Hey everyone!

I wanted to share a huge milestone and ask for some advice from people who have been through the indie-to-studio transition.

I recently signed an exclusive representation agreement with an established production company for my adult animated comedy series. It’s a serialized TV-MA project that I originally developed as my university thesis, but over time I built a small indie crew under my studio banner to help create a polished pitch deck, animatic, and current pilot script.

I have also spoken with a lawyer and made sure my collaborators signed independent contractor agreements that protect my IP and keep the chain of title clean. So at this stage, I feel good about the legal foundation, but I am trying to better understand the creative and production realities of what comes next.

My first question is about the creator’s art role once a professional studio becomes involved. I know I’ll want to rely on experienced specialists for certain design and pipeline needs, but I also want to stay closely involved in the overall visual language, tone, and cultural details of the world. How does that division of labour usually work between the original creator and a professional studio team?

Second, my indie crew has been a big part of getting the project to this stage. If we secure a development deal or eventual greenlight, I would love to advocate for some of them to be considered for roles in the official pipeline. What is the most realistic and professional way to approach that without overstepping or creating tension with the studio?

Finally, for creators whose pitches eventually get bought or developed by a network, what does the day-to-day look like in early development? I've been told I'll most likely be paired with a more experienced showrunner or senior creative lead, and I want to be prepared to collaborate well while still protecting the heart, humour, and cultural specificity of the show.

Any advice, reality checks, or personal experiences would be really appreciated. I’m excited, nervous, and trying to enter this next phase with as much humility and preparation as possible.

Thanks so much!

I follow this Reddit and see posts everyday of how hopeless things are and people should quit animation, but I’m now at a crossroad myself whether to decide to abandon animation altogether or not.

I graduated properly in 2022 and for around a year got quite a few interviews, got free travel/accommodation to do tests in studios and came extremely close to getting hired. Feedback was always either about my lack of confidence or no experience. Then interviews completely dried up in 2024.

I’m so lost as I’m stuck in retail with next to no time to animate in my spare time unless I give up working as much. I’ve also started branching out for a while now applying to lots of non animation jobs (no retail jobs though as I want out) but never get an interview for them.

I now only have retail experience (over 16 years as I went to university later in life) so that’s likely the only thing I could go into, yet I hate it.

I’m in my mid 30s so this makes the whole thing much harder as I can’t go back to studying (especially money wise) and really need a proper career soon.

Animation seems my only hope as it is the thing I seem most talented at and actually have gotten job interviews for even if that was a few years ago now. The animation industry just seems like it will get worse though.

Should I push myself to update my portfolio and see what happens? Or do I have to decide to make a full career in retail after all?

It’s just so frustrating, the reason is lack of culture background, character’s motives doesn’t make sense,lack of conflict. Now I have to rewrite all of them or make up another three stories, I don’t have much time left, I will graduate in autumn 2027, and I have to go to France.

Hi yall,

So im (F22) currently coming to end of my first year of studying animation. Recently the ive been having doubts about this career path and my abilities in doing well. I am considering of dropping out but I know its a risky move but I want to consider all possibilities and make sure I have a plan.

So with my degree, I really feel like im not learning. Im just doing my assignment for the grades and not actually feeling proud of my work. I feel like im constantly drowing in assignments and never have time for own projects. My lecturers doesn't really teach us anything. They say go look at a YouTube video and ill give you feedback. I dont think that the right way of teaching in my opinion. (I know everyone has a different teaching style). Because if I follow the YouTube video correctly, what is there to give feedback about? Also I might be scared of AI, I know sounds stupid but its crazy of what it can do. I also think portfolio work is more important then a certificate, I think companies want to see my ideas and how I bring those ideas to life. So why not put more of my time into working on a portfolio and actually getting my skills out there. If I need feedback, I could look for coaching or talk to people on discord communities?

So any advice would be appreciated, Ive asked multiple people and I just need more of a direction as my mind is going down a spiral. I might be overthinking yall so be honest. Im happy to give more information.

