Animation Degree Outlook – Making a Career in Independent Animation

Much like many worlds of art these days, students entering into the field of animation may be fearful of the job market ahead of them. Studios are shrinking and the best of the best are rotated amongst the big names in the industry. Fresh faced students have reason to be afraid but they shouldn’t stay that way.

In this Internet generation, young animators starting out have more than enough available to them to make it big. Beyond being able to find the resources to learn the craft, the Internet provides the biggest audience possible. According to the World Bank, over 74.2% of the population uses the Internet and it would be of no surprise to see those numbers even higher in 2013.

With the proper education and networking, animators can attempt to make a career out of independent animation.

The first step is to find work. Sites like Craigslist and online communities like ConceptArt.org and Newgrounds.com offer plenty of opportunity for the young animation student. People are constantly looking for an animator to give life to their great idea or their voice acting. They take to the Internet to look for artists to work with.

More often than not, these jobs will be for no pay, but it helps you build your portfolio. On top of that, students can use these communities to market themselves as well.

After you’ve built a little bit of a portfolio, you need to reach into your bag of tricks and pull out the most marketable idea you’ve got. The best cartoon idea you’ve got in your head. And start to work on it. At this point, it is possible that you’ve got a little bit of a following. Members of those communities and people you have worked with that were so impressed with what you did and are looking forward to anything else you might do.

Create the cartoon you started thinking of when you decided to become an animator and put everything you can into it. Blood, sweat, tears, and (hopefully) artistic ability. When it’s released, send it everywhere you can. Show your friends, show your friends friends, and upload it to any video sharing website possible. Upload it to all the animation communities you worked with.

Get an audience through social media and do everything you can to showcase your work. If it catches on, the possibilities are endless. Some independent animators, like the internet-famous“Egoraptor” and Harry Partridge (pictured above), create products and merchandise based on their cartoons for sale. Others package their works on DVDs and sell those as well.

The independent world of animation has a number of doors open that are waiting for students to step through. If you are unsure about a career in animation, take classes and see what people think of your work.

You may not even have to get hired by a major company to gain prestige.

Get information on animation degrees using the form on this page. School representatives will guide you through the process and answer any questions you may have about the various programs that are available to help you earn your animation degree.

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