Job profiles and company research

Animal Logic Job profile

About Animal Logic. What they do and reasons as to why I want to work there

Animal Logic is a well-established, award winning animation and visual effects company specializing in Film and television since 1991. They have collaborated with highly reputable film production companies such as Warner Brothers and Village Roadshow Pictures, furthermore collaborating out of the movie/television sector by teaming up with the fashion magazine company Vogue. Their portfolio demonstrates work in advertising and television commercials, as well as full-length feature films with a mix of both realistic and stylized artwork. Having worked on such films as Happy Feet, The Great Gatsby and The Lego Movie, the company does demonstrate that it does not revolve/rely on one direct style and is therefore open to range of people with different artistic skills and flairs. Animal Logic have 3 studios located in Sydney, Los Angeles and, newly built in 2015, Vancouver.

There are numerous reasons why I am interested in looking at working in Animal Logic, first and foremost being that they are not specific to realism. When comparing this to other large VFX based companies, I find that most, such as Double Negative, rely heavily on realism as they work closely with live-action films. Although I have no problem with working to create realistic models, I feel that my show reel may not fulfil what is required to work within such a company. Secondly, they are expanding worldwide, meaning that there is more opportunity to progress within the company alongside the possibility and opportunity of working in a number of different countries. Lastly, their website exhibits a great sense of community within its studio doors, an appealing aspect as a personal relationship with co-workers and management leads toward better teaching and recognition of personal skills.

Online job advert

From this online advertisement, it is to be understood that Animal Logic are looking for new recruits continuously as the company expands. Furthermore they conclude that they will keep your job application if there’s no openings at the time you apply, referring to it when a role becomes available. This means that I need to seem interested by frequently sending them updated versions of my show reel, trying to express my interest through contact, and working around their desires. They then note what software they use in-house. I have experience with Maya, Z-brush and, although not much experience, Mudbox. However, this is not a requirement but can work to my advantage if others do not have experience in these programs- it may be worth me having more practice within these programs and at least trying out the programs which are new to me in preparation for when I graduate.

Requirements:

Notice here how that although the heading reads requirements, but the section begins by saying ‘if possible we would like to see…’. Therefore although it would be ideal whereby my show reel demonstrates exactly what they have asked, if there is certain reasons why i cannot fulfil all of these aspects it may be overlooked if there is a particular piece of work that they liked or if i had the majority. However, I believe that I can fulfil all of their requirements. None the less, I feel that I need to improve how I display these skills in my show reel. To elaborate, I would like my model breakdowns to look more professional, with flowing transitions to demonstrate my skills well and show my efforts.

At current, I am still working on my show reel. However, I began creating a blog for my final major project. The problem is at this stage is that this is only one blog based entirely around one project. As I have the most of my work processes for old projects I will add this to my list of things to do before applying for this role. Furthermore I must ensure that my show reel is either on this website/blog or on Vimeo and include a password if necessary. The best thing to do is to put it on both. To conclude this section, I need to ensure I am updating my show reel if there are any changes and be sure to let them know if my circumstances change as they could view me as a time waster and not consider me again.

Animal Logic Job Application

Above is a breakdown of Animal Logics job application. When applying they require a description of my key skills and experiences. In this section, I could include key skills aside from with programs such as drawings skills, programs which are not mentioned and my personal advantages. I can also include any free jobs I have done or jobs that may be relevant to help my application.

When the tabs are expanded, you will be required to rate how well you perform in certain software, which are also listed above. The options are advanced, expert and novice. At the stage I am at now, I feel I fall in to the advanced category for Maya, Z-Brush, UV layout and Photoshop. Furthermore, in the years’ experience drop down tab, I would say that as I have only experience since beginning the course, I would put 3 years.

