One of the animators I am coaching told me about the ‘luck’ he had when he started out as recent graduate. By luck, he managed to win his first animation job. I asked him to tell me about this job came about.
One of his tutors organised for a group of students to visit animation studios in London, including th1ng. A producer showed them around and told them about how the studio runs. She showed them some of the different projects that they were working on.
On the week that they handed in their final project, he decided to take a trip to London to visit some animation studios and hand deliver his CV and showreel. It was a stab in the dark, but it paid off. When he walked into th1ng, he happened to bump into the same producer who had shown him around previously. They spoke briefly about a project they needed help with, she remembered the class visit. Within a week, he working for them! What great luck!
Was his first animation job just luck?
I challenged the animator on whether this was acually ‘luck’?
If the producer hadn’t been around, his CV and showreel would have likely ended up in a pile with many others. He created his lucky by being in the right place, and delivering the CV by hand. He put himself in a situation where the luck could happened.
My tips for finding that first contract
Take your opportunities. If trips are being organised for you, please make the effort to go. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t. If they’re not organising them for you, organise them yourself.
Take some initiative. Admittedly it’s a little demoralising walking into 20 animation studios and getting ignored, but if you get to speak to just one producer or production manager then it will be worth it. Do something that sets you apart from the rest.
Make your own luck. If you don’t take your opportunities and you don’t take any initiative then you won’t create a situation where you might get that lucky break.
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