I recently graduated and am currently looking for a job. However, I won’t go in depth but because of a lack of support I am not sure how confident I can be on my abilities.
I am looking for some advices of professionals from the animation industry, like how hard would it be to get a job, what kind of jobs can I apply to, or anything really.
Here is my demo reel which quickly shows most of my best work :
And my portfolio for those who want to look more in-depth :
https://wa_rouk.artstation.com/
I may also add that even though I have a diploma, I’m not really specialized in something in particular. I’m confident I could model props, but I’m not sure where I stand for other positions such as character artist or lighting artist. Everything you see in my demo reel / portfolio was made by me alone using no assets, except when specified (= one project where I didn’t do textures and matte painting, and 1 or 2 HDRIs from polyhaven in one other project)
I aspire to work in the animation industry, but I’m not sure what role I should stick with.
While I am not directly in that business – I can’t hire you – I think that this “reel” is very solid.
Ignoring the inevitable “mistakes,” what I very clearly see here is a keen grasp of cinematography and storytelling. I see “focus pulls” and other effects which keep my attention exactly where you want it. I also see a diversity of techniques being demonstrated – including 2D drawing – yet they are integrated into the overall progression and clearly belong there.
Going back to storytelling, this reel progresses very smoothly from one idea to another, in a steady pace that matches the music. I detect a clear continuity and intention in how it is arranged. The story finally ends in “the animator’s own disorganized workshop,” where the animator – you – is seen drawing. “So, all of this is: 'your story.'” Perfect.
I’ve seen lots of “reels” that are simply a mashup of different demonstrations, cut one against the next. But you’ve actually woven this “reel” into a cohesive story, with excellent and creative cinematography.
“No assets?” Even more impressive.
My guess is that you would probably wind up in areas like editing, shot planning, story planning, and so on. Higher-level stuff. That’s what I see most clearly.
Given this “reel,” I would not pursue a position which calls for you to be twiddling characters and models frame-by-frame. Look for positions that place you higher-up in the production cycle. Both in the execution of it, and the planning of it. You could also apply these skills to live-action.
