Wisdom Sharing
Things I've learnt bumbling about in animation and motion graphics.
For those folks new to the industry or mid-transition or just keen to get more engaged with the Creative Industry, I've collated some of the things I've learnt on my adventures. By no means is it exhaustive, but hopefully it gives someone a bit more confidence to get on out there and hustle . If there's top tips I'm missing, glaring omissions or embarrassing goofs, let me know!
This is far from comprehensive. It started as an email to send to my students once they finished their studies but it has continued to grow and evolve from there.
(Also, keep in mind I'm based in Melbourne so it's pretty localised)
Make a
Babin' Website
You’ve got to have a website. It doesn’t have to be fancy but it should cover your essentials:
Who are you?
What can you do?
What do you enjoy doing?
How do we get in contact?
Where are you based?
Get on the Socials
Share your stuff everywhere. You never know where a potential client might stumble upon your work. Get your work out to the audiences that are really looking for it.
Competition Time
Follow those hashtags and get involved with competitions and challenges. Find that community that spends their spare time doing cool stuff just like you.
BE SEEN
Check out Events
There are heaps all over the globe and a bunch locally. It's a wide spreading community so don't limit yourself to local stuff but definitely try and get to events whenever you can. You never know what you might see that inspires you or who you might meet. It could be your next collaborator, client, full time employer or new bestest bud. You just never know!
A lot of big events and conferences now are being filmed too so if you can't make it to some of the big ones, check them out online #2020
Adobe Max
AGDA
Annecy
Blend Fest
Festival of the Photocopier
Loop de loop
Melbourne Webfest
MIAF
MIFF
Node Fest
Pictoplasma
Semi Permanent
SEE OTHERS
Check out Events
There are heaps all over the globe and a bunch locally. It's a wide spreading community so don't limit yourself to local stuff but definitely try and get to events whenever you can. You never know what you might see that inspires you or who you might meet. It could be your next collaborator, client, full time employer or new bestest bud. You just never know!
A lot of big events and conferences now are being filmed too so if you can't make it to some of the big ones, check them out online #2020
Loop de loop
Node Fest
MIAF
MIFF
Pictoplasma
Blend Fest
Annecy
Adobe Max
Melbourne Webfest
Adobe Make It
Semi Permanent
AGDA
Get on the Blogs
Some of the coolest studios give away their secrets through their blogs and newsletters. If you stumble upon animators or studios you like, follow them, check in on what they're up to. Even get in contact and tell them they're rad. Let them know you exist and you never know what might happen!
Holdframe
Animade
Buck
Giant Ant
On Animation
Motionographer
Pictofolio
Everything Animated
Boom
Wine After Coffee
Ball Pit Mag
Ice Cream Hater
Gregg Gunn
Alex Grigg
Tune into Podcasts
It's a massively expanding realm at the moment and heaps of our favourite studios are popping out their own podcasts and interviewing all the fanciest folk about.
You can gain a wealth of knowledge from these. Incredible insights into the industry, issues people have faced and overcome, awesome opportunities that have arisen and how to cultivate such epicness in one's own life. I cannot recommend enough, the benefits of listening to quality podcasts.
ENGAGE
Get involved in online communities
OzAnimate
Brilliant resource, showcasing a lot of local Aussie work as well as learning and job opportunities.
Motionographer
motionographer.com
OzAnimate is modeled on Motionographer. This is a global resource that everyone in the industry is getting all up in on. They've also got job listings from all over the place.
Motion Melbourne
www.facebook.com/groups/melbournemotion
A little facebook group setup for animators in Melbs. Posts questions and jobs and new plugins.. all sorts!
Motion Hatch
Hugely useful resource. Specifically for motion design with job postings, technical support, podcasts, advice and sweet community in general.
Follow online communities and get involved there. Keep an eye out for their specialist events too.
Punanimation
www.facebook.com/groups/punanimation
A community of women, trans and non-binary friends working with animation and motion graphics.
Cartoon Brew
All sorts of animation news n stuff.
Animation Magazine
www.facebook.com/AnimationMagazine
More animation news and jazz.
Mixed Parts
Forum community with heaps of wizz-bang animators ready to share their wisdoms, answer questions, collaborate on cool stuff and generally share interesting work.
Masters of Motion
www.facebook.com/themastersofmotion
A Melbourne based but Australia-wide servicing resource for all manner of jobs, events and ongoing support in the animation/motiongraphics/film/tv industry.
KEEP GROWING
Never stop learning
Watch Tutorials
There's constantly new things being developed for our favourite software. And old things being pushed into new directions. Keep an eye on dem tutes and work through then from time to time to help keep yourself fresh and inspired!
Flash based but really good break down of storytelling and the overall process of animation
Another 2D champ that covers Flash and Toonboom among other things
Oli
A Toonboom master, his best tutes and support you'll find on his Patreon.
Keep up with current and emerging trends as well as new technologies. Always keep building on your toolset wherever you can.
Wine after Coffee
vimeo.com/channels/wineaftercoffee
Inspirational content. All the time. Heaps of trendy, happening animation and motion graphics stuff.
School of Motion
An incredible resource with seemingly endlessly growing lists of courses in animation, design, modelling, rigging...
Domestika
Cinema 4D training
Learning in all sorts of fields plus interviews with awesome artists and creators.
After Effects tricks
www.GoogleDoc.com.SpreadsheetOfWonder
This little document has been released to the world and filled with hand dandy tips and tricks for After Effects. Super useful!
Finding your Tribe
Follow online communities and get involved. There are loads of groups and streams for all manner of niche. Keep an eye out for their specialist events too.
This list is very much just the tip of a very large iceberg. Have a google of the buzzwords related to your fields of interest and I guarantee you'll find a whole bunch of creative and welcoming spaces.
Brilliant resource, showcasing a lot of local Aussie work as well as learning and job opportunities.
Nodefest is an annual Motion Design conference held in Melbourne each year. It’s a great community of bonkers talented folks with a super active Slack account to keep you engaged.
A little facebook group setup for animators in Melbs. Posts questions and jobs and new plugins.. all sorts!
Hugely useful resource. Specifically for motion design with job postings, technical support, podcasts, advice and sweet community in general.
Motionographer is the US version of OzAnimate. This is a global resource that industry folks from all over are all up in on. They've also got job listings from all over the place.
A community of women, trans and non-binary friends working in animation, illustration, motion graphics and other creative fields.
All sorts of animation news n stuff.
More animation news and jazz.
Forum community with heaps of wizz-bang animators ready to share their wisdoms, answer questions, collaborate on cool stuff and generally share interesting work.
