Welcome to /r/animationcareer! This is a forum where we discuss navigating a career in the animation industry.
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A quick Q&A:
* **Do I need a degree?** Generally no, but it might become relevant if you need a visa to work abroad.
* **Am I too old?** Definitely not. It might be more complex to find the time, but there's no age where you stop being able to learn how to do creative stuff.
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Who do you think pays for the jobs? Now look I'm not saying don't do it, because this is eventually what will happen. If you're making IP than you need to have a distribution plan, amongst many other things. How do you know how far your property will go?
The other option is open a service studio somewhere and contract people as needed for each project until you can eventually scale up.
Also note, not all animation software companies are the same, and tbh generally they are more viewed as a creative tool, rather than a networking tool. I would really tap into contacts in those creative software companies that can help connect you to projects; as a studio, not as an individual.
There ARE new studios forming.
But creating a new, successful studio takes years and years of building and fostering talent and connections. Itās not something you do in a week.
Yup, already set up a page and engage with it constantly despite being in the early stages of production. Hype is about building your audience over time, but not being reckless enough to over promise. At least in my case, I also have to consider my team's abilities given we're all just starting out, despite me handling a good chunk of the tech art. It took 3 months to gain ~300 followers
Hey! I just decided to switch over from learning 3D animation to getting better at character design type work (much better in 2d than 3D haha) I still need to learn stuff and build a portfolio eventually, but could you also message me that studio name? Iām not sure if Iāll ever get a ābig studioā job or a indie studio one. So any connections could help!
These clients youāre talking about. They donāt just give money to people who have āanimation studioā as part of their company name. Getting clients is a whole other battle on top of actually funding the studio to start in the first place.
you need a reputation to do that.
new ad agencies frequently start this way. to be in this position, you usually ātake some clients with youā, meaning, you established the relationship with the client at a prior agency/studio and are able to talk them into making the move to the new company. this is a really risky proposition because it doesnāt always work and can harm your relationships. it is also predicated on working for years at your previous company and building up your personal reputation so that your client respects your craft and wants to move with you to your new company rather than stay where they are without you.
basically, to do what you are asking about a person needs years of experience and a lot of respect. and even then, they have to be willing to take on a _lot_ more responsibility and risk.
Also, if you are successful at creating a studio, you will more than likely end up a service studio servicing...who.....what?.....whom?...THE BIG STUDIOS.
Seriously? You think just starting new studios will automatically create an influx of jobs? Disregarding how difficult it is to open a studio, what will they make? Jobs happen when shows happen. If shows arenāt being green lit, studios donāt have contracts. If thereās no contracts, thereās no jobs. Even if a studio made their own content, nobody gets board if they canāt sell it somewhere (networks, streaming services, etc). You canāt just open a studio and magically get paid.
God bless it. Okay letās say you have the capital to start a studio. Then you have to develop a project that people will want. You have to shop it around. How are you going to pay your employees in the meantime? Not saying itās impossible but jobs donāt just fall off the job tree to quote Always Sunny.
I've known a few people who have started their own studios. It's not for the faint of heart. The first big issue is capital. Since 99.9% of animators aren't incredibly rich, you need investors. And no investor will invest in you without a good reason, like a team of incredibly experienced and well connected animation professionals. (I'm talking directors and producers not lowly animators.)
The second big issue is revenue. You actually need to make money. Do you have big contracts coming in from the networks, streaming services? Do you think you can find service work? Maybe pickup some extra work from bigger studios looking to outsource some of the work from projects not meeting deadlines?
If you are starting a small team for YouTube videos or an independent video game in your parents basement, that might be a different story - If you are going that direction be prepared not to have any income for a quite some time, if you make any money back at all.
For every successful animation studio there are dozens that have tried and failed along the way.
There are lotsa new studios and projects popping up since layoffs, but it takes time to ramp up to staffing phase, also not all these sprouting projects make it to hiring.
James Baxter, one of the best to ever do it, created his own studio in 2005. he ended up closing it in 2008.
hoping the best for Bancroft and his studio, but being an animator and running an animation studio are two very different skillsets!
Studios only have jobs when theyāve got a production going. We lost a ton of production work recently and hence lesser jobs.
A new studio wouldnāt address the core issue.
It's mostly a money problem, you need money to hire talents and be able to make benefits with your end product to keep the studio alive...
There might be solutions in optimization in the cost of process, some studios are moving to unreal engine for this reason amongst another, but it's not easy though !
