DON'T MAKE THESE ANIMATION PORTFOLIO MISTAKES

I'm a story artist currently at DreamWorks Animation and these are 5 mistakes I commonly see people making in their portfolio.

So I made a video to help you avoid them!

Let me know what other Topics you want me to go into!

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[porridgeramen]

On the tip "the worst a studio can say is no", I've always heard conflicting advice of "Well, you don't want to be seen as THAT GUY who applies to every job" and I was always like, that's weird to hear.

[sophiel]

Tip 5 was 100% me. Took me far too long (literally 8 years after graduating, whoops) to feel ready to apply for jobs despite having a decent amount of work. Always felt like 'nothing's quite good enough yet'. Employers can see your potential even if all you can see is where you want to improve. Perfectionism is not your friend!

[jario.]

Thank you for the tips, I was really scared because I was thinking that my work doesn't perfect to send. But now want to try again.

[GGI]

I think the first tip can honestly be used in every field

[Yntsire]

These are all spectacular tips! Like, no joke this should be sent to any single person trying to break into a creative industry! Especially for animation! Bravo!

[aj]

Short listed and straight forward.. I like how all of this sounded. I feel like many people need to hear that.

However, for tip number 2 ... I would say there are so many things in many people's portfolios because if you look at starting in the creative industry, usually for start you will check junior positions and if we look at the job proposals listed, they want from the artists to be bale to do everything. I have seen job proposals for 2d artists, who should be bale to make their storyboarding, sketches, fully rendered characters, make backgrounds and even be able to make their 3D models for the work they will do on the 2D projects... (and that doesn't include that many junior positions want you to have 3-5 y of experience (where does a junior start taking these years? - nvm) the point is that many positions write down many the many things they want to see in you when you are applying. Thus. many won't send their portfolio and wait for the 'perfect' time because many want to make sure they can work on everything, even if its not perfect on all places, only because industries want - One person team. I get it they want some experience and to pay one person the job for 10... but putting these criteria in many job positions... it's insane and thus leads to portfolios having - character design, 2d animation, 3d modeling, storyboard, background, game design and UI.... and many more in one place.

[andresderakhshani]

omg thanks so much! I'm going to apply everywhere now!

[NkarengMabina-Ink.co]

#5 is what i am currently trynna yeet out of me

[nataliechia]

Hello Daniel! Love the tips and would like you to advice if I should include some of the social media motion graphics that I've been doing while applying for graphic designer role?

[finnfinnou]

Thank you so so much !! It’s quick and I learnt a lot thank you for this!!

[mushipoo]

I have a question. My portfolio website has sub pages for the different types of art I do, because I wanted my website to showcase my wide skill set and have it all be in one place. Could I just link different job applications to the relevant subpage? So for a VisDev application I would link them to my digital illustration page, so they don’t have to see my photoshop manipulations or my traditional media art.

[skullknight]

I personally don’t agree with the “keep your portfolio to one thing”, for my website, I have tabs for storyboard and character designs, and when applying for storyboard roles, I specifically share my storyboard tab link. I’ll be happy to have my website if for better context, any advice is welcome regardless

[bialinsbear]

That's great advice, Daniel, thank you! I just have one question: I'm a storyboard artist still at uni, and i wonder if it's ok if I put on my story portfolio like two of best student films.

[zanettilla]

I want to be a story artist but since I am from a periphereal country I have it harder to find jobs, specially for story artists since in small projects and short films I find its almost a rule that the director is who makes the storyboard or they don't have revisionists/asistants which makes findind a job without experience even harder. So in my portfolio I try to include 2 jobs I can do, with a clear focus on storyboard but with another one if they don't hire storyboard artists, that way when recruiters see my portfolio they may go like "ohh man he is hirable but the storyboards are too much for an inexperienced artist, but wait, he can also do character design, we can hire him to make some extras or smt".

At the moment I have character design as my second position but I am pretty bad at it so I am trying to learn animation, there are more animation possitions open than any other, maybe competing with background artist but I don't like backgrounds

[lennoxdraws]

You said "apply with unfinished work", is this really something studios are okay with? I never had the chance to finish my student film, would it still be useful in job applications?

[snehasingh_]

In which website we can create a portfolio?

[dimon.digital]

Tips for Jobseeker could be dangerous for Freelancer

[pamthecreator]

These days, studios only hires seniors, and I’m a junior, should I apply anyway?

[AwesomeSticknBrick]

When it comes to social mwdia, should the tag be your real name or a sudo name that expresses your education and work experiences?

[unisangalaxystudio]

I tired all that aplied billion of times and even sold my to a demon, hell even became part of the Freemason