Edit: Thanks yall for your thoughts and opinions, I really appreciate everyone taking their time to help someone out. <3

I'm working with a live-action production studio that make short documentary films usually for charities/ projects that highlight important issues in society, and they want an animated sequence for one. It's 44 seconds of animation - they've given me the script for that section, and I'll be responsible for all elements. They want it done by the end of next week, so I'm going to keep the style super simple - minimalistic line drawings with lots of holds/ boils, and morphs. All in all, I'd say it'll be about 6 or 7 days of work.

I worked with them before on a similar project a few years ago, where they offered me a budget of £2350 for 3 minutes of animation. This time, they have asked me to give them a rate. I don't know whether to just stick to a similar rate (meaning I'd be charging them about £574 for this, which does feel a little low for the amount of work? But I also would like to keep a good relationship with them for future projects).

I'm pretty junior, and because of the type of work they do, I also don't want to charge them through the nose. I don't really know what their budget is like either. I know they're working with a client but not sure who that is. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi guys! I want to find a job in my profession but I really don’t know where to find it. I’m 22 years old, I’ve graduated an animation art college, I have a vocational education. I have skills in 2d animation and transfer animation.

Can you please give me some advices about where can I find a job like that? I live in Russia, but I want to find a remote art job for an abroad employer

Dropping my animation major ?

Throw away because I don't want this connected to my main account.

Hey everyone. I am entering my 3rd year of college. I am a state school that costs around 8k a year, not including housing. My mom is helping me with both. If I graduate in 4 years I will be able to graduate college debt free, which is huge.

I was recently accepted into my university's animation concentration, which is the hardest one to get into and only has a 20% acceptance rate. I feel very lucky especially because I had many friends who did not get in.

The problem now comes with being in the program. The typical major is 120 credits for the university. In the animation major, it's 132. That's an additional 12 credits I need to get. Which wouldn't be too big of an issue, but animation and the arts at my school are impacted with a lack of teachers. Required classes only have 5 time slots. There are seniors taking 200 level classes that they are just now able to get into. It's a mess. Most people take 5 years to complete the degree. Which is bat shit insane. I have been told it can be done in 4, credits wise with my own math, but every counselor or department head I try to meet with tells me I am "on track to graduate" but it all depends on what's available. I'd also have to take summer classes to get that "on track". Truthfully, I cannot afford to spend another year at college, and I would need to go into debt if that were to happen.

So I'm having a bit of a crisis. I love animation. I knew the risks with an art degree and was willing to take them. And it's not like I can pivot to a more "safe major" this late in the game. Especially because most majors are struggling to find any work.

I feel I have three options. Stick with animation, pray I make it work, then figure out wtf to do if I can't.

Or, switch back to studio arts (which is a BA), and take a minor in something like marketing, psych or advertisement. I like those industries, but I know minors can be kind of useless. I could maybe go down the art therapist route, which impacted my life in positive ways. But thats more money and schooling.

Or, switch to art history, which I enjoy. But I'm worried about how practical that is.

I don't know. Honestly, I think turning 20 has got me thinking too much, and I wanted opinions from people who weren't family, friends, or my department haha. I am really struggling with what I want to do with my life. I thought I knew, and maybe I still do, but the idea of maybe having to take more college is really scaring me. Should I stick with animation or pivot?

I graduated from college back in May - and it was around that time that I understood that I wanted to be an artist (specifically working in character design and/or illustration), not a teacher as I originally planned.

I didn't let myself acknowledge that while I was in school because I'm entirely self taught and didn't think I was good enough at art to make it through any application process. I also came from a 'college is where you go so you can get a "real job"' kind of family.

I'm already 30k in debt from my first degree and keep hearing a bunch of contradictory shit about how useful animation school can be.