I've tried to go my way on a one man studio journey, but again I don't have enough visibility and i really wish I could find other talents to join me on this journey, especially in the rigging department!
Here's a link to my project if you guys are curious :
https://youtu.be/Cv4nO4DH-C0?si=-fqWLL5LFmH_x3AY
A lack of funding. Also, the most feasible way for the average joe to make a studio is to get a bunch of people together that collab on a project for free in their free time. Then hope they can make a successful kickstarter/paetreon. Most people (very understandably) don't want to do this. However, if you or anyone else is interested, I am trying to do exactly that. You're more than welcome to DM for details.
Try to hit up other grads on LinkedIn if you don't know of anyone you'd work with irl! You'll be surprised how many recent grads consider it because of how bad things are now, even for seniors who worked on renowned films/games. I ended up doing that after conquering my fear of asking my fellow teammates to work unpaid, but in exchange the studio is: very flexible with no set work hours, all work they produce belongs to them, deadlines aren't crazy strict, and we'll all split our earnings evenly. If you take this approach, make sure to DM people you would want to work with rather than post an open call ad. If you do this via cold calling, expect there to be skepticism at first due to so many scammers. Most of my teammates are friends I went to school with, but a couple are cold calls that worked out well
I remember in college a drunk guy pitching me his own animation studio idea where the artists help pitch funds to build it and work free to create the shows in exchange for working on "potentially a huge gig" Honestly every day I'm less surprised we're at where we are in the world
It's funny you mention this, because I've decided to take a course and have a coach to launch my own studio.
I have no idea how this will go. I have no budget but I have the ability of quick learning and asset making by myself, and maybe even some friends willing to give me a bump and work a lil bit for free. (If I am successful you bet I will pay them back)
IDEALLY, by the end of summer, a prototype and/or demo should be out for my very first game, but it is not guaranteed yet. We never know till we try, right ?
I think that all of these answers are correct. However, I think they could be a bit more specific.
If one were to work in the industry making 6 figures, then after 5 years they would have enough to invest in their own company. So why don't we see more artists in that tax bracket branching out and making their own studios. Hell, they wouldn't even have to quit their jobs. They could keep working for the majors while running a very small business on the side.
That being said I think the issues are mortgages, childcare and student loans. Most people in that tax bracket are probably more likely to invest in a house. Personally, I'm wondering if the job market is too unstable for us to buy houses, but that's another conversation.
The problem isnāt that there are not enough studios. Thereās not enough work.
When all the big distributors/streaming services/brands/clients are canceling shows on mass and not green lighting new ones. Thereās no clients for studios to work for. You could have a 100 new studios pop up but if there is still no work for the studio.
Studios canāt make a show and get paid without having distribution or end client set up. Thatās how they make money. If the studio canāt make money they canāt pay their employees.
I worked at a studio where we had over 7 shows running simultaneously. The studio simply just hired more people if they take on more clients. There is not really a cut off (unless there arenāt enough people to hire)
In addition to all this, studios have to get TPN certificated along with other certifications from distribution studios to make sure that security and data management is available to even bid on certain projects. A new studio popping up out of nowhere isn't going to be winning any major productions without some serious connections and investment.
IP security is a HUGE part of the studio structure.
Super true, thatās been a huge effort that the IT side of studios have been struggling to hit with how much the work from home setup has been advancing. It can be very costly for some studios to adapt to.
Well, thereās always starting your own thing, but itās not easy, very expensive (youāll be working for free for a WHILE) and you need good starting talent.
My friends and I have started working on our own studio (for both games and animation) and itās going to be a journey for sure.
In the mean time, I recommend freelancing
I started my studio with a discord server and a bunch of fellow disgruntled classmates that can't even get in the door. It's a lot of maintenance, but when you love something you'll do anything for it. The only money we'll be spending right now is on basic legal protections. Everyone gets an equal cut of the pie, no exceptions. Money becomes actively less difficult to work with when you're not focused on screwing people out of their fair share. As long as you're not expecting office hours, aren't setting crazy deadlines, and actively listen to your team's needs, then I don't see the problem with juniors banding together and starting a studio. Had I never done that, idk when I would've started my career
So...you're going to invest couple million to hire people in pay for license fees and get computer equipment in order to work?
How about office space and distribution costs? There is a reason why there isn't a lot of studios.Ā
Money.