Animal Logic Modelling position checklist

Desired skills:

Maya

Z-Brush

Mudbox

XSI

Modo

If any, additional skills in:

Photoshop

Topogun

UV layout

3DS Max

Houdini

Nuke

Shake

Flame

After effects

Digital Fusion

Matchmover

Illustrator

Things I need to do before applying:

Create blog or website for each previous and upcoming projects.

Create a blog displaying all of my work in one place.

Upload showreel to Vimeo

Gain some kind of relevant experience

Once I have applied I need to:

Continuously update my showreel

If circumstances change- let them know

Self-analysis

Strengths:

For this job role, I would say that I am suitable to a certain extent for this position. I say this because I know 3/5 required software and am looking to practice those that I do not yet know to give me an advantage. On the other hand, I have a lack of experience in this field of work whereas other candidates may. I also need to work on my show reel, adding in use of these software to show that I can work with them. Although I have briefly used other software mentioned, other than Photoshop I would not say that I am advanced in any of them, hence why I did not mark them off my checklist.

In terms of social skills, I would say that I find it easy to talk and get to know people. I am a confident speaker when I know that I have knowledge. The only problem I may have at this stage is that I struggle when speaking academically. Not because I do not know what to talk about, I just struggle to find the right words at times as I don’t want to come across in a bad way. I would also say that my personality is a strength as I find it easy to fit in.

Weaknesses:

I would say that one of my greatest weaknesses is confidence in myself and my work. I need to learn to trust in myself and my skills instead of constantly comparing myself to somebody that could be better. For this job role specifically, I would say my weaknesses at this stage would mainly boil down to my show reel and incomplete work. I need to create a professional looking show reel and begin to put myself out there by creating websites and blogs. I also need to start building contacts within the industry.

Another weakness when applying for this job role is the fact I would have to sort accommodation and a Visa to be able to work in Vancouver. This would need to be planned out before attending an interview if I received one to show that I am prepared to move overseas and work right away.

Further weaknesses of mine include getting bored too easily leading to me not putting my full amount of effort in. However, this is only from university experience where I am spending a long amount of time on one project, in industry I would need to work faster and learn new software on the job which is much more exciting.

Opportunities:

This advertisement was posted on 02/01/2017, just over a month ago. As this is a newly opened studio, I interpret that they are looking for people around this time to begin to build up their team. Opportunities may diminish within a few months but this is not a certainty.

Animal Logic also post their job opportunities online and often have appearances at animation festivals across the world. These are often posted to Twitter and Facebook so I need to ensure that I follow them on all social media platforms to check out opportunities.

Threats:

I would really like to be noticed by such an experienced company. If employed it would be a great addition to my CV and land me better jobs in the future. If I cannot land this role, I have considered working as a runner or something similar inside the company then progressing from there onward. I would definitely be willing to move overseas and make arrangements for Visas and accommodation. For accommodation and living expenses, I would most likely use my savings and get some help with money from my relatives. From this, I would then gradually be earning money so as long as I have some money to get me on my feet, I should be fine.

Imaginar Studios Job Profile

About Imaginar Studios, what they do and why I would like to work there.

Imaginar studios defines itself as ‘one of the UK’s leading creative CG and VR production studios’, providing their clients with a range of services including animation, CG illustration, virtual reality, 360 film making and photo retouching. Throughout their 10 year heritage, Imaginar studios have worked alongside global brands across a multiple of medias, including Nintendo, Sony, Dove, Coca-cola, Sega, Nike and many more. For these companies, Imaginar have produced work for advertisements, architectural purposes, entertainment, film and gaming. Their online portfolio demonstrates familiar classics such as the Coca-cola happiness factory ad, the Cadbury ‘Obey your mouth’ ad, and the cinematic for the Radiant Worlds video game. Imaginar have 2 offices, both located in the UK: Kent and London.