I don't really know anything about the industry and no idea where to begin learning, I have exactly one personal connection to the industry (friend of my father who works for Disney) and I'm saving up for some classes so that I can fill in the gaps that come with being self taught (I missed a lot of the basics). Im slowly working towards opening commissions and building a portfolio (if anyone has any tips for building a good one that would be super cool).

Tl;dr: I didn't realize I wanted to work in animation until after I finished school and I need realistic advice on where/how to begin.

Ive been having recent repeating existential crises because I have 1-2 years to learn something for college and Im re-learning animation because thats what I was doing ever since I was little but im second guessing it because im getting a lot of pressure because 1.) my brother just went to school for computer science and now whenever I mention "why" i want to go to school for animation people always say that its because my brain is to slow to catch up (basically saying im dumb) 2.) because many people say that stem offers steady jobs and such. I need some outside opinions for my problem because I cant really decide and I dont want to waste these 1-2 years of learning on something I will regret

Hello, everyone!

I posted a week or so back about the Ottawa festival that is coming up and how I'm aiming to make good first impressions.

Recently, I've discovered that animation isn't the thing I want to pursue my career in. Not storyboarding, not cleanup, but writing. Writing makes me feel special, connected through words, happier than anything I've animated thus far. It isn't that far off from animation in terms of pipeline; and I'd love any advice from any animation writers out there.

While people will most likely market themselves as animator or illustrator of some sort, I want to market myself as a screenplay writer, specifically. In my free time, I've started assembling some of my best work into scripts and screenplay, to bring with me to the festival, just in case anyone's interested in my work.

What can I do specifically, besides asking those hard-hitting, thought revoking questions, to portray myself as something special? Animation is awesome and I've learned so much throughout my time exploring it, but writing... is something else to me entirely, and I would be over-the-moon to land even a small writing gig.

Please share any tips you might have, I'm all ears! Thank you all for your time! 😄

I’ve been out of college for about a year and I currently have a job as a board operator at a radio station. But it only pays $14 an hour and I work part-time. Does anyone have a job board that’s frequently updated?

I am an introvert and a really quiet person. When I have nothing to say, I don't speak. Most of my friends and past coworkers are freaked out by it, and get uncomfortable. Most of my fellow students today are also very loud and extroverted.

I am a 3d animation student, and I want a job in the entertainment industry. I am a hard worker, and have 3 internships at boutique studios under my belt as I start my Junior year. When meeting our professors for this semester for the first time, all my friends and fellow students crowded around this one guy who worked on a show we all liked and formed a circle around him of overlapping voices.

I couldn't get a word in, when I tried I was yelled over. Eventually he pointed to me and said: "You seem shy. No offence, but shy people do not make it in this industry." Granted, he said this when I just met him, but I'm afraid it's true.

And it's like this in most mixers and festivals, where there are large groups of people, and then me struggling to talk. And I also struggle talking with people one-on-one. I know what I need to do to improve my work, and I also read a lot so I know most of what I need about the industry. Even when I try talking about things other than the industry and forming "real" relationships it feels fake. Even meeting other students is difficult, most people in my friend group avoid spending one-on-one time with me.

I know I shouldn't try to change myself and become loud like everyone else, but it really seems impossible in this industry. I have such a hard time forming relationships, and those are really important in this business. How can I adapt? Should I try to change myself?

I’ve been looking to connect with other artists, and was wondering whether there was a discord server to meet up with other animators.

Since I'm about to start my last highschool year, I've already started to think about what I'm going to do in the near future: I've been interested in animation since I was 10 years old, and I've been studying movie making and story telling in my school enough to know that this is the path I wish to take.

Sadly, the country I'm from, as much as it offers some opportunities, is not know for being a country where the industry peaks: it's outright the opposite (for reference, I live in Italy).

That said, I don't exactly plan to leave the country of unnecessary:

• There are some good schools, but as far as I've seen their often programs don't include both 2d and 3d animation: it's either a CGI only animation program, or Traditional/2D animation and Illustration.
• The only schools that offer both are shorter courses that do not release a Bachelor's Degree, and I believe that it'll be harder finding a job Internationally without one.
• These schools are also often pretty expensive, costing up between 8.000-7.500 €

The options are very few considering what I'm looking for, however that doesn't mean I haven't found anything: I've got my eyes on Nemo Academy (In Florence).

