Getting employed as an animator can be broken down into 3 broad steps. There are more intricate details but I will cover those later in another entry. The Cover Letter
Be polite, concise and purposeful. Make sure you do ample research on the company you are sending your letter to. You will want to know what kind of work they specialize in and you should state in your letter how you think you may add value to the establishment. Talk about all relevant experiences and be sure to send some links to your works. Include your resume and request for an interview politely.
Emails are fine. But never, ever, send out your mails to more than one company on the same email! You might laugh at this stupidity, but I've met a number of instances where I've seen this happened. It is absolutely dreadful and I immediately lose some interest in the applicant.
Demo Reel
It is important to show a good reel. In fact, you should include a link to showcase your reel in your cover letter. This is often the ticket to an interview. Never send your demo reels over by email. You can send the links to download or view your reel, but just don't send over the reel itself in an email unless you want to piss your perspective employer off by clogging up his server.
The best is to send the demo reel in a DVD accompanying your cover letter and resume.
Do not include in your reel everything you have ever done. Send only your best work. It's better to send 2 minutes of something good than to send 10 minutes of something mediocre.
The Interview
Once you are called up for an interview, congratulations! You've reached an important milestone. Somehow you've managed to impress the Creative Director in the company enough with your materials to grant you an interview. First impressions count a lot. Dress well, behave professionally and smile often.
Bring hard copies of your reel and resume even if you have already sent a link or disc over before. Do not assume they do not want to see it again. You will score points for being so meticulous.
Listen to comments and feedback about your reel. Do not be argumentative. If a misjudgement is made, wait until the interviewer finishes his sentence before making your explanation. Maintain a pleasant attitude and take everything positively.
Even if you do not get the job in the end, be positive and thank the interviewer for his time. If possible, try to find out how you can improve yourself so that you can prepare yourself for the next interview better.
Good luck job hunting!
You can visit the Mediafreaks blog to pick up more tips on the 3d animation industry.
This article was written by Aldric Chang - a creative businessman who is active in music composing and production, internet marketing, casual games production, animation production, cartoon production and character licensing. His 3d animation studio - Mediafreaks - is focused on producing high-end animation work for documentary producers, advertising houses and cartoon animated series - with projects ranging from the animation of dinosaurs to the visualization of natural disasters and something as chic as 3d jewelry animations.
