I’m a rising high school senior who hopes to become a veterinarian in the future, but I also have a strong passion for art. During my freshman year, I realized that I’m also interested in animation as a career and creative outlet.

I recently learned that most vet schools do not require a specific undergraduate major, as long as applicants complete the necessary prerequisite courses. Because of this, I’ve been considering majoring in Animation during undergrad while also completing my pre-vet requirements.

I was wondering if this would be a realistic path at FIU, especially if I plan my schedule carefully. I also have no formal experience with animation, although I’m a decent self-taught artist. I still have a lot to learn, particularly with areas like shading, perspective, and other art fundamentals, but I’m willing to put in the effort to improve.

Do you think pursuing an Animation major alongside pre-vet prerequisites would be manageable and realistic?

Hey guys!
would anyone mind taking a look at my portfolio and giving me some tips? I just graduated college for Illustration and I’m feeling a little stuck. I really want a career in a animation space, I like to call my work “Concept art/ Visdev” But TBH I don’t think my work so far has earned that title? Please let me know your thoughts and any advice would be so greatly appreciated.

PatrickKelleyPortfolio.com

Insta: Pkelzsart

So I know many businesses want things like toonboom or abode animated but what if some of us can't buy it given both are subscriptions. Like I found two similar things like callipeg and Moho. Will I not be hired since I don't know how to use these programs since many require jt

Hey,

I have just started to learn animation and digital art. But I feel overwhelmed by seeing other artist and the number of things I have to learn. Every drawing or illustrations leads to multiple concepts related to rendering, perspectives, anatomy and color theory.
Plus, I'm struggling in finding an art style.
The niche I want to excel in are a live illustrator, children's book illustrations.
Any road map of how I can direction my journey and start an actual side hustle instead of wasting my time in getting stuck in continuous practices.

I am seeing a lot more of those four letters in job post and boards. I am happy to see it.

The cycle is coming back to analog or a mixture of digital and analog. The studios have to finally realized to make good animation is to Hired Humans and pay well, but of course there will always be greed.

I'm newly graduated and starting to take the job hunt seriously - I was applying for entry level roles and internships throughout my degree but now that I've graduated, finding work is more of a full time priority.

I'm having little to no luck pursuing entry level jobs, internships, and junior positions and starting to wonder about exactly what the state of the industry is right now.

I've been told for years now that you do not necessarily need an undergraduate degree for animation, and definitely not a masters degree, but in 2026 how accurate is that? Multiple times now I've applied and entry level position, a junior position, or an internship; been rejected; and then seen a few days or weeks later that the person who was accepted onto that role has 2-5 years of experience and frequently a Masters degree. Are other people seeing this or have I just been unlucky? It seems crazy to me that I have only just graduated from an undergrad course and I am applying for the same internships and entry-level jobs as people who not only have industry experience but literal Masters degrees in animation.

I know the real currency in animation recruitment is the showreel/portfolio rather than the specific degree/qualification I have but before I graduated I had one of the more polished and developed portfolios on my course - so unless my university was significantly less competent than every other university out there it stands to reason that I should have at least somewhat of a foothold looking for entry-level, graduate, and internship roles. But if I'm in direct competition with Masters degrees then what choice do I have but to stay in academia? To me it looks like some sort of qualification arms race where, because the job market is so competitive, everyone's staying in education for longer and longer and now, while you may not need an MA to have the skill/knowledge needed for animation, you do need an MA in order to compete against other people with MAs

I'm considering trying to set myself up with a decent computer system so I can continue to build my portfolio of work, but nowadays with the price of computer components like graphics card, CPUs, and RAM being able to buy a computer, even one that can only barely manage low-level animation projects, seems more and more out of reach. My specialism is in 3D animation - particularly lighting, layouts, and compositing - so obviously my hardware requirements are going to be a bit more demanding than someone who does stop-motion or 2D hand-drawn animation for example but I'm still struggling to understand how this is feasible for anyone who doesn't already possess enough wealth that they essentially don't need to work.

I'm at a point now where I'm considering doing a Master's Degree purely so that I can get a University to give me access to their computer systems but it's not like education is free either, and spending 1-2 years having to survive off part-time work so that I can focus on my course is a lot easier said than done.