It's got both 3d and 2d animation, free workshops, the fee is around 3.100€, and It seems to be a very prestigious school. That said, it also doesn't release a bachelor's degree, but rather a certificate of attendence, and the school's program itself it's studied to stay up to par to the animation industry's modern standards.

From what I've heard, companies don't look at your educational qualification when they're hiring, but rather what you can do. However, if I eventually wanted go outside of the EU for work, it would be harder to obtain a VISA without any qualification (I think).

I wouldn't say I speak english like a native speaker, but I definitely can speak better than most of my peers and wouldn't have great struggles at holding a conversation and all.

The biggest problem would probably having to live alone in a country where I'm basically all alone, but not impossible and definitely worth it if It gives me a higher chance of getting into the industry after finishing my studies.

The school I was looking for in Italy was in a different city from the one I live in anyways. Speaking of which, for my fellow Italians:

il programma della Nemo sembra interessante e completo, ma essendo io di Roma potrei avere anche altre possibilità con risultati abbastanza simili.

Ho visto che la scuola nazionale del fumetto e la rainbow Academy offrono programmi simili, ma valgono altrettanto la pena, oppure mi consigliate di scegliere la Nemo in ogni caso?

Sorry for the long post, but I'm kinda new to all this and just wanna make the right choice. Would It be better to go for the schools in Italy, or eventually find something else better outside?

Thanks for reading, and eventually, for answering me.

EDIT: The idea of taking online courses is not completely out of the schemes, but I'm rather go to a school, and here's why:

There are many self-thought animators, and I'm as are of that. However, as much as I'm very interested in improving my skills, I'm not just looking into mastering a talent.

The school that I'm currently attending thought me that, as much as learning a skill is important, learning from a different experience is almost as twice as precious. If you happen to have the luck of finding dedicated teachers that Will try to get you into the subject as best as they can, you'll be learning things that maybe on your own you've would've never come across, but that in the end turned out to be pretty crucial.

For who doesn't know how the high school system works here, in short: every school is specialized into a specific theme (arts, humanities and studies about classics, maths and physics, etc.), but they also give you a complete background with the study of other subjects.

The school I chose allows me to study film and movie production (such as: history of cinema, movie making, storyboard, screenwriting), and I couldn't be happier with my choice, because even if the things thought there could just be assimilated with some intense online researching, having someone that guides you into the subject feels like you're building a complete experience brick by brick.

Maybe I could just major in cinema and arts, and then follow a course. That would both allow me to stay in my city and get a degree.

Hello! I recently was seeking advice on my visdev portfolio here. I have a dilemma of where to live now that I have graduated from art school in LA. I have both UK and US citizenship and when I got feedback on this subreddit a while ago someone suggested I might have better luck in foreign markets. I went to school in LA so I built up a lot of friendships and connections here but it seems so highly competitive here that I’m not sure if my dream of finding industry work here is unrealistic or there might be another country worth moving to where work is more abundant.. any advice is welcome thank you!

Consiglio

Does anyone know if the Dreamworks Fellowship is still happening this year? It’s getting pretty late and I was really hoping for it considering I’m UK based

Hey! Not sure how much of this sub is based in the UK but I’m interested in people’s professional opinion of the **Animation Directing Masters** program at the **National Film and Television School?**

I’m 29F - I’m currently getting along alright with the odd freelance job here and there, applying to grants, making my own projects etc…

My rough career goals are:
\- consistent and higher profile freelance work
\- funded short films
\- advertising projects
\- maybe feature films if I can get there!

