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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 5.6 - SEPTEMBER 2000
Drawing Attention -- How to Get Your Work Noticedby Janet Ginsburg After years of hard work and practice, it's finally time to draw attention to what you've been drawing. So what do you have to do to get your foot in the door? One method is to gain representation -- easy enough to do if you're established, but a little more difficult if you're not. Luckily, if you're talented, serious -- and patient -- it's easier than you think to get your work noticed.
First: Location, Location, Location: If you wanted to be a lobbyist, you'd find a wealth of job opportunities in Washington, D.C. If it's animation you're interested in, your place is in Southern California. Of course, it's possible to get work in other parts of the country -- there's plenty of work for computer animators in Northern California, for example -- but as in any field, it's important to be where the action is. And as far as animation is concerned, that place is Los Angeles. Other hot spots are the Bay area and New York City. Outside the U.S. there are numerous major animation centers as well, such as Paris, Toronto, Vancouver, London, etc. For instance, if you want to be involved in stop-motion, then you'd better get yourself to Bristol! Second: Being in the Know: Once you've arrived in town with your portfolio under your arm, you'll have plenty to do before you go knocking on agency doors. The first major task is research -- getting the information you need to plot your course of action. It's important to be informed about who's who and what's where in your field. There are a number of animation and/or entertainment-themed publications and directories (Daily Variety, Animation World Network, The Hollywood Creative Directory, etc.). Read and reference them. Keeping current won't make you a better artist or writer, and it won't get you an agent or a deal -- but it will help you learn the names and faces you need to know in order to get ahead in your chosen field. Third: Getting Out There: One of the best ways to secure an agent, according to Animanagement's Aaron Berger, "is to have someone who the representative knows and trusts recommend you. That's the quickest route." If you're just starting out, you probably don't know too many people in the industry -- so the importance of networking can't be underestimated. By attending industry conferences and events, you're more likely to meet people who will take an interest in seeing your work. Talk to people who have the jobs you'd like to have, and find out how they got there. And talk to others like yourself, just starting out -- you never know where they'll go or who they know. They just might know about opportunities that would interest you.
Beyond the Basics "It's not necessary for every artist or animator to have an agent negotiate for their salary or position," says Randy Myers, who is repped by John Goldsmith of the Irv Schecter Company. Myers is a character animator/animation director who's worked in animation for more than a decade, on both features (Iron Giant, Quest for Camelot) and television. He is currently directing episodes of The Powerpuff Girls on Cartoon Network. "If someone is just starting out in the industry, it's not important to have an agent. All that should matter is getting work and doing the best you can. If you do that, eventually the bigger deals will come to you -- then you should think about finding representation."
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Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.