It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to provide our first in a series of articles focussed on intellectual property and the animation sector. Our firm works to ensure that our clients’ intellectual property (IP) is free to use, properly protected, and properly enforced and we work closely with a number of animation clients in this respect.

There are of course some IP big issues in the animation sector at the moment, such as generative AI and the proposed relaxation of copyright laws, but in the first of a series of articles we hope to introduce you to the various IP rights and their relevance to the animation industry. We will then focus on topics such as generative AI and merchandising in our later articles.

Copyright

Copyright is arguably the most relevant intellectual property right for animators. It legally protects the expression of original works, although not the idea itself, to ensure creators have exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute their work.

This means that several elements of an animation may be afforded copyright protection, as long as they are original, including:

• The characters – particularly their appearance or representation.
• The script – any original written text, dialogue, and plot devices.
• The soundtrack – any original music or sound effects created for the animation.
• The software or code – any custom software or animation tools made specifically for the animation may benefit from copyright protection.
• The animation itself – video and sound recordings of the actual animated footage including the sequence of frames.

Copyright arises from creation of any of these works, and when animators work for a studio, it is often the studio who owns the copyright.

Owning the copyright allows the owner to license their characters and stories to, for example, third-party merchandisers, generating sales from official clothing, posters, dolls/action figures and other commercial products. Copyright also allows the owner to take legal action and prevent unauthorised copying or distribution of their works. It may even protect from derivative works, such as unauthorised spin-offs or fan films, which may be detrimental to the brand.

An early Popeye Comic, now in the public domain – June 26, 1931

In the UK protection generally lasts for 70 years after the death of the creator, after which it enters the ‘Public Domain’. In the US, however, some copyright protection lasts for 95 years. This why E.C. Segar’s Popeye entered the public domain on 1 January 2025, and last year, Disney’s earliest version of Mickey Mouse – Steamboat Willie. It is important to note that only the copyright for these early versions have expired, Mickey in his famous red shorts and white gloves are still protected.

Trade Marks

In the UK, trade marks can be an essential tool for protecting key aspects of your animation, so long as they are distinctive and distinguishable from those produced by others in the marketplace. A UK registered trade mark allows you to protect the identity of the commercial origin of your animation by stopping other parties in the UK from using the same or confusingly similar branding to you, such as a name, logo, or slogan, on the same or similar products or services. If someone uses your animation’s branding without permission, you can enforce your rights through legal action under the Trade Marks Act 1994.

Trade mark protection is a particularly powerful tool as, unlike all other types of intellectual property, trade mark registrations can in principle be maintained for an unlimited period of time, so long as you continue to use the trade mark in relation to the products or services that are specified in the registration.

Here are some examples of how registered trade marks can be utilised to protect your animation:

Protecting Titles, Character Names and Logos

The title of an animated series or film, or the name or a distinctive logo/image of a unique animated character, can be registered as a trade mark. For example, if you create a character called Zippy Zoom and register the name as a trade mark, you can stop competitors from using the same or a confusingly similar name on the same or similar products or services.

It is worth remembering however that a trade mark registration for the image of a key character is limited to the specific representation/pose applied for, and use by others in different and distinct representations may be enough to avoid infringement. It may therefore be more appropriate to protect a character design using design rights (more on this below).

Merchandising and Licensing Protection

Trade marks can be enforced against unauthorized and/or counterfeit merchandise produced by third parties featuring elements of your animation, such as its distinctive titles, characters, logos, or names.

They can also be used in commercial transactions, such as licence agreements with third parties to produce branded merchandise using your trade marks.

Digital and Streaming Protection

If your animation is available on platforms like YouTube, having a registered trade mark allows you to take action against unauthorized use or imitation by others on the platform.

Designs

Design rights can also be powerful tools for safeguarding aspects of your animation, such as the visual appearance (e.g. the shape, contours, patterns, textures or decoration) of characters, settings and other artistic elements.

Both unregistered and registered design rights exist in the UK, though the effect and scope of protection of these rights differs:

Unregistered Design Right (UDR):

• Automatically applies when a design is created and recorded (e.g., when sketches or 3D models are created).
• Protects the shape and configuration of a design (but not any of the surface decoration).
• Lasts for 10 years after first marketing or 15 years from creation (whichever is shorter).

Registered Design Right (RDR):

• Requires an application to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO).
• Protects a broader range of elements of the design, including both 2D and 3D designs and including surface decorations.
• Offers longer protection (lasts up to a maximum of 25 years, renewable every 5 years).

When it comes to registered design protection, you will need to be mindful to apply for protection as early as possible, preferably before the design is first publicly disclosed. Failure to do so might otherwise rule out the possibility of securing registered protection. This is because a key requirement for a design to be registrable is that it must be new (have “novelty”), and distinguishable from what has come before (in other words, have “individual character”). Your own disclosure of a design before registering can prevent its own novelty!

When using registered designs to protect an animated character or other visual design elements in the animation, consideration should be given as to whether those elements have any particularly distinctive visual features, and how the appearance of those elements may change over time as distinctive and novel changes to the design may not be protected under existing protection. For character designs, it can be useful to protect their head or face separately as this is likely to be subject to less change over time, whereas their clothing may change as the plot progresses in the animation.

Patents

A patent is a right afforded to someone that has a new and inventive product or process, that allows them to make, use or sell the product or a process exclusively for a period of time.

While they are more commonly associated with medications and machinery, patents still play a role in animation, particularly where there are technological advancements in the animation process. This might include:

• Rendering techniques;
• 3D animation software;
• Stop motion hardware;
• Motion capture systems; and
• AI generation tools.

Excerpt from US Patent Application No 2,260,092 (A)

As an example, Walt Disney Productions, arguably the most well-known animation company, is the owner of many patents, including a 1941 patent entitled ‘Method of Creating Cartoon Effects’. This is a method for creating realistic shadow effects by placing a transparent sheet in the shape of the effect over a drawn animation, and photographing it – essentially superimposing an effect rather than drawing it.

Excerpt from US Patent No. 10,529,110 B2

More recently in 2020, Dreamworks Animations were granted a patent for a computer-generated automated animation process. While the usual labour-intensive process of creating an animation scene requires animators to manually position each character, object and even every blade of grass, this patent describes a process automating elements to interact in a natural and consistent way. Although the patent application process makes the intricacies of the patent public knowledge, no one other than the patent owner can use it while the patent is in force – usually 5 years, with yearly renewals for up to 20 years. This protects innovation while still allowing the technology behind the patent to be built upon and improved by others once the patent expires.