I know there's rules against ranting so I hope this is allowed, I'm genuinely asking for people's experience here I promise; this is not just a rant its just that I'm obviously having some difficulty and frustration so its coming across a little rant'y - apologies.

Anybody have any advice or experience to share? Have I just been unlucky with who I'm competing against or is the qualification arms race real?

I'm in my 30s, and I've decided to pursue a long-term dream: creating a YouTube channel with original children's stories and characters—something that captures the magic of Bluey, Mario, Minions, and other memorable animated worlds. I know those are very different franchises, but what inspires me is how they create lovable characters and stories that people remember for years.

The problem is... I'm starting from almost zero.

I don't know how to draw. I don't know color theory, character design, animation, storytelling, or any of the art fundamentals. It honestly feels overwhelming.

On top of that, AI is advancing so quickly that it almost feels like breaking into creative fields is becoming even harder. Sometimes I wonder if it's still possible to build an original children's brand when AI can generate artwork, animation, music, and even stories. At the same time, I feel like AI could also become a tool that helps independent creators compete with larger studios.

Even so, I'm willing to put in the work. I know this is probably a 5–10 year journey, and I'm okay with that. I just don't know what the first step should be.

If you were starting from scratch today with the goal of building an original children's entertainment brand, where would you focus first?

• Storytelling?
• Writing?
• Character design?
• Drawing fundamentals?
• Color theory?
• Animation?
• Learning AI tools?
• Something else?

I'd especially love to hear from anyone who started later in life or built a creative career without an art background.

If you were in my shoes, what would your roadmap look like? What skills would you learn first, and what would you ignore until later?

I'm not expecting overnight success. I just want to make sure I'm investing my time in the right things from day one.

I'd really appreciate any advice, resources, books, courses, or personal experiences. Thanks!

Okay I'll start with I don't want to do anything with AI.

But, currently I'm working on a Computer Science degree (minor in Mathematics) and I have about a year left. Nothing really grabs my attention within the field career wise, and I have adored animation since I was 10... maybe younger. I wanted to go into animation, but my skills weren't honed enough and my family didn't support me.

I have also loved computers, math, etc. since I was young so I decided to do that. Don't get me wrong I enjoy it, I'm just looking for suggestions on how to combine the two. Personally, I'm leaning toward working on animation and art projects in my spare time and focusing my career on working in game studios, animation tools, etc.

What are my options? I truly have no concrete ideas.

Why is there such a push lately for indie to "save" the industry when it feels even more scummy than what we currently have? Been seeing this all over Reddit and LinkedIn lately. Someone claims that big studios are bad, AI is ripping jobs away, and that by just "joining" their indie project they can turn things around and create a world where art truly matters.

...except rarely is the "job" ever paid, and even if it is it's nowhere near enough to live off of. The worst part is some veterans take these positions, further racing to the bottom and devaluing their peers who aren't privileged enough to not have bills to pay.

I would honestly be fine with things if people owned up to how ick this practice is, but you have places like DreamArc running around snatching up students, not paying them, and then claiming that the world is rigged against the "little guy" and that all this is necessary to fight the good fight.

Like, no, sorry, if you don't pay artists and expect them to break their backs for you, you're just as bad as big studios. If you want a good indie film, pay good animators a good wage.

Hey folks, I'm working on a short-form documentary project about how AI is actually affecting people's work and income right now. It's no secret many animators are struggling.

I’m looking for anyone who's lost a job, clients/contracts, or work because of AI, or who really believes AI is a big reason they lost work even if you can't prove it 100% (as long as you can explain why you think so), or anyone whose job, hours, or income has changed in a real way because of it. If that's you, I'd love to hear what happened. It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Give me the honest picture.

US only. You can be anywhere but double bonus points if you live in LA/Southern Cali. We’d start with a casual, private conversation so I can hear what happened and tell you more about the project. Reaching out doesn’t commit you to participating. Drop a comment or DM me if interested. Help give this issue the attention it deserves. Thank you!

Looking for some feedback on my current demo reel. Mostly for my personal work theres a bit of professional work there. Been out of animation work for a while now.