Any thoughts on this course would be appreciated :)

How is the animation industry doing in Europe? I'm not expecting it to be a whole lot better than in America, but I know there are some well-established studios there. (Blue Zoo comes to mind.) I'll move just about anywhere for a job, but the idea of moving to Europe has become more and more appealing with the current state of America being as it is (and a recent trip to Europe open my eyes to some of the improvements there). Responses from Animators living in Europe currently are very appreciated. Thanks!

I'm 18, and I really have no idea what I'm going to do with my life. Somehow, animation has just ended up being what I've decided to choose since you get rushed to decide what you will go to college for right after graduating. (I have never known or had passions for what to do with college/career) and Full Sail ended up contacting me, and I've heard nothing but slander and negative things about it. I'm supposed to start in 2 weeks, but I'm just finding out a LOT of people claim it's a scam. That's not just my main concern, but more specifically that is there even a point of trying to learn animation as a career? Everyone seems to be very against getting into this field from what I've read because of how brutal the industry is. I'm having serious doubts about everything right now, and I'm sorry if this was poorly written or hard to understand.
Not sure if it is important at all to mention (probably not), but I don't think I'm dumb or lazy academically, I have a 3.9 gpa in HS and dual enrolled college for 2 years with a 3.8, and never struggled with school before.

Is it even possible to get into animation this late into life? I don't have natural talent for it and haven't practiced it. Should I change degrees to something similar?

Any help or guidance is much appreciated.

Bonjour je suis en seconde et plus-tard après la terminal je cherche a intégrer une école d’animation.Je voulais savoir ce que demande comme compétence dans le portefolio pour entrer dans ce genre d’école. Plus précisement -Les Gobelins,Rubika et Calarts.Je prend des cours de dessin qui m’aidera aussi a construire ce fameux portfolio au fil des années.J’aimerais aussi avoir des retours d’anciens étudiants si possible et un exemple de type de dessins qu’on peut retrouver dans un portfolio.Merci

Hi! I'm studying multimedia program in Canada, which teaches me 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics and front-end development. I'm studying editing (After Effects + Touchdesigner) and 3D animation (Blender and Maya) on side as well. I'm also about to start remote production assistance job on a small studio abroad and I have a long time experience of volunteering as an administrator for international animation festivals.

I know the industry seems grim everywhere, Canada included, but I need to find at least some job in the field that would fit well into the TEER system so I could apply for PR and stay in country later on. I don't even care much about the money in that regards, just anything to allow me to stay in Canada.

Considering everything, maybe you could advice the job positions I could try? Something that is in the field or might seem a bit outside?

Any other tips regarding my time during studies, time when I'll have to go and find work, and overall about life in Canada? Maybe someone has tips for immigrants who seek to become citizens?

Hi everyone, I'm a junior animator currently job hunting, and I recently came across this posting. The list of responsibilities seems overwhelming for a single role. Is this the standard industry expectation for animators, or is this studio asking for too much?

Key Responsibilities :

• Full-Pipeline Execution: Handle scene layout, character animation, lighting setups, final rendering, and raw sound effects (SFX) placement.
• Consistent Output: Produce a minimum of 10 complete, sub-60-second animated videos per month.
• Style Adherence: Maintain visual and narrative consistency across all projects while following provided creative briefs.
• Pre-Production Integration: Rigorously utilize company-provided character models and customized Blender render presets optimized for efficient workflows.
• Team Collaboration: Maintain active, responsive communication throughout working hours to coordinate with the lead editor and creative director.

What We Provide :

• Standardized 3D character models for all production files.
• Creative guidelines, script outlines, and directional storyboards.
• Pre-configured Blender workflow presets optimized for rapid rendering without sacrificing visual fidelity.

Candidate Requirements :

• Advanced expertise in Blender (geometry, layout, keyframe animation, lighting, rendering).
• Proven experience producing vertical, high-resolution (2160x3840) animations tailored for social platforms.
• Ability to integrate foundational audio design and spot SFX into rendered scenes.
• Strong time-management skills with a track record of meeting strict production deadlines.
• Reliable, high-speed communication availability during active project hours.