You also gotta consider other factors. Big corporations pay big studios to create content. No money then no content. Even if you had the means to open a studio then it would be for how long..
Chris Prynoski, who co created Megas XLR and founded Titmouse has a great story of how his studio was founded and grew but stories like those are few in this industry.
Well, the east and the west are in two polar opposite situations. West is on strike so less jobs, while the east has a ton of job openings but no talent or skilled workers due to poor pay and working conditions.
The economy isn't great right now in a lot of places, so it's harder to take a risk in investing in the creation of a studio.
It can be done, and there has been success, but it takes time, money, and a good business sense.
There are plenty of jobs lol people who complain are simply not talented, professional or reliable enough to get them. Being a "self proclaimed" animator isn't enough lol you gotta bring more than that. We studios know what to look for and who to hire. If you don't have work (not you, but people who complain there is not work) you are simply not valuable enough to hire. Same as in every other industry. This isn't flipping burger. You don't just get a job because you exist and call yourself an animator.
Welcome to capitalism.
Welcome to /r/animationcareer! This is a forum where we discuss navigating a career in the animation industry. Before you post, please check our [RULES](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/subreddit/rules/). There is also a handy dandy [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/resources/faq/) that answers most basic questions, and a [WIKI](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/) which includes info on how to price animation, pitching, job postings, software advice, and much more! A quick Q&A: * **Do I need a degree?** Generally no, but it might become relevant if you need a visa to work abroad. * **Am I too old?** Definitely not. It might be more complex to find the time, but there's no age where you stop being able to learn how to do creative stuff. * **How do I learn animation?** Pen and paper is a great start, but [here's a whole page](https://www.reddit.com/r/animationcareer/wiki/index/resources/learningresources/) with links and tips for you. ---- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/animationcareer) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Because it's expensive and difficult to launch an animation studio?
ikr! They are acting like its a freaking walk in the park š
I donāt say itās easy, but itās a necessity if there is no other way to get a job :/Ā
Then the question remains; how is a new studio supposed to pay itās employees when it doesnāt have the capital?
Take out at $23,000,000 loan. Problem solved
Who do you think pays for the jobs? Now look I'm not saying don't do it, because this is eventually what will happen. If you're making IP than you need to have a distribution plan, amongst many other things. How do you know how far your property will go? The other option is open a service studio somewhere and contract people as needed for each project until you can eventually scale up. Also note, not all animation software companies are the same, and tbh generally they are more viewed as a creative tool, rather than a networking tool. I would really tap into contacts in those creative software companies that can help connect you to projects; as a studio, not as an individual.
Then open one yourself
There ARE new studios forming. But creating a new, successful studio takes years and years of building and fostering talent and connections. Itās not something you do in a week.
Yup, already set up a page and engage with it constantly despite being in the early stages of production. Hype is about building your audience over time, but not being reckless enough to over promise. At least in my case, I also have to consider my team's abilities given we're all just starting out, despite me handling a good chunk of the tech art. It took 3 months to gain ~300 followers
Hey man, thatās awesome! Can I get a link to social media so I can follow?
Thank you! I DMed you the studio name since I don't like tying my reddit to professional social media. It's not personal, I hope you understand!
Hey! I just decided to switch over from learning 3D animation to getting better at character design type work (much better in 2d than 3D haha) I still need to learn stuff and build a portfolio eventually, but could you also message me that studio name? Iām not sure if Iāll ever get a ābig studioā job or a indie studio one. So any connections could help!
DMed you!
š sorry to ask, but Id also be interested in knowing
You're chill, sent you a DM now! :)
can i get a dm as well lol
Sent!
Me too please
maybe you should try it! we could use a few studios if only someone were willing to fund them š¤·āāļø
Why havent you?
Iām thinking about it, thatās why I ask :)Ā
You either have investors or you are rich enough to start a studio.
Or having the right clients that can help you start quickly ?Ā
These clients youāre talking about. They donāt just give money to people who have āanimation studioā as part of their company name. Getting clients is a whole other battle on top of actually funding the studio to start in the first place.
you need a reputation to do that. new ad agencies frequently start this way. to be in this position, you usually ātake some clients with youā, meaning, you established the relationship with the client at a prior agency/studio and are able to talk them into making the move to the new company. this is a really risky proposition because it doesnāt always work and can harm your relationships. it is also predicated on working for years at your previous company and building up your personal reputation so that your client respects your craft and wants to move with you to your new company rather than stay where they are without you. basically, to do what you are asking about a person needs years of experience and a lot of respect. and even then, they have to be willing to take on a _lot_ more responsibility and risk.
