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Hey im new! student reel FEEDBACK plz.

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Hey im new! student reel FEEDBACK plz.

hey im new to the forum, i would appreciate some feedback on my animation reel from the past two semesters at the college for creative studies im heading in my final year and i would like some honest feedback about how far away i may be from getting a professional gig, im aiming for some small animation shops first. i know now im not there yet but help would still be nice for some direction.  thanks in advance.

reel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-EbxstfaPc

Josh--

Josh--

If I may.................yeah,  you "are not there yet".  But you are on the way.
I see two major things that stand out for me:

One being that your animation is always moving.....there's no "economy of action" therein, no pauses or holds.  Everything is moving almost all the time. Straight-ahead action can work in many situations, but a lot of scene planning can tap into "pose-to-pose".  I'd say that most professional animation relies more on pose-to-pose than straight-ahead, because there's often other people setting up the scenes for animation.

The second thing being your drawing.  
This is the crux of getting work...........being able to draw what the studios produce, at the level that they demand.  That means having appeal in the drawing, line-weights, proportions, structure, clarity.......etc.  You MUST be able to do what the studios do.........and not just "your own thing".  This is the inherent flaw in most student reels; they are self-indulgent, and what the student is interested in, or into.........but they are not always at a professional level.  Hence the student reel is often of limited value as a showcase for talent.
You need to look at your own reel critically, and ask yourself if the smaller ( and by extension, larger) studios you seek to apply at are producing work in a similar vein or style.
If the answer you come up with is "no", then you need to make adjustments.

Keep in mind that a recruiter isn't necessarily going to be able to "interpret" your work, to see if what you do meets their needs or to "find a place for you".
They are going to look for key principles and traits in the work that signify whether or not the prospective animator ( you) understands how to animate effectively, can draw clearly and with appeal, and will need little or no coaching or grooming.

Right now, looking at your work.........it comes across as all over the place. I do not see the things in your stuff that studios typically seem to want.  I do not know what equipment you have access to, or if you can alter the work on your reel.  If you can shoot a line-test at home, then that is what I'd encourage you to do.  
The animation doesn't have to be finished ( in the sense of colour etc), it just has to communicate that you can properly animate.
Look, for many years, there's been TWO defacto/default standards that peg if an animator can animate........and they are if you can do work like Disney does, or like the old Warner Bros cartoons.  
Most professional studios and animators are measured by either one. That means timing animation, the secondary actions, follow-throughs.......all of that stuff.
The reason being is that if you can animate to either of those two standards, you can animate ANYTHING.  Disney/Warner Bros typify the core animation principles used over and over again--which is why they have long remained the gauge.

Likewise, if you can draw and stylize characters like they do...........again, then you'll be seen as being able to tackle ANY kind of character or drawing situation.  The reason, again, is because the classic drawing focuses of line, shapes, forms, volumes, positive/negative spaces...........appeal...........proportion, composition........all of those things are typified in Disney/Warner Bros material.
Now, there's a bit of leeway in that..........it doesn't have to be a strict , slavish adherence to those two stables.  But the drawing has to have appeal, has to have solid structure/volumes........has to be well drawn. If you can work to either level........you WILL find work.

I will not mince words, or spare feelings here...........you DO have some work to do.  But you also asked for directions, and handing you false-praise will not serve you.
Work hard at it and good luck with it.
 

"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)

ken, thanks for your honesty.

ken, thanks for your honesty.

when you said"inherent flaw in most student reels; they are self-indulgent," i believe your right. what i want to draw will probably rarely be what ill get paid for, ill be drawing what the client or studio wants. i have heard that before and i experienced that in my first freelance job. its also a basic desire when i draw i will work on broadening my abilities so that i can "being able to draw what the studios produce, at the level that they demand"

you know when you said " your animation is always moving.....there's no "economy of action" therein, no pauses or holds." it makes since i had a pencil test of a kid playing a video game with a controller in his hands. he's motioning all about desparately (its not on my reel). after what you said i think my problem is lack of subtle motions in contrast to big onces it lacked "pauses or holds"

ill really take your advice on all of this thank you. theres alot to chew on buy you also said  "But you are on the way." as i begin that is one of my major desires to be on my way somewhere, i have a destinatoin and its to be come an professional character animator!