Animation Jobs Are There, Don’t Worry
Make no mistake, animations are in high demand. We should know, we make lots of them. In turn, animators are needed now more than ever: animation is being seen as a very effective form of communication, one that is engaging and attractive – everyone wants a piece. So, where are the jobs?
For a lot of creatives in general, the problem stems from getting those first few gigs, or that first job with a company from where you can start gaining experience and building your portfolio. Whether that’s a body of university work, passion projects, or professional experience, if you do not have a portfolio, you will have a hard time getting your foot in the door; anywhere.
If you’ve cleared that first step and have a portfolio, where should you look? Creative jobs aren’t always easy to find, especially as traditional job boards may not be set up to accommodate the less traditional opportunities that creative companies have on offer.
Careers In Animation: Full-Time vs. Freelancing
If you’re set on working full-time for a company, don’t wait for the job to materialise on Indeed. Find production companies you want to work for, look on their website for opportunities, and if that turns up nothing, message them directly! Your speculative application may end up in the lap of a company that is considering hiring, and if they can find someone suitable without having to go through the arduous and often expensive candidate vetting process, you may well have a good shot. This is one of the oldest pieces of advice for creative careers across the industry, and there’s a reason for that.
But let’s get back to finding animation jobs. Most creatives across the industry, whether camera operators, writers, or animators, work freelance. If you aren’t keen on setting up a limited company yourself, you can work for larger companies or specific individuals on a contractual basis.
Freelance websites like Fiverr and Upwork can be a good place to go if you are looking for paid gigs, and can be great for starting out if you are fairly new to the animation industry, giving you time to build a professional reputation and a portfolio to show for it.
When talking about freelancing however, there is something that is often overlooked: talent networks. Simply put, talent networks are databases put together by companies that allow them to draw on a bespoke pool of talent that they themselves have picked out. These networks cut through the noise of having to sift through hundreds of potential creatives for a single job, meaning that you are far more visible as an animator than you would be on a colossal list of professionals all relentlessly seeking the same work you want.
Talent networks are harder to get into than a freelancing website with no vetting process, but it is certainly less challenging than competing for one open position. Companies are very likely going to want to draw on your abilities if you have talent and can show it.
At Dragonfly, we are often having to work on dozens of video projects at once, so we are always looking to get animators – both at the beg – to work. We may be based in London, but like many animated video companies, we draw on talent and offer animation jobs worldwide.
Our talent database is easy to apply to, free to be a part of, and unlike a lot of freelancer websites, does not require you to make your work exclusive to the service. You can work across the web, and still be able to make use of our network to get the opportunity to work with respected clients, from small independent businesses to famous global brands.
You can apply to Dragonfly’s talent network on our careers page. We’ll be waiting.
Want to learn more about Dragonfly? Why not have a look at the types of animation we provide, or check out how we create powerful and effective animated explainer videos.