Marks & Clerk works closely with animators and animation studios to assist with the protection and enforcement of all intellectual property rights and we would be delighted to discuss any enquiries with you. This is the first in a series of articles and our next one will dig a little deeper into some of the issues facing the animation industry from an IP perspective.

This article was written by Tia Ilana, Graeme Murray, and Adam Wilson.

The article’s cover image was based on an illustration image by freepik.

The post Intellectual Property (IP) in Animation 101 appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

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The creators of Pop Paper City – the children’s TV series distributed by Aardman to over 177 territories worldwide – are thrilled to unveil exclusive behind-the-scenes videos detailing the innovative use of Maxon One software bringing the series to life. As pioneers in their field, they proudly share insights into the animation approach, marking Pop Paper City as the first-ever animated children’s series to utilise Maxon’s Cinema 4D.

In these videos, viewers are invited behind the curtain to hear directly from editors, generalists, animators, and the producer, each offering invaluable perspectives and techniques.

Gain first-hand knowledge on the creative processes that shaped the series, and discover practical tips for aspiring creators looking to embark on their own journey into children’s television.

This unique glimpse into the production of Pop Paper City not only celebrates its technological advancements but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of storytellers and animators.

Directing & recording child voice talent

In this insightful video, Dom Boucher, the voice director of Pop Paper City, delves into the intricacies of the series’ recording process. Join him as he introduces the talented cast of child actors who bring the vibrant characters of Pop Paper City to life on screen.

Tutorials also available in this series:

• Pitching Your Own (Children’s) TV Show – Producer Top Tips
• Walk-through of a Children’s TV Show Animation Pipeline in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Environment in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Character Model in Cinema 4D
• How to Rig a 3D Character in Cinema 4D
• How to Animate a Character in Cinema 4D
• Directing Voices for Animation

The post Directing Voices for Animation | Cast Interviews & Dom Boucher appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Scroll down to view the video

The creators of Pop Paper City – the children’s TV series distributed by Aardman to over 177 territories worldwide – are thrilled to unveil exclusive behind-the-scenes videos detailing the innovative use of Maxon One software bringing the series to life. As pioneers in their field, they proudly share insights into the animation approach, marking Pop Paper City as the first-ever animated children’s series to utilise Maxon’s Cinema 4D.

In these videos, viewers are invited behind the curtain to hear directly from editors, generalists, animators, and the producer, each offering invaluable perspectives and techniques.

Gain first-hand knowledge on the creative processes that shaped the series, and discover practical tips for aspiring creators looking to embark on their own journey into children’s television.

This unique glimpse into the production of Pop Paper City not only celebrates its technological advancements but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of storytellers and animators.

Animating in Cinema 4D

In this video, Andrew Robinson a lead animator from the Pop Paper City Kids TV series team explains the process of animating the characters from the Tv series and the tools we uses in Cinema 4D to improve time efficiency. Using an example from the TV series, Andrew covers the basic principles of animation, how to use the rigs, and how to convey certain emotions through body language.

Tutorials also available in this series:

• Pitching Your Own (Children’s) TV Show – Producer Top Tips
• Walk-through of a Children’s TV Show Animation Pipeline in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Environment in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Character Model in Cinema 4D
• How to Rig a 3D Character in Cinema 4D
• How to Animate a Character in Cinema 4D

The post How to Animate a Character in Cinema 4D | Animation Tutorial appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Scroll down to view the video

The creators of Pop Paper City – the children’s TV series distributed by Aardman to over 177 territories worldwide – are thrilled to unveil exclusive behind-the-scenes videos detailing the innovative use of Maxon One software bringing the series to life. As pioneers in their field, they proudly share insights into the animation approach, marking Pop Paper City as the first-ever animated children’s series to utilise Maxon’s Cinema 4D.

In these videos, viewers are invited behind the curtain to hear directly from editors, generalists, animators, and the producer, each offering invaluable perspectives and techniques.

Gain first-hand knowledge on the creative processes that shaped the series, and discover practical tips for aspiring creators looking to embark on their own journey into children’s television.

This unique glimpse into the production of Pop Paper City not only celebrates its technological advancements but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of storytellers and animators.

Rigging Characters in Cinema 4D

In this video, Tom Cardo-Moreno from the Pop Paper City team explains the process of creating a rig from a model, using an example from the series. He demonstrates how to implement mechanics and controllers to an existing model to create the rig.

Tutorials also available in this series:

• Pitching Your Own (Children’s) TV Show – Producer Top Tips
• Walk-through of a Children’s TV Show Animation Pipeline in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Environment in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Character Model in Cinema 4D
• How to Rig a 3D Character in Cinema 4D

The post How to Rig a 3D Character in Cinema 4D appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Scroll down to view the video

The creators of Pop Paper City – the children’s TV series distributed by Aardman to over 177 territories worldwide – are thrilled to unveil exclusive behind-the-scenes videos detailing the innovative use of Maxon One software bringing the series to life. As pioneers in their field, they proudly share insights into the animation approach, marking Pop Paper City as the first-ever animated children’s series to utilise Maxon’s Cinema 4D.

In these videos, viewers are invited behind the curtain to hear directly from editors, generalists, animators, and the producer, each offering invaluable perspectives and techniques.

Gain first-hand knowledge on the creative processes that shaped the series, and discover practical tips for aspiring creators looking to embark on their own journey into children’s television.

This unique glimpse into the production of Pop Paper City not only celebrates its technological advancements but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of storytellers and animators.

Modelling Characters in Cinema 4D

In this video, Piero Miceli from the Pop Paper City team explains the process of modeling and the various tools within Cinema 4D, using an example from the TV series.

Tutorials also available in this series:

• Pitching Your Own (Children’s) TV Show – Producer Top Tips
• Walk-through of a Children’s TV Show Animation Pipeline in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Environment in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Character Model in Cinema 4D

The post How to Create a 3D Character Model in Cinema 4D appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Scroll down to view the video

The creators of Pop Paper City – the children’s TV series distributed by Aardman to over 177 territories worldwide – are thrilled to unveil exclusive behind-the-scenes videos detailing the innovative use of Maxon One software bringing the series to life. As pioneers in their field, they proudly share insights into the animation approach, marking Pop Paper City as the first-ever animated children’s series to utilise Maxon’s Cinema 4D.

