Why Animators Need to Show Their Work

One of the hardest skills for animation students to learn is how give and receive criticism.  We all tend to be shy about our work (especially when we are learning something new) and, when our work is criticised, that criticism can feel very personal.

But being able to take criticism ("notes" in industry parlance) is part of the process of creating great animation. It's something we all need to learn how to do.  When you first show your work to a client, they will have comments, and they won't always love your first efforts. Whether you're working at a studio, or doing private client work, animators need to be flexible, and learn to incorporate criticism in order to make things better.

Notes being given at our Facebook Group

Here at Animation Apprentice we have a Facebook classroom (a closed group, only our students can join) where our students post their work for critique, ask technical questions, and also post the latest job openings. 

Because it's a closed group, everyone can post their work safe in the knowledge that the only people who can see it are other students on the course. 

We all start off feeling shy about our work, but as we grow in confidence it gets easier to post test animation and get constructive feedback.

It is good practice for working in industry, not just to solicit comments, but also to learn to be able to give constructive criticism. Animators help each other out on production all the time by giving one another tips and suggestions, and your best resource at a new studio is often the person sitting next to you.

To find out more about Animation Apprentice, click here for a link to Frequently Asked Questions. To sign up for our next classroom at Animation Apprentice, follow this link. For more information on finding work and surviving in the animation and visual effects business, read our post on how to find a job in the animation industry, and check out our post about what not to do at a job interview. Also see our post on starting your own small animation business, learn how to create an invoice, and see how we are helping our students find work through our film co-operative Nano Films. Download the free Escape Studios Careers in VFX Handbook. Take a look at how awn.com can help you find a job, and read our piece about how to survive as a freelance animator. Also, find out what Cinesite look for in a student's demo reel, and read our post on setting up your own animation business. Also see our post about freelancers and taxes.