What interests me most about Imaginar studios is that they offer a range of services. This, in turn, means more clients and so, more work & job opportunities. Their character show reel indicates to me that those that work in this department concentrate on creating more stylized work, whereas those that work in the CG illustration department concentrate on working toward more realistic outcomes. Furthermore, I am intrigued and excited when viewing their work; personally, I feel the characters are appealing and stand out due to their unique designs. They are also playful characters that are not all trying to stick to the same particular style, they vary in appearance. I would enjoy to work with such character designs as I have trouble with getting bored quickly, resulting in lack of interest and ultimately not producing work that I am proud of.

Imaginar also work toward creating immersive technology, which to me shows that they are thinking ahead when compared with other companies; keeping up to date with the ever changing CG industry. Therefore, if I were to work for this company, I would feel secure in my job as they are consistently looking ways to keep the company running and most importantly, current. This is also an area which interests me and could possibly transfer my skills in this area. The reason why I would like to is that I feel this could potentially be the future for film and entertainment.

Online Job advert

Imaginar do not have advertisements for specific roles, however have a list of people they would like to hear from. It seems that they are hire people as they come, and will hire you based on how good your showreel is. There is no specific requirements for this job role, but I assume it would be the basic modelling programs such as Maya and Z-Brush, then they will teach you their in house software if you were to be hired. Once again, I will need to ensure I have a website or Vimeo link to provide them with my showreel. I will email them my showreel, furthermore as I live in London, I can always pop in to check if there are any specific job opportunities and just have general chat about what they are looking for. I can also call them to find out how my application is progressing alongside hearing about some feedback in regard to my showreel.

Not specific about what they want to see in show reel

Not specific about which programs I use

Does not specifically require experience

Will most likely place you into a job depending on what your show reel demonstrates

Self-analysis

Strengths:

From this job advertisement I would say that my showreel definitely features character and organic modellers so as long as this is my best work, I should suit their criteria. To get the upper hand, I will ensure that my showreel includes side by side comparisons when trying to show realism, and also include my original concepts as I may be able to fall into the illustrators category as most of my designs are my own. I would say that another one of my strengths is my ability to come up with good storylines and interesting characters to go alongside them.

I am also fortunate enough to live in London, so getting to work is very easy for me as I would not need to move or travel in to London. It takes approximately 37 minutes to drive however there is a congestion charge so I would most likely get the tube which takes 41 or one bus straight there which takes 50 minutes.

Weaknesses:

My weaknesses remain the same as previously mentioned, however for this particular role, I worry about my work not containing enough human model examples. Furthermore, as Imaginar produce a mix of stylized and realistic work, I may not have enough variations of styles including realism.

Opportunities:

As I previously mentioned, as there is no date or section displaying open job roles, it is to be assumed that they hire based on how good somebody is rather than hiring just because they need somebody. There is also nothing on their website speaking about internships or work experience, therefore submitting them my show reel and sending my CV may be the only way in. I can, none the less, contact them through social media and speak to people within the studios via their LinkedIn profile. By following them on social media platforms, I can gain more of an idea of the work they are looking for and see if they do post anything regarding hiring.

Threats:

I am definitely willing to begin to produce work specific for this job. I definitely would like to get into this company as they have worked with such amazing brands however I would not say it is my number one choice. If i were to become a member of the company, I would definitely work harder to progress as I would like to begin to learn more about virtual reality. That is what pushing me most toward this company as not many other companies have such facilities.

Mainframe Animation Studios Job Profile

About Mainframe animation studios, what they do & why I want to work there

Mainframe is a creative production studios which had once specialised in animation and motion graphics. The company have evolved and now offer services including production, direction, animation, post production and VFX. They work alongside forward thinking brands to create innovative commercial and branded content. Within their 15 year experience, Mainframe studios have worked directly with popular and luxurious brands such as Dyson, Virgin, MTV, Louis Vuitton and Harrods, providing contact with these clients during all levels of production. For these companies, the studios have produced and directed commercials, brand films and channel branding, not to mention that Mainframe’s directors and creatives regularly contribute to industry press and top awards judging panels. Their portfolio displays visually appealing, crisp work, of which is clearly high quality and intriguing. Mainframe aim to portray this as their LinkedIn profile speaks of how they ‘remain fresh and excited about industry and convergence of technology and creativity’. Having been successful throughout hundreds of productions, Mainframe studios is called upon as a studio which is ‘highly innovative and provides an unsurpassed level of quality and finish’.

