Each year as the summer closes and a new school year begins, I tend to see a predictable trend emerge. All of my animation students and their parents start thinking about the same exact thing -- college. They wonder, “Where should I go to college?” or “Should I go to college at all?” and, “Can I work in animation and not live in California?”
It’s a difficult thing to be able to answer these questions since one constant in the animation industry is that it’s always changing. And to make it even more complicated, there’s not one particular path that will take everyone to Disney or Pixar. I’m sure if you asked 10 people at each studio, they would tell you 10 different stories and describe 10 different paths that led them there. But there are some factors that seem to stay consistent in the animation industry whether you work with a mouse, a stylus, or a pencil, and I’ll try to explain some of them here.
Be a good animator
The most important factor in getting a job is the quality of your work, pure and simple. It’s been my experience that most studios don’t care if you have a degree or not, and they don’t even really care what school you attended. They’ll ask questions like, “How good is this person’s animation?” and, “How well do they fit into the style of the film/show/game that we’re producing?”
On a different note, experience is important and will be helpful, but many places actually look for young talent on purpose. If your work is equal in quality to an experienced pro, you are usually going to have a good shot at getting hired. As a result, going to the perfect school or having the most degrees (or credits on your resume) won’t matter when it comes to getting a job. In short, going to college isn’t a golden ticket to an animation job, just be a good animator.
Invest in quality training
Even though, like I said before, a college degree doesn’t necessarily matter as much, you’ll still need high-quality training to get better, and you’ll usually find that training at college. It’s the type of training that you really need to consider, however, when choosing a college or trade school. You can get training in all kinds of skills, both technical and artistic, and all of that training will add benefit to you. But it’s my experience that good ol’ fashioned art training is the most important if you’re looking for a career in the creative side of the industry.
Look for classes on classic drawing or painting. You’ll need to get really good at drawing humans and animals in motion, not to mention story, design, and cinematography. The more you understand about the entire process of creating a film, the better chance you have at being a valuable player on the team. So practice, practice and practice some more. The goal, above all else, is to become a better artist! And that will only come through hours and hours (and a few more hours) of practice.
Be prepared to work really hard
Unfortunately, there’s still no guarantee that these skills will get you your perfect job. And that’s where you’ll need to ask yourself, “How much do I want this?” Because this is going to be HARD. But, with enough determination and a lot of hard work, you can be an animator!
To be honest, it’s impossible to put into words how hard you’ll have to work in order to succeed. Most artists I know can’t help but measure themselves against an invisible line of success and quality that always seems to move just as they get close to it. But working in animation sure is a lot of fun if you don’t let it drive you crazy and get you down. Relax and enjoy the process of improving and becoming a better artist/storyteller. It took me years to learn that I don’t have to put so much pressure on myself, and to remember that even the best artists have their good days and bad days.
Above anything else, I credit ‘determination’ as the single most important factor to any success that I’ve had in the animation industry. Early on in my career I would miss out on a job, or not measure up to my peers in an assignment and I would get extremely discouraged. But every time that happened, I forced myself to move forward and continue to improve the quality of my work. And it’s that determination that allowed me to succeed, just as it did for many, many others that I’ve seen in my career. If you are prepared to fail, pick yourself up, and keep improving, you’ll be able to make it as an animator!
These are just a few things that I’ve learned over my 30 year career as a creative. I have worked as a professional animator in film and television for almost 30 years both with Walt Disney Feature Animation and Sony Pictures on films like Emperor's New Groove, Tarzan, and Polar Express. Now I’m bringing my wide experience—both from the professional animation field and from being an expert homeschooling dad—into teaching students ages 11-18 about this fascinating art form. If your child is interested in animation, filmmaking, or storytelling, check out The Animation Course!
Chad Stewart
Founder & Teacher, The Animation Course
Former Disney Animator
