How do I get started?
Make an appointment with a career counselor Here https://calendly.com/micacd
Do you have advice on creating demo reels?
Great Character Animation Reel Vimeo group:
https://vimeo.com/channels/34654
Two of the most memorable demo reels (NSFW)
https://vimeo.com/6054507
How do I find an internship?
COMPANY SITES
All big studios have some type of internship program. It’s often best to figure out what company you would like to intern at and go directly to the company site:
Examples:
http://nickanimationstudio.com/jobs/internships/
http://www.pixar.com/careers/Available-Internships
http://blueskystudios.com/working-here/internship-program/
Often the bigger companies will ask you to do a “test” for the program. It is important that you go as far as you can with the test. Factor in a good chunk of time to do a good job, maybe positing yourself so that you can take the test over a school break. That will take planning and coordination on your part, but it’s worth it.
MESSAGE BOARDS, BLOGS, FACEBOOK PAGES, ETC.
As far as message boards go, you can check the job/internship section of:
Animation Industry Job Posting by Chris Mayne
CLICK here to access his database.
MICA Animation Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/MicaAnimation
Awn.com
http://jobs.awn.com/c/search.cfm?site_id=500
Cartoonbrew Jobs
http://jobs.cartoonbrew.com/
Motionographer.com
https://jobs.motionographer.com/
Mograph.net
http://mograph.net/board/index.php?showforum=21
VFX World Map
http://vfxworldmap.com/
CG Studio Map
https://www.cgstudiomap.org/
Animation Jobs twitter
https://twitter.com/animationjobs
EMAIL COMPANIES DIRECTLY
– A lot of companies are receptive to emails from students. If you know where you would like to intern (geographically), you can do a company search by location through:
The Animation Industry Database :
http://aidb.com/
Filter by location, animation specialty, etc.
Don’t be afraid to ask if you can stop by the company and meet them. It’s good practice to see if you can talk with the company face to face. Even if they don’t have an internship at the moment, they’ll be more like to remember you when they do. Email alone is forgettable.
GENERAL TIPS
-Do a lot research on each company before emailing or calling. Nothing looks worse than a form letter that the applicant has obviously sent to hundreds of companies. Show them why you want to work for them in particular.
I discard applications immediately if I don’t get the impression that the applicant knows what kind of work my company does.
Likewise, you’ll need to cater your portfolio to each company and for each position.
– Apply months in advance. You should start looking for internships at least 4 months before you want to start. Some of the bigger companies you may want to start even earlier.
-Don’t get discourage if you don’t hear back from a company or get the internship on the first application. It’s a competitive field and timing is everything. The more applications and contacts you make, the more likely you are to find something that fits you. Do not rely on a single application.
If you don’t know how to do something that they require (i.e. they are looking for MAYA experience and you only know 3DS MAX), remember that you can learn the program. You can be confident in your ability to learn if you are realistic with yourself and honest with your employer.
-Big companies have an advantage that you will meet a lot of people. The negative is you’ll probably being doing one specific thing or working in one department.
Smaller companies have that advantage that you will probably be asked to do more varied work. You may find yourself pitching in several departments and getting a taste of different facets of the industry. Obviously, the disadvantage to a small company is you will meet less people.
INTERNSHIP ELIGIBILITY and FAQhttps://testing.mica.edu/career-development/mica-internship-program/internship-eligibility/