10 Tips for Navigating Your Animation Career Journey

Animation for many of us is a passion career, which differentiates it from most traditional careers. Perhaps it was a movie you watched as a kid that taught you a valuable lesson, maybe you found comfort in drawing or writing stories and were looking for an avenue to communicate them. For most of us, working in this type of field was an active choice to make our hobby a career, so as you try to break into this very niche industry or work your way up, here are some things to keep in mind:

1. Let’s start with the basics: Our passion and excitement can make us want to jump ahead, but the reality is that there are no shortcuts. You have to learn to walk before you can run, and to do that, you must start with the basics. Build up and slowly challenge yourself, and make sure you have a strong foundation before attempting complex tasks.

2. If at first you don’t succeed, try try again: A baby’s first steps are unstable, and they often need to lean on objects to keep their balance. If you fall, get up and try again. Lean on those around you, find people to guide you. Listen to your peers and mentors, watch tutorials, take classes, and most of all — work hard.

3. Collaboration is key: This is a very small and niche field. You will often bump into people you went to school with or worked in other studios with. We’re creating content together! And we are all trying to make it the best it can be. The only way to do this is by collaborating. It can be easy to get sucked into the competitive mindset, but that’s not the right mindset for this industry. Help those around you, learn and grow together, and don’t be afraid to accept help from others. One thing I personally struggled with at first was feeling like there was no way for me to repay those who helped me along the way. I eventually learned the value of simply showing appreciation and giving credit. And with time, as you become a professional in the field — pay it forward!

4. Make friendships, not connections: Networking is with no doubt extremely helpful, but it’s the way you go about it that really makes a difference. When studios search for new talent to hire, employees will often recommend talented friends. Knowing that a person is easy to work with and fun to have around is extremely valuable. Your strongest connections will typically be your friends. When you’re in the start of your career it may look like you’re competing with one another, but the truth is that if a friend receives a role you wanted, you should be so happy! First, because you should be happy for your friend’s success. Additionally, you now have someone at the studio that could potentially put you forward when another opportunity arises.

When reaching out to an artist or recruiter you don’t know, make sure your note is personal and show that you are interested in speaking to that specific person. A copy-pasted message will often get overlooked.

6. Keep an open mind: There are only so many people that will make it into the top studios, but the industry is vast! There are so many other avenues you can explore. At the end of the day even the top studios are ultimately just a job. What really matters is the people you work with. And even the smallest of projects, with passionate people, can become something outstandingly creative. Even though I knew I wanted to do animation in feature films, my first internship was as a generalist. I then worked as a game animator, and only after that I made it into feature films. I’m not a gamer, and didn’t originally see myself in the game industry, but I absolutely loved my time doing it thanks to the amazing team, and great projects.

7. What’s your personal spice?: There is so much amazing talent out there. Make sure to think about what that extra thing you bring to the table is. What makes you valuable to the team? It can be something technical like coding knowledge, or something personal like your social or organizational skills. For me it is my ability to bring people together. Don’t forget the value in what makes you you, and highlight that throughout your career.

8. Find your own path: My career path was rather unusual: I finished high school, went to military service, traveled, and then became a flight attendant so I could travel more, and only then went to college to study animation. When you’re 18 you’re still learning so much about yourself. People often change careers throughout their lives, take breaks and follow other passions. This is just a reminder that it’s okay! Everyone has their own path and it’s often a windy road. Sometimes finding a job straight out of school can be challenging. Working a part time job is completely normal and not something at all to be ashamed of!

9. There’s always room to grow: Even when you’ve reached the top, there is always more you can learn. Be open to change and stay current as our industry constantly changes and progresses. Imposter syndrome is something that can be very tough to deal with, but in the right amount, it can give you the drive to keep challenging yourself.

10. Enjoy the journey: As you find your own path, remember to enjoy the journey. It’s all part of it! Pick up hobbies, make more time for family and friends. Don’t forget to live! That’s where our stories come from. Your success in your career shouldn’t be what dictates your happiness in life.

Shir Baron is a character animator, currently working at DreamWorks Animation, where she’s contributed to films such as Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken and the upcoming The Wild Robot. She also has experience in the gaming industry.

Shir is of Jewish Moroccan descent, was born and raised in Israel, and has dedicated most of her 20s to traveling the world, which has had a great influence on her storytelling.