Tuesday, June 12

The Animator’s Bookshelf

This book was on a suggested reading list in college, so I did not bother with reading it at the time. How I wish I had! Reading it now, I think it really should be required reading not just for animation students, but also for animation professionals and kids who are interested in becoming animators but haven’t started college yet. In fact, animation schools should have a class based around this book in order to create realistic expectations and prepare students for life after college.

Your Career in Animation is divided into chapters covering things like networking, finding your first real job, how to keep in touch with contacts, how to deal with annoying co-workers, how to pitch a television show, and other important on the job tips that most people take years to figure out on their own.

The single most important lesson I took from this book is that the animation business really is about who you know, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s important to create and maintain friendly relationships not just for the sake of your career, but it’s also a major part of just being happy in life. This is not to downplay the importance of talent, it simply raises the importance of networking up to the same level as the importance of a kick-ass reel.

It is a really important book for those in the animation and film industry and those who are thinking about joining those industries. I highly recommend it.

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