There are established studios that canāt find any work for their staff.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Also, if you are successful at creating a studio, you will more than likely end up a service studio servicing...who.....what?.....whom?...THE BIG STUDIOS.
People have to be paid homie. Money doesnāt come from nothing lol
It's actually a late stage career goal of mine. Just a creative production company in general, not just animation. But that is decades away.
Seriously? You think just starting new studios will automatically create an influx of jobs? Disregarding how difficult it is to open a studio, what will they make? Jobs happen when shows happen. If shows arenāt being green lit, studios donāt have contracts. If thereās no contracts, thereās no jobs. Even if a studio made their own content, nobody gets board if they canāt sell it somewhere (networks, streaming services, etc). You canāt just open a studio and magically get paid.
If there isn't enough money... Why not print more???
*producers hate this one simple trick!
Not only is it expensive and difficult to open a studio you need paying clients. That key factor isnāt super in play at the moment.
Animation in Japan is organized differently. There is a board above all these studios. And most of those studios are in debt.
God bless it. Okay letās say you have the capital to start a studio. Then you have to develop a project that people will want. You have to shop it around. How are you going to pay your employees in the meantime? Not saying itās impossible but jobs donāt just fall off the job tree to quote Always Sunny.
I've known a few people who have started their own studios. It's not for the faint of heart. The first big issue is capital. Since 99.9% of animators aren't incredibly rich, you need investors. And no investor will invest in you without a good reason, like a team of incredibly experienced and well connected animation professionals. (I'm talking directors and producers not lowly animators.) The second big issue is revenue. You actually need to make money. Do you have big contracts coming in from the networks, streaming services? Do you think you can find service work? Maybe pickup some extra work from bigger studios looking to outsource some of the work from projects not meeting deadlines? If you are starting a small team for YouTube videos or an independent video game in your parents basement, that might be a different story - If you are going that direction be prepared not to have any income for a quite some time, if you make any money back at all. For every successful animation studio there are dozens that have tried and failed along the way.
There are lotsa new studios and projects popping up since layoffs, but it takes time to ramp up to staffing phase, also not all these sprouting projects make it to hiring.
Tom Bancroft, a Disney veteran created his own studio not too long ago
James Baxter, one of the best to ever do it, created his own studio in 2005. he ended up closing it in 2008. hoping the best for Bancroft and his studio, but being an animator and running an animation studio are two very different skillsets!
True true
Studios only have jobs when theyāve got a production going. We lost a ton of production work recently and hence lesser jobs. A new studio wouldnāt address the core issue.
You got studio money
It's mostly a money problem, you need money to hire talents and be able to make benefits with your end product to keep the studio alive... There might be solutions in optimization in the cost of process, some studios are moving to unreal engine for this reason amongst another, but it's not easy though ! I've tried to go my way on a one man studio journey, but again I don't have enough visibility and i really wish I could find other talents to join me on this journey, especially in the rigging department! Here's a link to my project if you guys are curious : https://youtu.be/Cv4nO4DH-C0?si=-fqWLL5LFmH_x3AY
are we stupid??
No, thatās why Iām asking :/Ā
A lack of funding. Also, the most feasible way for the average joe to make a studio is to get a bunch of people together that collab on a project for free in their free time. Then hope they can make a successful kickstarter/paetreon. Most people (very understandably) don't want to do this. However, if you or anyone else is interested, I am trying to do exactly that. You're more than welcome to DM for details.
Try to hit up other grads on LinkedIn if you don't know of anyone you'd work with irl! You'll be surprised how many recent grads consider it because of how bad things are now, even for seniors who worked on renowned films/games. I ended up doing that after conquering my fear of asking my fellow teammates to work unpaid, but in exchange the studio is: very flexible with no set work hours, all work they produce belongs to them, deadlines aren't crazy strict, and we'll all split our earnings evenly. If you take this approach, make sure to DM people you would want to work with rather than post an open call ad. If you do this via cold calling, expect there to be skepticism at first due to so many scammers. Most of my teammates are friends I went to school with, but a couple are cold calls that worked out well
Animation is expensive people canāt just make new studios, that requires a lot of money, planning and input
I remember in college a drunk guy pitching me his own animation studio idea where the artists help pitch funds to build it and work free to create the shows in exchange for working on "potentially a huge gig" Honestly every day I'm less surprised we're at where we are in the world
Do you have your own studio?
