MPC Recruiting Animators at the VFX Festival

Sara-Laila Francis of MPC

Who's at the VFX Festival this week?  Events like this are important to attend. Yes, the talks are interesting, but one of the most important reasons for turning up to an event like this is the chance to meet talent recruiters from animation and VFX houses.

MPC's Sara-Laila Francis was there yesterday, talking to students and graduates about opportunities with MPC, one of London's leading VFX houses.

2018 VFX Festival Lineup

Escape Studios' 2018 VFX Festival is fast approaching.  As in previous years, Escape has got some great speakers coming to talk about the latest developments in Animation, Games and VFX.

Here at Animation Apprentice we strongly recommend our students attend events like this one. It's a great way to find out what's going on in our industry and, best of all, to meet the recruiters from London's leading animation and VFX houses. Below are some of the VFX, games and animation companies who will be speaking in February.

Animation Jobs - Where Are They?

Careers and Recruitment Panel 2017

The Careers & Recruitment Panel at the recent Escape Studios VFX Festival was a packed house.

Where are the jobs in our industry? Who is hiring? What skills are in demand right now?

This year the panel was hosted by Andy Brassington. Guests included (from left) Harriet Finney from the Creative Industries Federation, Amy Smith from Framestore, Tom Box from Blue Zoo, Paul Wilkes, recruiter for MPC advertising, Jill Wallace from Axis, Henry Bull from The Mill, and Clare Norman from Milk FX.

So, where are the jobs in the animation industry today, and who is hiring?

2017 VFX Festival Now Taking Bookings 7-9 February 2017

Save the date! The countdown to the Escape Studios 2017 VFX festival is now officially on.

The VFX Festival is coming back for 2017, and just like last year Escape Studios be showcasing the best of VFX, Animation, Games and Motion Graphics in London.

There is no better way to find out about the latest trends in our industry and - of most importance for our students - who is hiring and for what. Last year all the big London VFX houses showed up - and were actively looking for talent.

Time to Download the 2016 Escape Studios VFX Careers Handbook

Time to download the free Escape Studios annual Careers Guide, an invaluable handbook for any aspiring visual effects artist - including animators.

Escape Studios track the latest trends in the digital market, focusing especially on the skills that are currently in high demand.  We recommend that all of our students download a copy.  Best of all, it's brand new, and it's absolutely free.

Download the Free Escape Studios Annual VFX Careers Guide

Escape VFX Careers Guide

Escape Studios, now owned by Pearson College, is one of the best places to get a first class training in VFX. Among the many resources they offer students is their annual Careers Guide, an invaluable handbook for any aspiring visual effects artist - including animators.  Escape Studios track the latest trends in the digital market, focusing especially on the skills that are currently in high demand. After all, their goal is to place their students in well-paid work in the best visual effects houses in Soho. We recommend that all of our students at Animation Apprentice sign up for a copy.  Best of all, it's absolutely free.

Buckinghamshire New University Seeks Lecturer in Animation

Gateway Building at Bucks New University

Bucks New Uni is looking for a senior lecturer in animation and visual effects.  I can personally testify to what a great employer the university is; I have myself been very happy there for the last three years.  Bucks offers excellent facilities for film-making of all kinds, with a big upgrade to the animation kit due over the summer break.  It's also the kind of employer that offers a genuinely positive work/life balance.  Obviously, this isn't necessarily an opportunity for a recent graduate, but for anyone with some industry experience this could be a great chance to broaden your skillset and teach some great students.

Twelve Steps to Finding the Perfect Summer Internship

Interview, a short animated film by Mikkel Okholm and Mikkel Brons-Frandsen

How do animation students find summer internships and placements in the industry? Jobs in the entertainment industry have always been highly competitive, and even unpaid internships can be hard to find, So how do you track them down? There are many ways - official jobs postings, word of mouth, rumours in the pub, personal contacts, even cold-calling - all of these can be effective ways to find a summer placement in the business. Below are the twelve key rules we think are vital for success.

London VFX Internship Opportunity for Animation Apprentice Students!

Soho VFX

Animation Apprentice has been contacted recently by a leading London animation and VFX house looking to arrange for some Motion Graphics/Animation students to do internships, at 2-4 week intervals, starting in May and rolling out through the Summer. They specialise in "high-end moving image design", and their recent work includes Eurovision Greatest Hits, Sunday Night at the Palladium, The Voice, Strictly Come Dancing and The BBC Music Awards.

VFX Jobs at Facebook

VFX Jobs at Facebook

Finding that crucial first job can be one of the toughest parts of a career in animation. To get there, you need to keep an eye on various company websites, sign up for their Twitter feed (Aardman for example seems to recruit largely through Twitter these days), and keep you ear to the ground. One useful group is the VFX jobs Group at Facebook, a community of VFX artists to post jobs, information, and generally help one another out.

Why Animation Jobs Go Fast

chrisoatley.com

Below is a link to an excellent blog post by animation artist Chris Oatley at chrisoatley.com on animation jobs.

Why do so many jobs seem to be gone as soon as you apply - especially that elusive first job? The answer is, according to Chris, because candidates don't apply fast enough.

Escape Studios VFX Festival on January 28th 2015

Escape Studios VFX Festival 2015

Escape Studios are running their latest VFX Festival on January 28th at the VUE Cinema in London's Shepherd's Bush. To find out more, and sign up, follow this link. The event is an excellent way to find out about careers in animation and visual effects, what jobs are out here and how to break in to the industry. The secret to finding work is to have a great demo reel, and to be available when studios are hiring. The best time to apply is when a big new operation is crewing up - and that means keeping your ear to the ground, and being prepared to move to where the jobs are.

The Jobs Map for Animation, Visual Effects and Games

Where are the jobs?

Finding work in the animation and visual effects industry isn't easy, especially getting that vital, elusive first job. Sometimes it seems like every vacancy is advertised for professionals with 2-3 years of experience, which means that finding your first gig can feel like a catch-22. You can't find a job without experience, you can get experience until you find a job. So what is the secret to finding work in these most competitive but most rewarding of industries?

Matchmove and Tracking - What are They and What Do They Involve?

Matchmove: it's all about cameras. Image: Wikipedia

Matchmove is one of the more technical and less well known departments in the 3D visual effects pipeline. It is also a traditional entry-level position for junior VFX artists, a great way to get your foot in the door in the industry. In this post from our sister blog FLiP, Matchmove artist Amy Lloyd explains how it all works.

Amy was for many years a lead matchmover at Cinesite in London's Soho, and has worked on countless visual effects blockbusters including Harry Potter, X Men, Moon, Battle LA and John Carter. Here, she explains what exactly her department does, and why it is so important in VFX.

A Facebook Group worth joining - VFX Jobs

How do you find work in the Animation and Visual Effects industry? Networking, scanning the jobs pages of websites like awn.com; there are many ways to keep your ear to the ground. The best method of all is to build up a network of like-minded individuals, friends and colleagues who can keep you posted on the latest news - and even get you hired when the time is right.

Traditionally, in London, jobs would get "announced" in the pub over a pint on a friday night, the news would spread up and down Wardour Street, and hires would be made on Monday morning. Now, with great Facebook pages like VFX jobs (see above), you can keep up with the endlessly changing ebb and flow of VFX vacancies.