Personally, I have absolutely fell in love with the work this company have produced. Their portfolio is extremely eye catching and is a clear demonstration of the consistent level of quality that Mainframe produce. Once again, I have numerous amounts of reasons as to why I would like to work for Mainframe. In terms of the work that they produce, I am very interested by the brands that they have worked alongside. In particular, the fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton and Harrods which are luxury, and fashion companies such as Nike and Adidas which are high street. Previous to my interest in character modelling, I had a deep interest in the luxury fashion industry. Therefore, I have some underlying knowledge around this area which I feel could contribute when planning work for such clients. Further reasons why I would like to work for Mainframe, is their style. Their work is so crisp with brilliant texturing which makes it all the more interesting. To add to this, their models are quirky and imaginative, and are not solely character models. This is interesting to me as I have not yet had the chance to create such models. At most I have worked with character modelling, but I would enjoy having the opportunity to create models which portrays my creative imagination.

As this is a very vague job advert, I have decided to take a look at the job adverts for motion designers and senior 3D artists as they were on the Skillset website.

Motion Designers requirements

I have an appropriate qualification for a Motion Designers job role in Computer animation, which according to Skill set is an appropriate qualification. I also have 2 year’s experience in graphic design from college although I doubt this would be taken in to consideration. I have many examples of design processes which I can put into a separate show reel specific to this role and also sketchbooks full of my own designs.

As noted in this role, I need to begin to create networks. As Mainframe are on LinkedIn, they have a section which shows the profiles of people that work for them. It would be worth following these people, begin chatting and sending out my showreel and work. Further to this, Mainframe are also on Twitter and Instagram. By following them on these social media platforms I can start to adapt my showreel to suit their style and what they are looking for.

Senior 3D artist requirements

As there is not a position for an post-graduate 3D artist and only one for a senior role, I have decided that the best way to go about applying for this job is once I have a experience in industry. From this job breakdown, it is to be said that I need to gain more experience within 5 years of working with realistic modelling and improve on my time management during this period to ensure I am a valid candidate. I will also need more knowledge and experience in a wide range of softwares so that I have the ability to train others that are unfamiliar with such softwares. Although I have experience in Z-Brush, I will need to learn 3DS Max within this time and advance my skills within Z-Brush.

I have not seen any information regarding internships.

Required Skills

I do not at current have any experience with 3DS Max, however, I have been using Photoshop for around 5 years. I have a mediocre experience with Substance painter but preferably use Mari. It would be necessary to learn this texturing program now whilst I can seek help from teachers. I have a good understanding and knowledge surrounding modelling techniques but definitely need to push myself further in these areas, which will come along with industry experience. I definitely need to brush up on my texturing skills however I feel I am progressing in the area at a steady pace. I do not work well with architecture as I specialize in character modelling more than environment, however I may need to work with such assets when gaining industry experience. I also know many people which are undertaking a degree in architecture which could help me with any questions or anything I would like to learn. Furthermore, I have no experience with script writing and may have to learn this off my own back to help make my work easy to understand when passing my work through the production pipeline. I have no experience at all with programming language, I would have to also learn this of my own back by possibly picking it up as a personal hobby.

Self-Analysis

Other Skills

I do not particularly have good organization and time management skills. This is an area I have often struggled with however I am trying to improve on this at this stage so by the time I apply for this job role, I may be much better at these skills. I do however have great communication skills, and have mentored new students in university so have some experience in these areas already.