In these videos, viewers are invited behind the curtain to hear directly from editors, generalists, animators, and the producer, each offering invaluable perspectives and techniques.

Gain first-hand knowledge on the creative processes that shaped the series, and discover practical tips for aspiring creators looking to embark on their own journey into children’s television.

This unique glimpse into the production of Pop Paper City not only celebrates its technological advancements but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of storytellers and animators.

Modelling Environments in Cinema 4D

In this video, Piero Miceli from the Pop Paper City team explains the process of creating a quick environment and the various tools within Cinema 4D, using an example from the TV series.

Tutorials also available in this series:

• Pitching Your Own (Children’s) TV Show – Producer Top Tips
• Walk-through of a Children’s TV Show Animation Pipeline in Cinema 4D
• How to Create a 3D Environment in Cinema 4D

The post How to Create a 3D Environment in Cinema 4D appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Scroll down to view the video

The creators of Pop Paper City – the children’s TV series distributed by Aardman to over 177 territories worldwide – are thrilled to unveil exclusive behind-the-scenes videos detailing the innovative use of Maxon One software bringing the series to life. As pioneers in their field, they proudly share insights into the animation approach, marking Pop Paper City as the first-ever animated children’s series to utilise Maxon’s Cinema 4D.

In these videos, viewers are invited behind the curtain to hear directly from editors, generalists, animators, and the producer, each offering invaluable perspectives and techniques.

Gain first-hand knowledge on the creative processes that shaped the series, and discover practical tips for aspiring creators looking to embark on their own journey into children’s television.

This unique glimpse into the production of Pop Paper City not only celebrates its technological advancements but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of storytellers and animators.

Children’s TV Show Animation Process, by the Pop Paper City creative team

In this video, Richard Charlton, Piero Miceli, Joe Caple, and Rixeg Salim from the Pop Paper City TV series team explain their roles during production using Cinema 4D. Ricky discusses the pipeline from an editor point of view.

Tutorials also available in this series:

• Pitching Your Own (Children’s) TV Show – Producer Top Tips
• Walk-through of a Children’s TV Show Animation Pipeline in Cinema 4D

The post Walk-through of a Children’s TV Show Animation Pipeline in Cinema 4D: Animatic to Render appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Scroll down to view the video

The creators of Pop Paper City – the children’s TV series distributed by Aardman to over 177 territories worldwide – are thrilled to unveil exclusive behind-the-scenes videos detailing the innovative use of Maxon One software bringing the series to life. As pioneers in their field, they proudly share insights into the animation approach, marking Pop Paper City as the first-ever animated children’s series to utilise Maxon’s Cinema 4D. 

In these videos, viewers are invited behind the curtain to hear directly from editors, generalists, animators, and the producer, each offering invaluable perspectives and techniques. 

Gain first-hand knowledge on the creative processes that shaped the series, and discover practical tips for aspiring creators looking to embark on their own journey into children’s television.

This unique glimpse into the production of Pop Paper City not only celebrates its technological advancements but also serves as a beacon of inspiration for the next generation of storytellers and animators.

Producer Top Tips for Pitching Your Own Show with Georgina Hurcombe

In this video, the creator of “Pop Paper City,” children’s animated TV series broadcasted globally, shares essential tips for pitching your own show. From budgeting wisely and highlighting what makes your series unique to assessing its market appeal, the discussion covers essential bases you need to ace your pitch.

The post Pitching Your Own (Children’s) TV Show – Producer Top Tips appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

1. Know who your target is

Storyboard portfolios can vary depending on what kind of story job you are applying for. Properly researching your dream studio beforehand can be very helpful. The two main categories are Features and TV. In general, for TV storyboarding portfolios, characters should be more posed out and have a cleaner look. The portfolio piece usually has 6-9 panels on each page. For features the storyboard can be rougher – however, the shot selection should be more cinematic; single panels on each page and examples of animatics are preferred for feature portfolios.

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

2. Do your thumbnails

Thumbnails are the essential blueprint in the storyboarding process. Usually the first pass of your storyboard is not going be the best solution for the story. Your thumbnail drawings should be super quick and clear enough for you to understand, that way you can test out all the different approaches for the same story within a very short amount of time and then you can pick the best one from there. If you do your thumbnails right, 90% of your job is done at this stage.

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

3. Clarity is key

As a storyboard artist, your job is to tell a story through images, therefore, clarity is the top priority for your storyboard. Always make sure that your boards are 100% clear to your audience. Another mistake that beginner story artists tend to make is trying to kill two many birds with one stone. Keep your storyboard simple and focus on communicating one thing at a time for every panel so that the audience doesn’t get confused or overwhelmed by what’s happening.

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

Directing the Story: Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Animation

£36.79

Francis Glebas, a top Disney storyboard artist, teaches artists a structural approach to clearly and dramatically presenting visual stories.

Buy Now

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.

4. Clean Drawing =/= Stiff Drawing

Your portfolio should include some clean drawings. This is a great way to show your draughtsmanship, but be careful with them. Oftentimes when I see artists clean up their boards they end up losing the appeal of their rough pass. When you clean your boards, make sure it still conveys the same level of impact as your rougher boards. It’s also worth bearing in mind that clean storyboards for TV are very different than feature storyboards. Learn from your favourite artists at your dream studios and see how approach their cleaner boards for their job.

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

5. References are your friends

I know some artists who are ashamed of using references and think that they should be experienced enough to draw everything out of their imagination. The truth is, references are an artist’s best friend – for example, even if you know the whole anatomy of a horse, by drawing from memory you run the risk of ending up with a design that looks too generic. By just pulling up a still image or reference video of a horse, you can be inspired by the real-life energy of a horse that will likely translate to a better-looking drawing. Always learn by taking advantage of references, as it will make your drawings more believable and appealing.

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

6. Diversity is important

We all have our favourite genre or comfort zone for storyboarding. However, including sequences that can represent different genres in your portfolio is a good idea. As a storyboard artist, you can’t predict what kind of sequence the director is going to assign to you, so it’s important to show the studio that you can convey a broad range of styles and emotions, such as comedy, emotional scenes or action.