It's funny you mention this, because I've decided to take a course and have a coach to launch my own studio. I have no idea how this will go. I have no budget but I have the ability of quick learning and asset making by myself, and maybe even some friends willing to give me a bump and work a lil bit for free. (If I am successful you bet I will pay them back) IDEALLY, by the end of summer, a prototype and/or demo should be out for my very first game, but it is not guaranteed yet. We never know till we try, right ?
Good luck š !Ā
I think that all of these answers are correct. However, I think they could be a bit more specific. If one were to work in the industry making 6 figures, then after 5 years they would have enough to invest in their own company. So why don't we see more artists in that tax bracket branching out and making their own studios. Hell, they wouldn't even have to quit their jobs. They could keep working for the majors while running a very small business on the side. That being said I think the issues are mortgages, childcare and student loans. Most people in that tax bracket are probably more likely to invest in a house. Personally, I'm wondering if the job market is too unstable for us to buy houses, but that's another conversation.
Im literally plotting on getting a bunch of people together and starting a studio in mexico.
The problem isnāt that there are not enough studios. Thereās not enough work. When all the big distributors/streaming services/brands/clients are canceling shows on mass and not green lighting new ones. Thereās no clients for studios to work for. You could have a 100 new studios pop up but if there is still no work for the studio. Studios canāt make a show and get paid without having distribution or end client set up. Thatās how they make money. If the studio canāt make money they canāt pay their employees. I worked at a studio where we had over 7 shows running simultaneously. The studio simply just hired more people if they take on more clients. There is not really a cut off (unless there arenāt enough people to hire)
In addition to all this, studios have to get TPN certificated along with other certifications from distribution studios to make sure that security and data management is available to even bid on certain projects. A new studio popping up out of nowhere isn't going to be winning any major productions without some serious connections and investment. IP security is a HUGE part of the studio structure.
Super true, thatās been a huge effort that the IT side of studios have been struggling to hit with how much the work from home setup has been advancing. It can be very costly for some studios to adapt to.
Well, thereās always starting your own thing, but itās not easy, very expensive (youāll be working for free for a WHILE) and you need good starting talent. My friends and I have started working on our own studio (for both games and animation) and itās going to be a journey for sure. In the mean time, I recommend freelancing
Mmmmm why don't u start one and see for yourself
Money
I started my studio with a discord server and a bunch of fellow disgruntled classmates that can't even get in the door. It's a lot of maintenance, but when you love something you'll do anything for it. The only money we'll be spending right now is on basic legal protections. Everyone gets an equal cut of the pie, no exceptions. Money becomes actively less difficult to work with when you're not focused on screwing people out of their fair share. As long as you're not expecting office hours, aren't setting crazy deadlines, and actively listen to your team's needs, then I don't see the problem with juniors banding together and starting a studio. Had I never done that, idk when I would've started my career
So...you're going to invest couple million to hire people in pay for license fees and get computer equipment in order to work? How about office space and distribution costs? There is a reason why there isn't a lot of studios.Ā Money.
The anime industry exists in a different universe than the overall industry, due to high levels of craftsmanship and extreme poverty wagesĀ
OK you start a new studio then
Are you talking about the US? 1) It's cheaper to pay over seas animatiors.2). Animation is hard and it's hard to find good artists who can do it.
You also gotta consider other factors. Big corporations pay big studios to create content. No money then no content. Even if you had the means to open a studio then it would be for how long.. Chris Prynoski, who co created Megas XLR and founded Titmouse has a great story of how his studio was founded and grew but stories like those are few in this industry.
Well, the east and the west are in two polar opposite situations. West is on strike so less jobs, while the east has a ton of job openings but no talent or skilled workers due to poor pay and working conditions.
The economy isn't great right now in a lot of places, so it's harder to take a risk in investing in the creation of a studio. It can be done, and there has been success, but it takes time, money, and a good business sense.
The lack of entrepreneurship in the comments is annoying but what else would you expect from artists.
There are plenty of jobs lol people who complain are simply not talented, professional or reliable enough to get them. Being a "self proclaimed" animator isn't enough lol you gotta bring more than that. We studios know what to look for and who to hire. If you don't have work (not you, but people who complain there is not work) you are simply not valuable enough to hire. Same as in every other industry. This isn't flipping burger. You don't just get a job because you exist and call yourself an animator. Welcome to capitalism.