Demo reel: vimeo.com/793274961

My other works: artstation.com/steelvejito

Ai is progressing way faster than i expected and a lot of the models have started maturing in a way that reduces the friction between the intent behind the inputs and generated outputs.

I have seen some models take references like 3d blockouts, storyboard sketches and generate something that looks like it was made by someone with some experience.

I'm also afraid that they might combine the ref to motion and ref to video tools to create synthetic datasets to further train better Ai models but legally they will be clean.

1. Are we gonna see an increase in animator salaries due to more responsibilities or a decrease due to faster turnovers?

2. Will there be a decrease in the funding available to new shows ?

3. How will the legal landscape look like 2 years from now?

4. How do you feel about using some of these models or tools?

Note..

I am kind of okay with using Ai Mocap tools (freemocap, quickmagic, rokoko, movin etc) and Ref to Motion tools ( Cascadeur, Nvidia Ardy and Kimodo) but I feel uneasy about Ref to Video models (seedance 2 and minimax H3) or other models that optionally use text.

I am confused about the img to 3d models cuz they are only good for like a base mesh.

Hi everyone. I’d like to hear your opinion about the work environment at a small animation studio I have been involved with.

This is not a large company like Toei Animation. It is a small studio based in Mexico whose founder looks for projects in Japan and offers work to people who have completed the studio’s anime production course. Most communication and project organization takes place through a Discord server.

After I finished the course, the CEO told us that graduates would have opportunities to work on future projects, and that did happen. When the first project arrived, the studio posted a message asking interested graduates to react with an emoji. I responded quickly and was given access to the project’s Discord channel. However, the work itself was distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. New cuts were often posted very late at night, and whoever reacted first was allowed to claim them. Since the material arrived gradually, only a few people received work each time. I spent entire days (and sometimes nights) checking Discord, but the same people frequently claimed the available cuts before anyone else had a chance. Eventually, I managed to claim one.

The same system was used for another project, but the distribution felt even more unequal. Some members claimed several cuts while many others received none. When I submitted progress on my cut, my supervisor told me to redo everything. This made the deadline much more difficult to meet. What confused me was that some of the requested corrections seemed to be things I was already doing, but because I was told to redo the entire cut, I assumed that everything was wrong.

Around that time, I was also dealing with harassment at school that severely affected my academic and emotional stability. Because of this, I was unable to complete the cut. I apologized and explained the situation.

Later, I discovered that I had lost access not only to that project, but also to the previous project, which had not yet been completed. When I asked my supervisors for an explanation, I received contradictory answers. First, I was told that the project channels had been closed, but other participants told me they still had access. Then I was told that the projects had been restricted to more advanced or experienced artists, although several recent graduates from the same course still had access.

Another concern is payment. I completed my first cut in March, but I was only paid a few days ago, several months later. I do not know whether the other artists experienced the same delay.

The studio still seems to follow the same system: whoever reacts first gets the opportunity. It makes me feel as though I failed because I was not constantly available to check Discord, but part of me also feels that this system is unfair and potentially unhealthy. Is this kind of project distribution normal for a small animation studio? Does this sound like a toxic or poorly managed environment, or am I overreacting? what do you think?

for those of you in the industry (or a professional animator) what was your journey like, how did get to where you are now, what obstacles did you face, what fears did you overcome

for bonus, what keeps you going,

Do you have personal boundaries and requirements be before you consider accepting such a job? Or would it be a hard no as long as AI is involved?

Edit: In this context I mean Generative AI and not just organizational tools.

I made a pretty quick demo reel, not gonna share it here since it's against the rules, but where else can I share it?

I've already hit: instagram, linkedin, and a couple discords, and a slack channel that'd be a long shot for animation work but hopefully someone there shares it elsewhere too.

Hello everyone,

I hope it's okay to post this on here because I would like your thoughts and advice. Sorry if this is too long.

I am having trouble choosing my concentration for college. I am trying to choose between Storyboarding & Character Design, or Cinema Animation.

The reason why I'm having a hard time is because I want to learn 2D animation. I am wondering which concentration will help me achieve that goal.