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media

£41.42

Bruce Block masterfully deconstructs visual storytelling. Exposure to this material is essential for all students of cinema. This book will make you a better filmmaker.

Buy Now

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.

7. Life drawing and comics

For a storyboard portfolio, life drawing can be a plus point. You want to show your life drawing ability which is a very important skill for a storyboard artist. This means you can draw a character fast with clear, appealing poses. Another great thing to include are examples from personal comics, as comic storytelling is very similar to storyboarding. With comics, you can show your other storytelling skills outside of storyboards, and studios generally appreciate the inclusion of personal projects so that they can understand you better as a person.

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

8. Keep it short and solid

Your portfolio should show your best work and be as concise as possible. It’s important to bear in mind that recruiters have thousands of portfolios to review, so you don’t want yours to be too long or too average. Make sure to keep your best work presented at the top of your portfolio. Ideally, 50-150 panels per sequence and 3-4 storyboards in total is a good amount for your portfolio.

9. Work balance

Storyboarding is very hard, so whenever you finish a sequence, celebrate and enjoy some boba

Image courtesy of Siti Lu

Good luck!

Related Recommendations

Directing the Story: Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Animation

£36.79

Francis Glebas, a top Disney storyboard artist, teaches artists a structural approach to clearly and dramatically presenting visual stories.

Buy Now

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.

The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media

£41.42

Bruce Block masterfully deconstructs visual storytelling. Exposure to this material is essential for all students of cinema. This book will make you a better filmmaker.

Buy Now

We may earn a commission if you buy through these links.

Storyboarding Essentials: SCAD Creative Essentials

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Professional Storyboarding: Rules of Thumb

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Storyboarding: Rules of Thumb offers highly illustrative examples of basic storyboarding concepts, as well as sound, career-oriented advice for the new artist. This book also features a number of veteran storyboard artists sharing their experiences in the professional world.

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The post 9 Tips for your Story Portfolio appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

For nearly ten years, Tim Bain has written for some of the biggest and globally popular animated hits within children’s television. His journey led him to work on such acclaimed shows as Go Jetters, Dennis and Gnasher Unleashed, Fireman Sam, Digby Dragon, PJ Masks, Bluey, The Rubbish World of Dave Spud, Thomas & Friends and many more.

We spent an hour talking about his impressive career, how he got started and his tips for any inspiring writers; plus how it felt to work at acclaimed studio Aardman and having created his first series after his hard work.

How did you start your career and how did you get involved with writing for children’s television?

I had a bit of a roundabout career I guess. I was obsessed with animation and cartoons when I was a kid. I saw the Aardman Claymation movies when I was a teenager which just blew me away and got me obsessed with Claymation. I loved the Saturday morning cartoons. I used to draw comic strips with my sister who was my solo audience back then.

I always knew I wanted to work in animation so I did an arts degree followed by a year-long animation degree in which we learnt 2D animation techniques and Claymation. We did animation with sand and glass and we animated with meat products which stunk up the studio after a day under the hot lights. What I found was that I enjoyed the scripting more than the actual animation itself because in Claymation they can fall over and my doodles aren’t that fantastic -, like my drawing skills – but I really love the storytelling aspect of it and I really wanted to make that a career.

But I sort of got distracted in my twenties. I ran a corporate video business and then through a contact I got a job as a comedy writer on a topical news series called Rove which was on once a week which I loved doing, telling jokes for adults on a lot of contemporary views. But my heart was always in animation and I was always working on my own little ideas on the side and I had the opportunity to move to the UK when I was about thirty. The industry over there is quite spectacular, the kids TV industry. They’ve got the BBC, CBeebies and CBBC and Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and they make such high quality, world class shows, particularly in animation. I really wanted to get into that and it was hard, because I was a small fish in a very big pond and the TV credits that I had in Australia weren’t for kids and no one really knew the shows I worked on back in Australia.

I went to a comedy writing festival and I met a fellow Australian who was directing kids TV over there and she introduced me to a kid’s producer at the BBC via email. I went and met him and he was developing two shows that he created, one called Numtums and one called Go Jetters and he was looking for a writer to help develop those, to write some scripts to expand the bible and really flesh out those shows. I was lucky enough to hit it off with him and he invited me to some workshops for those shows and then to go and write the pilot script and flesh out the bible. It was developing those shows that kind of got the ball rolling.

Once I had credits I think it was a catch twenty-two when you’re starting out in writing because people want you to have an agent I guess. Producers would like you to have an agent to get some confidence in you, but then agents want you to have a credit on a TV show before they’ll hire you. What’s the first step? I was lucky enough through that process that I was able to meet this fabulous producer, Barry Quinn, and his faith in me led to working on those shows and then securing an agent in the UK, which then gave other producers confidence to hire me on their shows.

Some of your writing seems to focus on comedy like The Rubbish World of Dave Spud and Strange Chores. What are the challenges involved with writing comedy and trying to get 6 to 12 year olds to laugh?

That’s a great question because sometimes kids TV can be looked down upon as not as clever and as smart as comedy aimed at adults, but in actual fact it can as I’ve written comedies for adults as I mentioned. It can be tricky writing for younger and younger audiences and I think it can get harder and harder the younger you go, because you’re looking for all these comic buttons on things and jokes, but the line that you can cross gets lower and lower the lower the age group of the audience.

You have to find clever ways to entertain an eleven year old whose quite sophisticated and possibly watching shows like Rick and Morty and Family Guy, but you have to write for them within the boundaries of that age group. There’s definitely a trick to it. I could remember a lot of my own experience as a kid and embarrassments that I had or things I loved doing, jokes that my friends would tell what I found funny back then and it’s drawing on those memories and bringing those into scripts that hopefully will relate to an eleven year old in 2020.

The Rubbish World of Dave Spud

You seem very attached to animated shows as a writer. What is it about animation that appeals to you personally?

I think it’s this almost magical moment of an inanimate object or piece of clay coming to life. It’s marrying that actor’s voice to the animator’s beautiful animation and then suddenly it sparks a character that feels real. So that’s really exciting for me because as I mentioned before Aardman was a huge influence when I was a kid and I saw Wallace & Gromit and a variety of their short films and Chicken Run when that came out and I had the luck recently to be writing for a series of Morph, a classic Aardman character. It’s exciting to be writing stories about the journey that Morph goes through and there’s slapstick you can have with him, see all of this beautiful animation from the talented animators at Aardman bring these pieces of clay to life and imbued them with emotion and bring those stories to life.

