As part of the Computer Arts Practice module we were asked to give a short, informal presentation on research we have done on a company in the industry we want to work for.
I have previously looked at animation companies before for a similar task but I had only considered the larger studios such as Disney Animation Studios, Disney Pixar, Dreamworks and Blue Sky. Although its great to have ambition I thought I would look at smaller companies as they’d be my likely choice following on from university.
I looked at companies such as Blue Zoo, Axis Animation, and others but decided to look further into Studio Distract, a 3D animation studio based in Manchester. They have worked on a lot of producing their own content as well as working with clients such as Disney, Hasbro, BBC and Mattel.
A project they are currently working on is Rollie & Friends. An animated series targeted towards children and located in a theme park. The company have designed everything themselves from the characters and environments to the character rigs and story.
You can take a look at their showreel for more information or see my presentation attached at the bottom of this post.
While this studio didn’t have any animation jobs currently available, I used the other companies I looked at to gather a basic understanding of what’s required from a 3D animator. Some companies hired freelances while others had some permanent jobs. A showreel is always required and having experience in the industry always helps.
The skills required are the same as most jobs in the creative industry such as good communication and teamwork skills and the ability to work within a deadline. Skills more specific to animation include an understanding of the principles of animation, knowledge of anatomy and cinematography.