. After the strike and this major downturn in the economy, where it seems the VC capital is moving away from the dollar and to the BRICS countries. It seems that the studios don't want to take a chance on too many projects, especially not 2d. We don't even have animated commercials available to tide you over between big projects like in the 70s - 90s. What I do see is Indies like "Hazben Hotel" doing well on RU-vid and being picked up by major streamers. So it's like the music business were bands cannot rely on major labels and must do it themselves, growing their following over time, etc. Even RU-vidrs like Sam and Colby are releasing theatrical features so you can slip through the cracks with your own audience (They sold out 128 theaters with four wall performances). I'm even looking to enter other industries while I finish my third animated feature on my own. So keep learning and keep with it. Good luck!
I would love to pursue a career in animation, but I just don’t see it as realistic anymore. I’m going to go to college to become an art teacher, and hopefully during the summer I can pick up jobs for indie animation. It’s not like I would work for an actual studio, as I live in the middle of Tennessee-no where near any of the animations studios.
All the entertainment industries seem to be in turmoil. I mean, hell, look at the video game industries where thousands of people are getting laid off or fired from their jobs. Its troubling. Why is everyone losing their jobs if the demand is so high?
I don't blame you. I'm 45 and I'm still practicing 2D animation. I didn't know what I wanted to do for an art career til I was 35. I've done odd jobs to support myself while trying to sell my art. I had moved all the way to San Fransisco just to see if I could make it as an animator....not yet. Last year I moved back home to be with my family for a while and to see where I am going with myself. I'm not giving up on my dream either although I am going through some weird turning point. I'm looking for other jobs so I can support myself in real life. Doing small TikTok animations does help put my work out there while I am still practicing animation on my own.
I am 14, I have always, wanted to be an animator / artist , im scared if im doing the right thing, if being an animator will really work out and my art is good. it makes me so sad not see companies not care about animation at all. btw I hope things work out
Oooh ooh, don't forget to mention the outsourcing issue :D. If you're American, you're kind of an expensive worker compared to others outside the country. Then there's the tax subsidy thing that countries offer to hollywood. It gets tough when your talent + hard work can't beat cost of using you versus someone else, who can potentially do the same thing.
were there ever a secure jobs in animation? mike lazlo broke a million hearts, but i think we miss him... like eisner, but ja, i'm being flippant. i know it's much worse now. it sucks! i 'member the crap they used to make in the 80s when they made 'em by focus group. ai is incapable of being any better, and most likely not even as good. creator driven all the way! and fair treatment for the people involved in every aspect of the production
I went to school for animation but couldn’t find a job. I went to school again for media art. Job hopped for 6 years before getting a job in graphic design. Moved up into the art director position. Got furloughed during Covid. Got hired at a bank that gave me better pay, better home/work balance, better benefits, and work from home. I didn’t go back to the graphics job.
I personally dropped out of college and am seeking to make my own career on RU-vid, different routes are possible keep following your dreams in different ways 😋
From What I heard the Animation Industry is Heck to work in, They treat you like crap, make you do overtime (with no extra pay), underpay you and overwork you.
well, maybe so many people oughtta get together and f v ck the animation establishment and make our own animation industry, and i don't necessarily mean some particular products which may or may not sponsor you, certainly not solely them, or even just online in general, though that'd probably unavoidably be part of it. maybe we could come up with art co-ops or something like that
I was about to give some advice, but with AI making insane leaps in quality, and companies laying people off in droves, I realized that I don't know shit, and have zero good advice to give. Good freaking luck everybody.
you got all wrong, take Disney as example, did he app[ied for an animation studio? no? he started his animation studio in a time that not even TVs was popular ...think about it. you don't need an animation studio to be in the business of animation. you create your stuff and sell. and to sell stuff today is way more easier then in the past.
Funny thing is IT industry was always a booming industry and yet every decade we see really big layoffs, each time bigger than previous one, and now with ai they'll be more, so it's not just animation, and yes if you don't feel confident about it, it's not for you, 🙏 Like there are many classmates which literally switched there profession bcoz of their skills and fear of no jobs