You’ve written content for a wide range of audiences, from pre-school to adults. Which age groups do you personally prefer to write for and why?

I love writing for all of them. There’s very different jokes you tell with those different characters and different categories, whether it’s preschool or six to elevens or adults. I love being able, in any given week, to work on a variety of shows for a variety of different audiences and be back and fourth in-between.

I love writing stories and getting ideas down – you put a lot of heart and empathy into the shows at the [pre-school] age group which I love doing, but I honestly love writing for six to elevens because you’re really pushing that line to get away with jokes that you wouldn’t do for younger kids. Like the Rubbish World of Dave Spud, I’m surprised how far we pushed the envelope on that show. It’s been a push on the barrier on what you can get away with that’s loads of fun for that audience. But I love writing for adults because they are my contemporaries and if I can write jokes about stuff that’s happening in the news and vent at politicians or whoever that’s really rewarding as well.

We recently interviewed the animation director for Love Monster and she said that the premise of the series is “to work out everyday problems that hopefully will be reflective of concepts children might encounter – like sharing with other people, or things they might be scared of.” With this, or any other pre-school series you have worked on, what approach do you do to make sure the episodes can be relatable to young audiences?

I wrote a few episodes of Love Monster and that was a lovely shows to do because you’re really focusing on a character’s inner most emotions as he went through each day.

I think it’s that I’m lucky enough to have my three year old twins and understand what their perspective of the world is and how they’re learning every day. Their mind is being blown by the brand new things they are discovering, so when I’m writing for young audiences it’s thinking about the roller coaster that life is. They can spin between different emotions from one second to the next, they can be joyously happy and then terrified the next or screaming about something that’s not fair. It’s trying to see the world through their eyes so I’m developing my own show at the moment which is about three different families with different family dynamics like a family with two gay dads and trying to feel how a child experiences that kind of family and the joys and downfalls of everyday life I guess.

I think it’s also about really putting kids up front and centre in your stories so adults definitely take a back seat. It’s about kids seeking fun or making friendships or all the emotional things they experience in any given day.

Love Monster

As you are also someone who has written television bibles and pilot scripts, what are your key tips for anyone who is looking to break into writing for animation?

You start by cutting your teeth by writing for other shows and that’s certainly how I learnt the trade. I went out there when I was younger, trying to pitch my own shows and get those up and happening first, but I think what was most admirable going to write for other shows. The first preschool show I was hired on was Fireman Sam and I learnt so much from the wonderful head writers Laura Beaumont and Paul Larson, who have been head writers for a few series, and knew the characters so well and the situations Sam and the kids could get up to on that show and guide me through. I would have story ideas that help me shape those stories into something that felt very much like a Fireman Sam story. It was like a personal class with two wonderful teachers.

For a start, I would suggest to try to get hired as a writer on shows that you love. How do you do that? It’s a very good question because as I was saying before producers would like you to have an agent or see prior credits. What I would recommend is you definitely take that baby, that series concept you got, on your own. Write a bible, look at other bibles if you can, any writers that you look up to who you can email and ask if they can share any of their own bibles.

And then flesh out your own pilot script based on that bible and I would thoroughly recommend spending the money on a script editor. There’s so many fantastic script editors available for hire you can find very easily online. Look for a script editor who’ve worked on productions of TV that you admire and pay them to guide you through all the steps in that script and the bible. But by working with a script editor you’ve got someone who’s very experienced guiding you through it, helping you shape the script to the best possible script it can be along with your bible. Then you’ve got something that you can for one, certainly pitch, but you might have a bit of trouble getting it up and running without having experience writing for other shows. Secondly, you can use that script as your sample, and that is something anyone is going to hire you will often want to see. If you don’t have an amazing CV with credits, use that sample as your calling card to show the quality of your writing. That sample is going to be your business card, it’s going to be a strong way to sell yourself so if you don’t have credits, I highly recommend emailing and introducing yourself. And hopefully if they are good people and they got time, they will give you a shot and if that script grabs their attention and impresses them, they might give you the opportunity to perhaps let you pitch ideas for episodes or invite you to a workshop on a round-table with writers at the start of a series, but that’s definitely the way to get the ball rolling with your very own script. I think the very best example of your work is your original idea fleshed out into a script.

One of the companies I would like to know what they were like to write for are Aardman. What was it like to have worked with such a massive name in children’s media?

It was an absolute dream come true. Going into Aardman in Bristol was a pinch myself moment. I’ve been there a couple of times now and working with my heroes. I was hired on The Epic Adventures of Morph and it’s a series of five minute episodes about the famous, classic character Moprh and because of my experience growing up watching Wallace & Gromit and Morph and movies like Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit, I was quite obsessed.

I got to work with a producer named Sarah Cox who’s a brilliant producer at Aardman and I got to know her from the CMC (Children’s Media Conference), I think I met her a few years ago and we got on really well and she invited me to come in and I met Peter Lord, who’s one of the three founders of Aardman along with Nick Park and David Sproxton. Morph is Peter’s baby and it was amazing. I went in there to pitch this idea and he was very excited about the idea. It was working with him and Sarah in person and a bunch of Skype sessions along the way that I ended up writing six episodes for that series, which is about to premier soon on Sky. It was a dream come true. I couldn’t believe it. It was a career goal I had for twenty years to write for them and now it’s so exciting to know that right now in a studio at Aardman there’s heaps of incredibly talented animators taking my script and breathing life into it. This series, I feel like we really got to push the boundaries of Morph and explore his world.

Morph

As well as having written for Thomas & Friends, you have also voiced for one of the characters, Aiden. How did you get involved with voice acting and were you able to use this unique position to help with writing for the show?

When I was a kid I wanted to be an actor and unfortunately I realised in a school musical I didn’t quite have the acting chops. I was probably a bit too much of an exaggerated actor, but I think that my over the top sort of attitude worked well for animation where you’re encouraged to dial up the volume to eleven.

When I was writing for Go Jetters, the episode I wrote about the Sydney Opera House, there was this yacht commentator character that I thought I wouldn’t mind playing him. I was basically making an offer to the producers to come in and voice this character and they said yes. So I got in there and I got to work with the cast in the studio. The cast were much more talented than me and I needed many more takes to get my lines right. The director had to put me through my paces, but I got a kick out of seeing an animated character with my own voice coming out of his mouth. That’s quite exciting.

