Considering my career path after university being part of somewhere like Blinkink would be a dream, I love their work they produce and the people they work with. To me it would be so interesting surrounding myself with these people, as it would give me a massive source of inspiration and drive to keep working. Being part of a collective like this would put a powerhouse of creative drive behind my work as I would thrive in the busy environment. I have already had discussions with a group from holland about being represented and it gives you a sense of community and that people appreciate your work and gives you the drive to strive to reach further.
Looking through their portfolio, Stevie Gee’s work caught my attention. The colour palette he uses for his work is gorgeous and so clearly his work, each hue of each colour is specific to his style. This is something I need to consider in my work as part of its development and stylisation. The way he colours his animations with the fuzzy glowing edges, makes them stand out visually and the gradient shading he does. The simple characters animated in an entertaining manner as simple loops with imaginative smooth transitions are so visually engaging. These quick fun pieces inspire me to do a lot more smaller test animation pieces and spend more time on them to put some bulk into my portfolio like Stevie Gee’s
If I was going to work commercially, I had never properly considered or researched what roles are available in the industry and what specifically interests me. Therefore by reading through websites I found certain roles that caught my eye and I would enjoy working in.
Animators are artists, actors and storytellers who are able to show characters emotions and understand how something may move. Animators take a visual brief from a storyboard artist and a verbal brief from a director, from this they create the moving imagery. They often work in large teams which means they also need to be capable of adhering to a style.
Kinds
– 2d traditional animators – draw each frame by hand, usually on animation software. Their work isn’t usually what you see on the screen, it is the assistants (clean-up artists) who will produce the final line, following the main animators actions and performance created.
– 2d rigging animators – will work with rigged models produced by the art department, the animator will use these pieces to animate a storyline as detailed on the storyboard.
-3d or CG animators – they use computers to add movement to models which is achieved through a pre-programmed rig. They create the key frames and either draw the frames in-between or let the computer sort it through the rig. During pre-production they test the rig and if it will work for their characters.
– stop-motion animators – work with puppets or models that a moved slightly and photographed frame by frame. On larger projects animators will be employed based on their skills in different elements such as different actions, emotions and characters.
Art directors are responsible for the visual style of the animation. Their decisions are what the rest of the art department to work from. They look at the script and speak to the director to understand the vision for the piece, helping the art director decide how they would have the final on-screen piece look. They will work alongside concept artists to produce 2d drawings that will be presented to the director, producer and sometimes investors. The Art Director will work on the entirety of the project and will help manage the other artists and make sure their work is on brief, this requires communication and management skills. Art Directors sometimes work as freelance and employed per project.
Art directors in advertising are responsible for creating and developing ideas focused on their visual appearance. The things this includes are posters, prints, advertisements, tv commercials, cinema, radio, leaflets, mobile apps and websites. The art director combines their creative skills with their knowledge of design and the production process to create work that appeals to an audience. Its important that the art director is able to understand the context behind the client’s business and apply problem solving skills to the project.
They work with
– copywriters, creative directors, account management, planners, creative services, studio and production staff (internally).
– print producers, commercials directors, commercial producers, animators, illustrators, radio producers and photographers (external).
A creative director provides the main ideas and imagination within a project since they are in charge of the creative process and those who work with them. It is important that they are skilled managers who are open and good with people, they also need good time management to be able to straddle multiple projects at once. Knowledge is also extremely important about the tools the teams uses to create and also of the world.
-A creative director works alongside designers, copywriters, sales teams and marketers.
– working your way up the company is often the way in.
– networking is extremely important to become successful in this position since it opens doors and opportunities for new projects.
– also being educated with how the world works such as popular culture, art and design history.
An animation director holds the creative vision of an animated piece, they share this vision and get everyone to work to it. They direct the teams working on the project and direct voice actors if needed and direct any actors that may be acting our reference scenes. The director is accountable assuring the quality of the edited piece (the directors cut).
– larger projects might need a director as well as an animation director.
Head of story is in charge of combining the writers words and directors vision into a visual form. They produce a series of pieces detailing staging and camera choices and ensuring the scenes are cohesive. These form the basis of the production team’s animations. They work closely with the director on story development with their team of storyboard artists. Head of Story is also able to work in a freelance manner.
Searching for a job on The Dots which I would apply for I found the position as a Junior Artworker at McCann. When writing a CV and cover letter you have limited time to catch the readers attention and convince them that your application is worthy to consider further. Therefore your CV should be seen as a marketing document appealing to the specific position you are applying to. It is essential that you thoroughly research the job requirements and the values of the company to make sure that your CV is the most appealing to that particular position. You need to consider:
- the organisation
- Their markets
- Major projects
- Reputation
- Key personnel
- Ethos
