Attention all animators, grab your pencils, grab your sketchpads, and get ready to take notes! We're about to reveal the secret sauce to building an animation profile that will make your audience do a double take (and maybe even a triple take...or more).
Get ready to impress with an animation profile that showcases your skills, your creativity, and most importantly, your amazing talents. So, put down that bag of chips, turn off that cat video, and let's get started on crafting the most impressive animation profile that the world has ever seen!
Where Animation Profiles Can Be Made
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The world of online portfolios is vast, and there are so many options for animators to choose from. But don't worry, we've done the heavy lifting for you and rounded up some of the best places to showcase your animating genius.
First up, there's Behance - the place where you can finally let your portfolio do the talking. Think of it as a virtual art gallery where you can showcase your work and let the world admire your talent.
Then there's Vimeo, the video-sharing platform that's perfect for animators who like to show, not just tell. Put your best foot forward and let your animations do the talking.
And last but not least, we've got website builders like Wix and Squarespace. They're like the blank canvas of the internet, just waiting for you to add your animating magic.
Share Your Best Work in Your Animation Profile
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When you're applying for a job as an animator, it's always best to showcase the best work in your animation profile. But don't just show off your best work. Show off the kind of animation that would be relevant to the job you are applying for.
For example, if you want to be hired as a character animator at Pixar or Disney Animation Studios, then showing off some simple animation tests won't cut it - those studios expect their animators to have years of experience under their belts before they even consider them for employment!
Instead, share some examples from projects that use similar techniques and styles as those found in feature films: character acting tasks are more likely than lip sync tests; facial rigging challenges over crowd simulations; etc.
Don't include personal projects (unless specifically invited) or unrelated pieces (e.g., modeling/texturing).
Don't Forget Your Résumé in Your Animation Profile
Your resumé is a critical part of your animation profile (think of LinkedIn), so don't forget to include it. It's also important that the two work together seamlessly.
If you're not sure how best to do this, consider using one of the many templates available online - they'll help ensure that your resume doesn't get overlooked because it doesn't match up with what recruiters are looking for in an applicant's profile.
When updating your résumé regularly (which should happen at least every year), keep these tips in mind:
Keep it short and sweet - the main purpose of a résumé is to highlight relevant skills and experience so that hiring managers can see how they fit into their company culture without having met with the candidate yet.
Make sure yours lists only those things that are most impressive about yourself; any less will make it seem like filler content instead of useful information that helps potential employers make an informed decision about whether or not they want someone to like you on their team!
Animation Profile Necessity: Your Contact Information
This may sound pretty obvious but it is so important to include all your contact information in your animation profile. This way, potential clients can get in touch with you with ease, so include your email address and phone number and any other contact information you are willing to share.
Showcase Finished Projects In Your Animation Profile
When applying for a job, it's important to showcase your finished projects. You want to make sure the animation studio hiring you know exactly what they are getting. If they see that you have been doing projects for years and years, they will feel comfortable hiring you because they know what kind of work ethic and quality of the product they can expect from you.
If possible, showcase projects that are relevant to the job listing itself. For example, if there is an opening at an animation studio looking for someone who can animate characters in 3D software Autodesk Maya (a common one), then show off some animations that were done using Autodesk Maya!
List The Tools You Use In Your Animation Profile
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This is a good time to clarify what tools you use and why. If you are a Flash animator, for example, you should make sure that the portfolio website offers visitors the option to view your animations in Flash format. If not, they may be disappointed when they see that their browser doesn't support it and move on without even looking at your work!
You should also be clear about which operating system (Windows or Mac) your animation software works with so potential employers know whether or not they can get the job done using their current equipment setup.
Keep A Consistent Style Throughout Your Animation Profile
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In addition to being easy to browse, your portfolio should also be consistent in style throughout its entirety; if there are multiple pieces within one project (for example a short film), each segment should maintain its own look so viewers can easily distinguish between them without getting confused by sudden shifts from cartoonish characters into realistic ones or vice versa.
This also helps establish what kind of work you do best - if someone sees some comedic skits followed by sci-fi drama scenes but nothing else like them elsewhere on their computer screen then chances are high those same people won't hire him/her because he/she isn't versatile enough yet!
Highlight the Type of Work You Want to Do
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When you're building your animation profile, it's important to highlight the type of work you want to do. If you want to do character animation, then show off your best character designs and explain why they are so great. If you want to be a storyboard artist, show how well-rounded your storytelling skills are by including some examples of boards that really impressed people at conferences or portfolio reviews.
Don't be afraid to show off some range in terms of skill set: if someone only knows about one aspect of animation (like character design), then it can be hard for them to get excited about hiring an applicant who shows only that skill on their reel! Showing off multiple types of animation will help set you apart from other applicants who may not have as broad experience across different areas within the field.
Quality Over Quantity In Your Animation Profile
Don't try to impress by overloading your animation profile with mediocre or irrelevant projects, as this will make you look less talented than you actually are. Instead, focus on showing off your best stuff and let it speak for itself!
If possible, make sure that each animation project includes some sort of video or gif so that potential employers can see how well it moves around in motion - it's not enough just having still images anymore!
Getting Your Animation Profile Noticed
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Even if you don't have years of experience, there are ways to make sure your profile gets noticed. Here are some tips:
Make sure your work is easy to find. If potential employers or clients can't easily find what they're looking for, they'll move on and hire someone else - or go with their gut instinct (which may not be in your favor). Make sure all of your portfolio pieces are linked from one central page on LinkedIn, including any videos that showcase animation skills.
Showcase a range of skills and experiences. While it's important to highlight the strongest parts of your portfolio, including projects in which other people were involved will show off more than just what you did by yourself; it also demonstrates how much energy and effort went into those projects - and shows recruiters that this was no small undertaking!
A Strong Animation Profile is Crucial
If you're looking to make a career out of animation, it's important to have an impressive online presence. Your website or LinkedIn profile can be the first thing people see when they Google your name or search for animators in their area. You want this profile to showcase your skills and experience while also providing potential clients with an avenue for contact.
For more information about animation profiles, as well as answers to any other questions you might have, be sure to follow our blogs, check out our free masterclass, and our Animation Business Accelerator Program, download a copy of our free marketing handbook, and check out our blog on “How to Start an Animation Studio”!