Strengths:

I am open to exploring a new field and adapting my skills to work in such areas. I am an eager learner and it would be good to experience a different job in the same field of work. It will also help me gain new knowledge which could benefit me in the future. As for the senior role, as I have researched into this early, I can begin changing myself to suit what Mainframe are looking for.

Weaknesses:

I do not have specific knowledge around motion graphics and graphic design itself. I am not yet at a stage to apply for any senior roles.

Opportunities:

This post has been listed on their website since last year. Same as previous studios I have looked at, they keep your work for when they are recruiting. I will take this opportunity to contact them and gather feedback about my work. They also post job opportunities on their Twitter, the last one being on the 19 Dec 2016. As of yet, they have not posted a job advertisement this year but according to the job ad featured they are recruiting for 2017. Mainframe also have a LinkedIn account with their employees featured, so I can begin getting in contact with them and begin networking.

Threats:

My main threat for this job role is that I do not specialize in motion graphics, and there will be candidates that have a lot more experience in this department.

Illumination Mac Guff studios Job Profile

About Illumination Mac Guff studios, what they do & why I want to work there

Illumination studios in recent years have become a very reputable and popular company. Specializing in 3D animation, they have produced such films as Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, The Lorax, Minions, and the newly released movie, Sing. Based in Paris, France, Illumination Studios only have been up and running since 2011. To have produced such iconic films within 6 years demonstrates to me that the company is on the up, gradually becoming exceedingly popular appealing to a worldwide audience. Furthermore, the ideas for the movies that have been released have all been created inside the studio doors and giving more opportunities for those that work for Illumination.

I am interested in working for Illumination studios because I feel that they are becoming a leading studio for computer animation at a fast rate. As I previously mentioned, for only being up and running independently since 2011, their progression definitely demonstrates that the company is moving forward which I feel is very important in such a competitive industry. Rightfully so as their characters have become iconic, with fans and merchandise all over the world. In terms of their showreel, they work predominantly with stylized films, which my showreel is already suited to. Furthermore, as they only work on feature films, their artists and animators are concentrating on one project, creating relationships with the characters and in turn, making them more involved in their work equaling a better overall outcome. Their style has slight variations, however once i discovered the films they had worked on I noticed certain similarities. It is also refreshing to find a company that doesn’t try to over complicate things; by this I mean that their characters are not overly detailed as they do not need to be. So long as the characters appearance represent their personalities, which they do, their design will be effective, which they are. From their social media, Illumination is often looking for people to join their team, which means more opportunities for myself.

Online Job advert

Duties and responsibilities

I need to gain more experience with working with supervisors and groups as a whole. I have a good skill in interpreting concept art already however I have only worked with one persons concept art that is not my own so I would need more experience with this.

Qualifications and required skills

This is not an entry level job and requires 3 year’s experience. My show reel consists of mainly cartoon style character models but I have only worked with facial blend shapes once, I would need to touch up on this to refresh my memory. I will, by the stage I am ready to apply for this job, I will have a thorough knowledge of Maya. I am already practicing my topology to get in good routine for industry.

Self Analysis

Strengths

I have a good knowledge of Maya already and this knowledge is becoming stronger as I gain more experience. My showreel demonstrates many cartoon style characters which are consistent with the concepts which I also drew myself. I have good art skills and a strong understanding of structure and physical movements.

Weaknesses

I have no industry experience and do not have much experience with blend shapes as this is more rigging which I greatly dislike.

Opportunity

Although there is no date listed, Illumination constantly update their website with new work and so I assume they edit their open positions regularly. They also regularly offer positions to be filled in all of their departments and have a general application form in which I can fill out.

Threats

Paris is an expensive country to live in, and if I enter a lower level job I may be on quite a low salary. However, if this was the case I may have to work another job on the weekend to keep up with funds. I would also need to apply in advance for a Visa as well as look for accommodation. I have no problem with moving to France as I drive and could easily put my vehicle on the ferry which does not take long. I also know people that live in France which I may be able to live with.

