It's Not What You Know...
Connections can really help getting that first job or internship. Of course, being connected does not mean that your father is John Lasseter, though that probably would help. One can build connections simply from meeting recruiters at job fairs or establishing a professional rapport by phone with individuals at a studio when inquiring about work. "If you call a small studio and there is no work available there, mark your calendar and in six months time call again," suggests Ashley Postlewaite. "Don't give up. My current assistant called for months before we had a position available for her. At that stage, she was the first person to come to mind because she had been so interested and thorough in following up with us. You should not stalk people, but there is an appropriate every-couple-of-months check in time. Find somewhere that will hire you at any level. Keep your eyes and ears open and work your way up. I would encourage people not to give up."

SpongeBob SquarePants appears in the New Home spot for Target by Renegade Animation. © Target. Ad agency: The Martin Agency, Richmond, VA.	Wild Brain's Dan McHale at work. Photo credit: Julia Tortolani, Wild Brain, Inc.

One of the problems of getting a job as an animation producer is that the job itself is rather vague in its responsibilities. Unlike the live-action film industry, animation producers are essentially the middlemen; they are the captains of their respective projects, and their responsibility is to be the glue that holds together every aspect of production. Consequently, one's organizational and people skills are the bedrock of being a good animation producer. For Mark Medernach: "The best thing is someone who is well organized and has a good phone manner. Those are the two key elements. If someone has a strong animation background, that is a real plus, but organization is the biggest thing. I cannot stress that enough. It is a people business. The more people skills you have, the better off you will be."

Vanilla Pudding is another project being developed by Wild Brain. Image courtesy of Wild Brain, Inc.

A Can-Do Attitude
Irrespective of my earlier harangue on the necessity of experience, Jeff Fino is not in full agreement: "Experience is not at the top of my list. It is relevant for sure, but I think intelligence, organization and enthusiasm are all great qualities that a producer should have. Animation is a bit more specialized. It helps to have some experience, but if you find somebody who is exceptionally smart and enthusiastic about what they are doing, with the proper amount of instruction you can make them into a great producer."

Careers in animation and most of the arts are eclectic. A certain amount of unbridled enthusiasm and love for the genre is mandatory and should be expressed during interviews. One cannot devote one's life to a facet of the arts without love for it. Consequently, experience in any of the arts can be beneficial to working in animation. "A love for animation helps," Ashley Postlewaite explains. "Skills in either animation or computer animation can also help a producer. I came from live theatre fourteen years ago, but I was always in the arts producing and I was able to make that transition. I hope others could make that transition as well."