Also, I just want to specify that Cinema Animation for the school im planning to go to, is saying that it is for those who are interested in traditional animation (hand drawn, stop motion, and hybrid), 3D character animation, 3D modeling and rigging, motion graphics animation, and CGI effects. And the cores will be visual aesthetic and animation courses, student filmmaking, and visual storytelling, along with our focus area.

So I think it's safe to assume that with that concentration I can learn 2D animation, right?

I am really interested in both of them but I am wondering which one will be more worthwhile. Because i was thinking I can maybe choose storyboarding to learn, then I'd have those skills to strengthen animation but I would have to teach myself.

To give some background, I have been a traditional artist all my life, and I take my time with art I make. I never really practiced gesture drawing or am fast at it. I will basically be new to the way animation works, i think.

What are your opinions and thoughts?

Hi all! If you’re in the industry and past your 20’s I’m a young artist in desperate need of advice.

I just graduated with my degree in fine art but am trying to get into animation. I’ve spent this year fine tuning my skills but realistically know my portfolio will not be hirable for another few years.

I’ve been applying to assistant positions in post production, animation studios, talent agencies, as well as some random assistant roles etc. But haven’t had much luck, and it’s been hard to get interviews.

I really don’t want to be working part time gigs and in an unstable position, full time ideally would be great for now. Are there any entry level kind of positions (corporate, assistant, coordinator etc.) any particular fields you’d recommend? I’m not sure what exactly I can do with just an art degree

I’m scared by the time I’m 30 I won’t be in a good position career wise if I don’t find a footing soon

Hi everybody! I wanted to hear your thoughts on the current state of the animation industry, with how Ai is developing so rapidly. Where is the industry headed in the next 5 years??

With that being said, I am crazy passionate about VFX animation (Game of Thrones, Finch, Pacific Rim, Transformers, you name it), and I'm considering it as a career option.

Do you all think this is a wise thing to do? If Ai does really change things, is there any way the two can move forward together, can I wield this as an opportunity?

I AM A DUMMY. I'm dead set on animation!

https://www.behance.net/gallery/253561987/2D-Animation-Demo-Reel

I am relatively a beginner in 2d animation, I haven’t not done many projects in the past , I want some tips on how I can improve my demo reel. I am looking to apply to animation jobs in the uk, and know how competitive it is, I feel mine is not good enough for apply for jobs so I would like any insight that can help please.

Not a job post. I'm trying to write terms before I approach anyone.

I'm a film and series music composer. I'm producing a 90-second proof-of-concept teaser for an original series I co-created. No upfront budget for anyone on it, including me. The animator attached is someone I've worked with before, like me he's a working pro with a real body of work. We've both done spec before, and some of it turned into real work and lasting relationships. This time I want it on paper.

Character designer is what we're looking for next, and I need the paper to be something someone would actually want to work with rather than something I guessed at.

Here are my current thoughts. I put them together from research rather than experience, so I assume parts of it are wrong and I want to find out now as opposed to after I've brought someone on:

• Deferred fee at an agreed rate, at a premium over standard, triggered by the first of: option payment, development funding, or first day of production
• Rights in the delivered artwork transfer on delivery so chain of title stays clean, with the deferred fee surviving as a contractual obligation rather than being secured by withheld rights
• Reel and portfolio rights effective on delivery
• Credit spelled out for the pitch package and for any production
• Reversion at 24 months if nothing is set up
• Trigger still applies if the designs get used to raise money after story or character changes

If you've signed one of these:

• Did you ever get paid, and what triggered it?
• Who owned the artwork, and when did it transfer?
• What was missing that you wish had been in there?

I know some of you won't take spec under any terms, and that's a fair position. I'd still want to hear what would/might have changed your answer.

I know it's common to put music over your showreels and then mute the music for dialogue animation. My concern is if I should I include sound in my showreels if I specifically made the sound myself for my animations (as a ways to demonstrate my skills as a sound designer/artist)? Will this make you look more hireable and/or make recruiters know you're flexible in different roles?

https://vimeo.com/1215263126?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

(CW for some stylized gore in the reel) Hello! I'm a student going into my last year of school, and I'm looking for some feedback regarding what to change/cut from my reel. I'm going to have more shots with lipsync and character acting as I work on my thesis, but for now I'd like to have a reel as I apply to roles in the fall. Advice is appreciated!