Getting your Name out There
There are many ways for an animator to get their names known. The most effective are as follows:
-Showreel
The most important thing for any animator is to have a showreel. A showreel is a short video which shows a person’s best work, usually accompanied by a music track. Tips which I have picked up through various lectures include:
-Keep your showreel to less than 3 minutes
This is because you may have a huge collection of work, whoever you send it to won’t necessarily have the time it takes to watch it all, so keep it short.
-Make sure any lip syncing included can be heard over the music
This will allow you to show off your lip syncing, and the viewer will be able to see your skills. Usually, people dim the background music while the voice is played above it.
-Show your best work first
The viewer may not have time to see the full showreel, and if your best work is at the end, then they may be left unimpressed by the rest of the reel. If your best work is first, they will see that no mater how long they watch it for.
-Identify your work.
This applies to collaborations and group work. If multiple people worked on a scene, identify in your showreel what parts you made.
-Networking
Websites such as Facebook and YouTube, which allow video uploading, are popular among anyone who strives to get into the industry, as it allows them to upload their completed work and people can view it. With over 2 billion videos watched a day, YouTube is the most popular video sharing website, and it is almost guaranteed that if someone uploads something, someone somewhere will watch it. Facebook on the other hand, while it allows video uploads, only the person’s contacts can watch them. However, if a person creates a separate page for their work, people outside their contacts list can watch it.
Photobucket is another website which allows video sharing, but as the name suggests, it has more emphasis on images. The part of the site for videos isn’t as popular as Youtube, but for people who produce high quality images as well as videos could use this site.
Websites like Twitter are aimed more at simply keeping in contact, but many people use Twitter, and with the right contacts, one’s work can be spread through word of mouth.
Aniboom is another video hosting website, dedicated to animations. This website is also useful as it’s purpose is an online animation production studio. This gives it a slight edge over YouTube as a method of finding work, as YouTue has more viewers, it is more likely that someone looking for an animator will visit Aniboom.
-Personal Website
Having a personal website isn’t necessary pivotal in promoting oneself at the beginning of their career, it is extremely advisable that people have their own websites. This is because it allows people to see your work, you can have a website in your own personal style, and it generally makes you seem more professional. There are a wide range of website hosting sites, such as Justhost or 34sp.
-Contests
There are many short film contests on the Internet, and they can be great way of promoting yourself, with the bonus of winning money if you win. The 11 Second Club has monthly competitions, although they are aimed at character animation, not short films. Another website, BigStar, offer monthly prizes for short films. While there isn’t always a designated animation contest, animated films are allowed in all their contests.
-E-mail
Another great way of getting your name out there is through e-mailing a range of different companies. It is a good idea to attach a showreel or have a link to an online showreel, as the viewer may take the time to watch it.
Aaron Hodder
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