Why Animators Should Keep it Short

One of the most common mistakes made by student animators is to bite off more than you can chew. When it comes to short films, or acting shots - or any piece of animation, it's very easy to be too ambitious. 

It is almost always much better to do a great job on a short piece of animation than to struggle to complete something long and complex.

Animation takes a long time to get right, so allow yourself the luxury of being able to add all the bells and whistles and still make your deadline. Keep it short and sweet. 

Keep Short Films Short
If you're making a short film, try to keep it to a minute or less. That might seem too short, but even a minute is a lot of animation. Anything over two minutes is starting to get very ambitious indeed. Likewise, if you're doing an acting shot, try to keep it under ten seconds. The 11 Second Club is 11 seconds long for a reason - even 11 seconds is a lot of work, especially if you are going to put the work into refining the shot, and giving it a studio level of polish.

Keep It Simple
So the moral of the story is - keep it simple, and keep it short. And if someone takes a look at your rough idea and says: "that is very ambitious", don't take it as a compliment. Take it as a suggestion to simplify it, make it shorter, make it more manageable.

Demo Reel, Careers & Jobs Resources at Animation Apprentice
We have many resources available at Animation Apprentice aimed at helping our students cut a great demo reel and find work in the animation industry. To get started, see the blog posts below:

• 

  Why Animators Need Walks on a Demo Reel

  How do Graduates Find Work in the Animation Industry?
• Demo Reel Advice - at Skwigly
• Demo Reel Advice by Animal Logic
• Why Animators Need to be on LinkedIn
• Be the Rhino - Rejection is Normal
• Six Rules to Create a Great CV
• How to Write a Cover Letter
• How to Find an Animation Internship
• Blue Zoo Recruitment Tips
• Escape Studios' Free Industry Survival Guide
• Escape Studios Free Careers Guide
• Michael Morgan: "From the Classroom to the Studio"
• Why Animators Need their Own Blog or Website
• How to be a Freelance Animator
• 12 Rules to Find Work in the Animation Industry
• Pixar Advice for Graduates
• Why Animators Should Apply For Jobs Twice
• Job Interview Strategy with Kevin Richards
• Why Animators Should Attend "Bring Your Own Animation"
• Why Animators Need a Great Acting Shot on Their Demo Reel
• Why Animators Need Walks on a Demo Reel

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.