When Thomas & Friends came along, I was hired to write some episodes set in Australia where Thomas visits Australia, travels around and has adventures. There was a couple of characters; there was Shane the train and his rear carriages, Aidan and Audrey, and I reached out to the producers and said “Hey, are you interested in me trying out some voices?” They said sure go ahead and so I recorded some on my phone and I sent them in and they liked them enough to say come in and record in the studio. It’s a lot of fun and makes you see a production of a show in a whole new angle and realise how tricky dialogue can be to say sometimes.

Dialogue can be clunky and hard to get your mouth right sometimes. Now it’s made me read my scripts out loud before I send them off, knowing an actor is going to bring my scripts to life and make it sound like credible dialogue. It was a lot of fun to get out from behind the desk and step into a booth and work with a director to bring a character to life in a whole new perspective.

Are there any shows that you would have liked to write for and if so, what were those titles?

Many shows. Back in the day I was very new, but I had a chance to go to a writer’s workshop on The Amazing World of Gumball, which is just a brilliant show. I was so new to that world and it was nice to spend time on the table for a few days. I got a joke or two in one of the episodes, but I didn’t end up staying on to write for the show. Looking back, I would love to apply to that show with more experience that I have now.

Aardman was definitely the one I wanted to write for and had that opportunity recently. I would still love to write for Shaun the Sheep one day, and Wallace & Gromit if ever the opportunity came again.

Feature film is the next point I’m really keen to get into. It’s just a whole other format. You’re trying to tell a story to engage an audience and keep them excited for ninety minutes. The shows I usually write are mainly eleven to twenty two minutes long. I think that would be a really exciting challenge, particularly to tell stories on a big screen with a bigger budget and I just need to find the time to sit down and start coming up with my own feature film ideas. If a producer ever came along with an idea in the works, I’d love to be working on that as a freelancer; a writer for hire.

As a parent and a writer, what was it like to have written for Bluey and put your own experience in a successful Australian production?

I was very chuffed to write that episode (Mount Mumanddad). It was co-written with Joe Brumm, who wrote a majority of Bluey episodes and is the creator, and he’s absolutely brilliant. When I read the bible and read the scripts and watched the pilot they sent me during the start of production it just blew me away. Like you, I just thought “What is this amazing show?”

The comedy is so relatable if you’re a kid or a parent, every episode is full of relatable hilarity. But it’s also got this amazing heart to it where characters have this discovery at some crucial point in the episode where it resolves a problem they might have and have this really heart-warming resolution. It’s just a mix of all those different elements that you can understand why it’s so hugely popular.

There’s just so many relatable situations that come from raising kids and how funny it is and how stressful it can be sometimes and all the games that you play and that’s in the heart of every Bluey episode. I didn’t have that relatability to six year old Bluey and four year old Bingo, but what I did have was memories from my own childhood. The episode I came up with was called Mount Mumanddad, which was based on my experience using my dad as a mountain when I was young and how amazing it was to be small in size and have this huge parent you can climb all over.

So I drew on experience from my own childhood.

Bluey

What are you currently working on?

I’m quite lucky to have my first series Kangaroo Beach commissioned a year or so ago by ABC Kids and we’re well into production of that now. It’s an animated preschool CGI action comedy show and it’s set in a world of lifesaving or life-guarding. I was a little Nipper when I was a kid, which was like a junior lifeguard in Australia where you learn all about water safety, how to rescue people and we play beach sports. It was a lot of fun. My dad was a lifesaver when he was younger.

It came from this idea that kid’s love the beach and they love the swimming pool and there’s no shows out there on TV that are primarily set in that world, but at the same time there’s also danger involved with water. It’s one of the highest risks of death for children and it’s like an education for both kids, and more importantly, their parents. It’s never been explored before in a kids show.

Being an Australian I thought some of the best beaches are in Australia. I’ll set it in Australia and use Australian animals, but ones that live on the beach where a majority of Australians live. So the lifeguards in the show are all kangaroos. Kangaroos are great swimmers and fast on land so they’re perfect for lifeguarding. The cadets, who are the kid characters in the show, they’re learning the ropes from the kangaroo lifeguards and spending a summer at Kangaroo Beach.

That’s hopefully coming out at the end of this year on TV and it’s been a really rewarding process. It’s the first time I’ve created a show that’s going to be on TV and it’s working with a very talented team of producers and actors, incredibly talented designers and animators and other writers bringing the show to life. It’s been a real thrill.

Kangaroo Beach

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Finding internships is not easy. And yet, in an increasingly competitive world for graduates trying to break into the creative industries, it’s an important step on the ladder to a successful career.

A successful internship brings experience, networking opportunities, and direct understanding of what is needed to get a job with an animation studio. So, how do you go about finding an internship within the animation industry?

The answer, of course, is hard work and commitment. Expect to send a lot of letters and emails, and expect a lot of rejection. You need to have thick skin in this business. So, forget about internships coming to you – it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get down to work.

1. Start making lists

Start by Googling “Animation internship” and see what comes up. Make a list of all the companies you can find that offer internships, and what their requirements are. Search for the companies you would like to work for, and see if they have an internship programme.

What do they want from you? Most likely they will want to see a demo reel, a CV, and samples of your work. So, your first job is going to involve making lists, and figuring out where you want to apply. Your second job will be to start polishing your demo reel.

2. Polish your demo reel

Lots of students just like you want to get internships. Companies tend to get lots of offers, and they can afford to be picky. So, you need to put your best foot forward. Polish your demo reel and make sure your work stands out from the crowd.

Remember that the secret of a great demo reel is – no mistakes.

3. Get your work online

Got yourself a blog or website? If not, why not? These days, employers won’t wait for you to send them a reel – they want to click on your work.

Make sure your demo reel and artwork is hosted online on your blog or website. If you don’t have one, do it now.

A blog is quick, easy and free. You can also build your own website through platforms such as wix.com, which might take a little longer to create.

Which one you choose doesn’t really matter, as long as it looks crisp and clean and is a good shop front for your talent.

4. Polish your CV

The next thing you need is an up-to-date, short, and easily readable CV.

5. Start sending letters

Now it’s time to start applying. You will need to draft a good cover letter to send to each company that you are applying to. Draft a standard letter, save it, and then start adapting it. Each letter must be tailored to suit the company you are applying for, so it doesn’t read like a generic letter and shows your interest in working there.