Studio AKA Job Profile

About Studio AKA, what they do and why I want to work there

Studio AKA is an Oscar-nominated, multi-BAFTA winning, independent animation studio and production company based in London. Working with 3D and 2D animation, Studio AKA have produced advertisements and films for iconic brands across the world. These include Natwest, Nickelodeon, Disney, TIME Magazine, BUPA, ITV and many more. Their directors personal and graduation films have not only earned them a BAFTA, their films have also been honored by Sundance, Annecy and Cartoon D’Or and by over 130 Film Festival awards. With a close-knit team, Studio AKA have earned the reputation for creating diverse and captivating stories for all ages and audiences. Their team is made up of directors, designers, animators, writers, technical artists and producers, all of which ‘consult and create projects with a strong emphasis on story, design and character’ according to their Facebook page. They also have a wide range of merchandise including soft toys, magazine and DVDs deriving from their films and TV series. They have a wide variation of styles, ranging from realistic to stylized, which is of high quality, attractive and individual.

Studio AKA had come of interest to me recently due to a recent class trip to the studios. Although I did not get the chance to visit, I heard good things from fellow students about the workplace as a whole. Apart from this, from what I have seen I really appreciate the illustrations and drawing style. The characters they have created are nothing like what I have seen before however I believe they work extremely well. To add to this, the area of work that particularly interests me is children’s programs, which Studio AKA work on. I have been interested in working in such an area as I have personal skill in creating characters which I know would appeal to children, and often have ideas which I know would suit such an audience. Studio AKA clearly produce great work as they have earned awards for them, but most importantly to me is that they emphasize that although everybody is an individual creator, they are ‘close-knit’ and ‘apply the best creative solution to a problem’, an environment I would be extremely happy to work in. Each project is also unique, which shows me that I will be able to explore working with different styles, constantly keeping me interested.

Online Job adverts

This is no current vacancies.

I screen-grabbed this as a CG modeller role from creative skill set as this is the area I would like to go in to and am adapting this. As I go through I would agree that I have tick much of the criteria. I do think in 3D and can work easily in 3D. My models on my showreel all match exactly to their character designs and range from slight realism to completely stylized. I have no experience in modelling environments but I do have experience in modelling organic and characters. My drawing skills are a great advantage as I enjoy drawing as a hobby, coming up with new designs with a variation of style. Overall, I actually fit into all of these categories therefore I feel I am on the right track to getting the job I want, and with a bit more practice I will get to where I want to be.

Self-Analysis

Strengths

I fit into all categories therefore I feel like I am well suited to such a job role. I learn fast as well, so if any new software needed to be taught to me I will be able to pick it up quickly. I also have a creative mind which is shown in my drawings and preproduction for projects. I am willing to work hard to get into the industry.

Weaknesses

I do not have any experience in industry which Studio AKA as a professional company may require.

Opportunities

When compared to other studios, Studio AKA have much more limited job opportunity. Therefore it will definitely be worthwhile to follow them on all social media so that I do not miss any opportunities if they were to come up.

Threats

I do not have industry experience and I do not know what they are looking for on their showreel as it is not mentioned. Also, I will have to be on the ball with finding out if they have an open job roles.

Social Media plan

At present, I have followed all the companies I have mentioned on the social medias in which they have featured on their websites. This way, I will see the work they are producing giving me a better knowledge about their work and style prior to interview. I also have a LinkedIn account, however it does not contain my work as I used it before coming to university. I plan to update this once I have created an appropriate show reel. I have begun following companies already, just so that I know my options. I also plan to, if possible, follow the employees for these companies. Once following them, I can begin forming friendships and gather advice before applying for a position to improve my chances of getting a job. Furthermore, I plan to start up pages dedicated to my work on all social media platforms including my own website. This way, I can start getting my work noticed and receive critical feedback to improve my work further. I will also create my own business cards so that when I visit conventions or if I happen to meet somebody in industry, they will easily be able to find me.