Tuesday 26 June 2018

Why Animators Need Their Own Blog or Website

Animators should have their own website, or blog, and it should have your own name in the url, to make you easy to find.

The reason is simple - when recruiters are looking to hire you for a job, they will Google you, by entering your name plus the key word "animation" or "animator" in the search engine.

Hopefully, your bog, website and demo reel will pop up on page 1. If it doesn't, recruiters may well move on the next candidate. The trick with getting hired is to have a great demo reel which is easy to find.

Why you need your own website
You need your own website or blog because it's the best way of creating your own space on the internet, and because it makes you and your work easy to find.  Consider the example above - animator Brendan Body has his own url, www.brendanbody.co.uk. This makes Brendan very Google friendly. His site is simple, stylish, and easy to navigate. Any animation producer looking to hire talent for a project will be able to find Brendan and his work quickly, and can make a swift decision on whether he is right for the job.

Don't password protect your reel
It's best not to password protect your work. It's a pain for recruiters (they may lose the password), and it means your reel is less likely to be easy to find in a Google search.  If a client doesn't want you to show their stuff, just leave it off your reel until the project has been launched, and it's safe to show your work. Make sure anyone can see your demo reel without any fuss.

Make Your Reel Great
Your demo reel needs to be excellent. It should be short (less than a minute), and include only your best work. For more on how to cut a great demo reel, follow this link.

LinkedIn
Animators need to be on LinkedIn, and your LinkedIn profile needs to state where you are working now and, if you are a freelancer, when you will be available for work. This last bit is crucial - recruiters need to know when you are free to work on new projects.  A link to your demo reel and/or website or blog should also be clearly shown at LinkedIn.

Why this matters
I recommend students for animation jobs all the time, and one of my most common frustrations is not being able to recommend someone for a job because I can't find them and their work on the web. Or, I can find them, but their reel is out of date, or it is password protected, or it includes older work which isn't that great. Remember, if I am recommending you for a job, I need to be able to sell your skill and talent. The best way to evidence this is through a link to a well edited quality demo reel that is up to date, only shows your best work, and is easy to find.

Freelance Resources
For other freelance resources at Animation Apprentice, see these useful posts:

The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To find out more about our new BA/MArt, now recruiting for September 2018, follow this link.   To apply, visit the official page here.


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