What are your key skills? How are they relevant to the position you are applying for? Employers like to see that applicants have done their homework and can explain why they are interested in a career with their company. Be enthusiastic, and show that you know what that company does for a living.

6. Get ready for an interview

Company recruiters want to know that you are enthusiastic and motivated about the industry and the job role you are applying for. You must research the company, and find out what your job will likely be.

Recruiters often ask questions like: “What do you think this job involves?” or “what do you expect an average day to be like?”.

They may also ask what your career goals are. This is a good opportunity to explain your career ambitions. Everyone wants to direct Hollywood movies and win Oscars, but the reality for most careers will be rather different, so be aware of the realistic career opportunities and focus on those first and foremost.

Being aware of what a realistic career in the visual effects industry looks like will win you the respect of the person interviewing you. Saying you want to be the next Stephen Spielberg will not.

7. Exploit your connections

Personal connections count. If you know people who work in the creative industries, ask them about internships. There is no shame in this – many of the jobs you get in industry will be thanks to the connections that make up what we call networking.

Employers want to be comfortable with the person they are hiring, and if someone within the company can personally vouch for the applicant, that counts for a lot.

8. Finally, don’t give up

Be the rhino – embrace being thick skinned. Expect rejection. Keep at it and you will be rewarded.

Alex Williams, has worked on films including The Lion King, The Iron Giant and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He’s the Head of Animation at Escape Studios, a leading VFX, Animation, Games and Motion Graphics academy, based in central London.

The post 8 Steps To Finding An Animation Internship appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Rule 1 – Be inclusive

Include a bit of everything: drawings, painting, life drawing, sketches, scribbles, 3D digital artwork – whatever you have to hand. You never know what the person interviewing you is looking for, so include lots of stuff.

Rule 2 – Go digital

It’s a digital world. Ideally your traditional artwork, such as drawings, paintings or collage, should be scanned (you can use your phone if need be) and then cleaned up in Photoshop and uploaded to a website or blog. If you don’t have a website or blog, consider making one (see rule 4 below).

Rule 3 – Try doing some animation

You’d be surprised how many students apply to study animation but haven’t actually tried doing any. How do you know you will like doing it, if you haven’t tried it? As long as you have access to a computer (and all schools have them these days) you can try out animation in many different kinds of software, such as Photoshop or Adobe Animate. We recommend Blender; it’s free to download, and there are tons of tutorials at YouTube. Follow a tutorial or two and see how you get on.  We don’t mind seeing bad animation – the mere fact that you have tried doing some at all will separate you from the rest of the pack.

Rule 4 – Be online

The best kind of digital portfolio is a website or blog showcasing your work – it shows you are engaging with the modern, digital world.  Nowadays it is easy to create a free blog and/or website, and start uploading your work.  It’s never too early to have your own online showcase, and it’s completely free to build a website at wix.com. You can also upload your work to Tumbler, which is really a simplified kind of blog.

Rule 5 – Don’t worry if you can’t draw well

Good drawing is a plus, but it’s no longer the essential skill like it was in the old days. Just as important (maybe more so) is a willingness to overcome technical challenges. It helps a lot if you don’t get too frustrated when computers go wrong – which they do all the time.  Software malfunction should be a challenge to be overcome – not a reason to stop work.  Why not download a free copy of Autodesk Maya? It’s the main software we use to teach animation, and it’s free for students.

Rule 6 – Be creative

Animation is not just about mastering the software, it’s about having ideas, and giving a performance. So a sketchbook or a blog full of ideas is a definite plus.

Rule 7 – Be organised

Don’t come to an interview with a jumble of different files in a random folder, which you then can’t find.  We don’t want to wade through your holiday snaps while you find your latest showreel.

Rule 8 – Avoid specialist files

We don’t want to receive specialist program files like Maya files or 3D Studio Max files, or Adobe Animate, or AfterEffects files. Specialist files like this take too long to load up and the person doing the interview may not have the right software on their laptop.

Rule 9 – Do a tech check before the interview

Just like if you were applying for a job, make sure you present your work in a format which is easily opened. Do a quick tech check – do the files actually work? And can they be opened in standard software like VLC or Adobe Acrobat?

Rule 10 – Don’t delay

You don’t need to have a polished portfolio ready in time for submission of your UCAS application. Your portfolio only needs to be ready when you come in for interview (or, at Escape Studios, to one of our Applicant Days). So, apply early, and worry about your portfolio later.

Alex Williams, has worked on films including The Lion King, The Iron Giant and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He’s currently the Head of Animation at Escape Studios, a leading VFX, Animation, Games and Motion Graphics academy, based in central London.

The post Ten Rules to Create an Awesome Animation Portfolio appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

What goes into a great student demo reel? This is one of the most common questions that we get asked by our students at Escape Studios; and for a good reason. Putting together a great demo reel is the single most important factor in whether or not a student will get hired, as it is a showcase for your work.

So what goes into a great reel? Below are our 12 rules for success.

Rule 1: Start strong, and create a great first impression

Put your best work first and last. Most studios will likely invest about ten seconds into watching your reel. If they see weakness at the start, they won’t keep watching. So, start strong, and be sure to grab their attention.

Rule 2: Avoid mistakes

If in doubt… leave it out! If your demo reel has mistakes in it, the studio will notice, and they will weed out your reel. Why? Because they will assume one of two things: either you saw the mistake but could not fix it, or you didn’t see the mistake at all. Either way, your reel is in the bin.

Rule 3: Customise your reel for the job

Don’t have a ‘one size fits all’ demo reel. Re-edit your reel to suit the job you are applying for. If you’re applying for a job at Pixar, your reel should be very different to the one you submit to Framestore. Why? Because Pixar specialise in cartoony animation, whilst Framestore tends to do photorealistic creature work. Customise your reel to suit the studio. On your blog or website you should have a reel for character work and one for creature work. Don’t confuse the two.

Rule 4: Be online

DVDs and paper portfolios are history. Your reel should be easy to find; hosted at your blog or website. Nowadays, you also need to be on LinkedIn. Recruiters live on LinkedIn. Don’t forget to state on LinkedIn that you are available for work, and include a link to your reel.

