"As the Founder of Animation Career Review, I receive many inquiries from aspiring animators and designers seeking advice on how to best pursue their dreams of working in animation, design, gaming and the like. As much as I would like to answer each individual email directly, time constraints simply don't permit me. However I have put together the list of suggestions below to help, hopefully, those of you who are embarking on a career in animation, design, or gaming. Best of luck to you." - Brad Prescott, Founder, Animation Career Review
It's competitive. Few industries value talent and competency more than animation, design, and gaming. It's ultra competitive and if you are going to have a rewarding career in any these fields, you have to be willing to challenge yourself and constantly improve both your technical and artistic skills.
Technology drives this industry. There are hundreds of different types of software and it's impossible to master them all. It is important though that you identify the most commonly used software packages in your industry and start working to master them.
Challenge yourself as an artist. Steve Jobs famously took a calligraphy class in college which was the driving force behind the first Mac computer having different fonts.
Self evaluate. I get many emails from young people who LOVE animation, special effects, or gaming and have decided they want it as a career but who haven't spent any time actually doing that type of work, even on a basic level like building a web site or editing in Photoshop. Deciding you want to be a game developer because you like playing video games is like deciding you want to be a chef because you like to eat. It doesn't work that way. Spend time self evaluating. Ask yourself why you truly want to pursue this and why you think it's a good fit for you. Ask other people whose opinion you trust. College is a $50,000 to $200,000 investment so you don't want to waste that time and money on a specialized degree in a field that isn't right for you.
College isn't for everybody. It's expensive and, for some people, it can actually be a distraction from your goals. If you have a clear idea of what you want to pursue and have demonstrated the self discipline, maturity and curiosity to develop your skills and learn the technology associated with your field, then you may be one of those rare people who can skip college and go straight into the work force. If you think you are one of those people, outline your 5 year "instead of college" plan and share it with the 10 people whose opinion you most respect. If after all that, you think skipping college is a good idea, then go for it!
College IS the right choice for many people. When choosing a school request information from many schools, even from ones in which you aren't initially interested. Being able to compare and contrast programs against a wide spectrum of alternatives will give you better perspective on what you want. At Animation Career Review we have school profiles and articles organized by State here as well as a handy dandy tool to help you get information on different schools.
Consider relocating for school. Where your college is located can matter. Students in animation and design meccas like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Orlando benefit from access to the major studios and firms that are headquartered in those cities as well as the community of like-minded people that live and work there. Relocation is not essential by any means, but if you can afford it and moving away from family and friends is an option you can accept, then consider it.
Consider an online degree program. Online programs are not for everybody. They require a high level of self discipline, maturity and commitment. They also can be ideal for people working there way through school or for people who aren't able to relocate to attend college. At Animation Career Review we have info about online animation programs here, online game art and game design/development programs here, online graphic design programs here, online web design/development programs here as well as a handy dandy tool to help you get information on different schools.
Take student loan debt seriously. College is expensive and some students enter the workforce with over $100,000 in student loan debt. It's easy to sign the loan papers when you are in school and dismiss the ever increasing loan balance as "something I'll pay off later when I'm working". But know this: Nothing can strangle your quality of life or your career more than the financial burden of having too much debt at a young age. A $100,000 student loan balance at graduation with a 6.8% interest rate will cost you $1150 per month in loan payments and will take 10 years to pay off in full. Also keep in mind that most schools have no vested interest in whether you can afford to pay back the loan or not, so admission reps may sell you on the notion that education is priceless and worth the debt. Nonsense. Always consider the cost of the full degree program in relation to your personal financial situation and future earning potential.
Scholarships. Seek them out. Apply. It will seem fruitless but find scholarships that are a good fit for you and do the necessary grunt work to have a chance at them. Many scholarships go unfilled simply because nobody applies.
Intern. Until you have vast experience, take any chance you get to do real work with a real firm where you can learn real skills, even if it means working for free for a summer or even a year. Don't take an internship that won't teach you real skills just to pad your resume. A summer spent running errands for the boss is not time well spent. Find the firm that does what you want to do and beg for a chance to learn and contribute. Once there, work hard, never complain, and be curious, eager, accountable, responsible and -most importantly- grateful for the opportunity.