Rule 5: Polish your work and learn Premiere or Final Cut

You are representing yourself to the studio. Presentation is important, so make sure that the edit looks nice. Learn Adobe Premiere so you can cut and re-cut your own reel.

Rule 6: Gather opinions from people you respect

Find people who understand the industry you are applying for to help you review and critique your own demo reel. They’ll likely spot things you may have missed, and be able to offer a fresh perspective.

Rule 7: Your friends may not be the best judge of your work

You’ve probably looked at your reel so many times that you replay it in your sleep. Your friends and family may say they like your reel because they like you and they do not wish to offend you. So get impartial advice from a pro – and apply their advice to improve your showreel! Tough love will help you in the long run.

Rule 8: Don’t sacrifice quality for quantity

A short reel with a few good shots is much better than a long reel with many weak ones. Remember that studios will not look at a long reel, at least not all the way through. Polish and perfect what you have, and discard the rest.

Rule 9: Show your name and contact details at the front and at the end

Don’t make it hard for people to find you. Include your full name, your website or blog, your email address and your telephone number. Make yourself easy to find. Email addresses should always be professional; avoid things like gr8lover@gmail.com.

Rule 10: Keep it short

Students should have a demo reel that is no more than a minute long. Remember, quality over quantity.

Rule 11: Include a reel breakdown list on the reel at the end

If there is anything on the reel that you didn’t do, make it clear at the end, and give full credit to the creator. Don’t ever take credit for work which is not your own. This is a small industry, and you will get found out. Watch out – don’t use other people’s work!

Rule 12: Don’t use copyrighted music on your reel

You will want to host your reel on YouTube and/or Vimeo. If you use music which is owned by someone else, your reel is likely to be deleted for copyright violations.

Alex Williams, has worked on films including The Lion King, The Iron Giant and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? He’s currently the Head of Animation at Escape Studios, a leading VFX, Animation, Games and Motion Graphics academy, based in central London.

The post 12 Rules to Follow to Perfect Your Animation Demo Reel appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

Animated content is in the middle of a golden age, with shows like Rick & Morty (recently renewed for another SEVENTY episodes), The Amazing World of Gumball, Bob’s Burgers & BoJack Horseman attracting young audiences that broadcasters crave and advertisers love. On YouTube, channels like HISOE, Dorkly, Frederator, Mondo and a relatively small but significant number of individual creators are pulling in hundreds of millions of views a year. There’s also new animation business like Studio Yotta, made up of creative talent who honed their craft on YouTube and sites like NewGrounds.

If you’re thinking “Tom, it sounds like this animation channel game is pretty sweet and easy right?” you’d be… totally wrong. It’s probably never been tougher, especially since YouTube made changes to their algorithm to favour longer content (10 minutes plus). This is especially tough on animation, as it takes significantly more time and resources to produce much shorter videos.

Crash Bandicoot Falls (Mashed)

However, if this is what you are passionate about, banish the clouds of doom above you and don’t start figuring out your mind-blowing unboxing strategy just yet. Launching and building a channel focused on animated content is still possible, and if you play it right can lead to success and lucrative opportunities. The very fact it’s difficult to do means that compared to other online video staples like how to, unboxing, gaming and vlogs, there is less competition and a potentially huge, hungry audience to devour your content.

Here are some tips and things to think about based on my own experiences running Mashed that should help set you on the path to world domination:

TIPS FOR ANIMATION CHANNEL WORLD DOMINATION

Decide what content you want to make: If there’s a specific area or genre you want to focus on, look at who is successful in that area. Alternatively, you identify a gap in the market or an audience, which you think, is underserved. Figure out what you can do that’s unique, and if that’s not possible what kind of twist you can put on it so it stands out

Make content you are passionate about: If you want to make great content, and stay motivated and grow as you work on the channel, this is so important. If you’re passionate about something, then you’re likely already an expert and you can use that knowledge to deliver quality content.

Sonic Time Trouble (Mashed)

Keep things simple: It’s easy to get overly excited and commit too much way too soon. Make your branding clear and simple so the audience knows what you’re producing before they even click on one of your videos. I would recommend uploading at least once a week, but the most important thing is the quality and consistency of what you create. Once you nail that down, start building out.

Build your brand: Make sure your channel branding looks good and communicates what you do simply and effectively. Have thumbnails that are enticing (Audiences love emotion and expressions, which is why our thumbnails always try and show off a great shot but with strong expressive faces). Have a short but engaging call to action at the end of your videos asking people to like, share and subscribe.

Make yourself visible: It doesn’t matter how good your content is if nobody sees it. So set yourself up on social media, not only to promote your content (important) but to also talk to your audience (even more important). Enter competitions where you know lots of people will be watching submissions. Reach out to people and collaborate so you can combine your audiences. Look for places that are likely to have large audiences already around the type of content you make (Like Reddit & Facebook) and post your work.

Link and Sidon (Mashed)

Evolution not revolution: The biggest mistake I see a lot of channels make when they start becoming successful is that they focus entirely on that one type of video that is popular. This is a great strategy – until for one reason or another that popularity disappears and you have no flexibility with what you create – and what your audience will watch. While you will always have a core type of content that your audience really loves, it’s important to always experiment. Find new ways to approach your subject material, work with new people who will have fresh ideas and perspectives. Constantly evaluate what you have published. What worked? What didn’t? How could you have improved it? Combine your own opinion with those you trust, and dive into the analytics to see what patterns you can see.

Thou shall not be a douchebag: There will be occasions where you may think there are quicker ways to succeed, but ultimately are self-defeating. Don’t take other peoples content without permission. Don’t just copy another creator’s style, tone or format. Don’t use music you do not have permission to use. Don’t take your audience for granted. Don’t forget to credit people properly. Don’t forget to engage your audience and embrace the good comments as well as the bad ones. Doing any of the above is a pretty quick fire way to either get your channel demonetized or shutdown, or effectively to the same thing when your audience abandons you and you get a bad reputation. Nobody wants that.

Fallout TV Takeover (Mashed)

The above should set you up for world domination, or at the very least help you figure out what it is you want to make, know the best way to deliver and promote that content and start to build a successful animation channel online. Go out and get on it!

See the work of YouTube channel Mashed at youtube.com/mashed

The post Growing Your Own Animation Channel appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

It’s advice that we’ve all heard before but I remember ignoring the very same from my uni tutor. He told me to “concentrate on one character and do it really well instead of animating lot’s of characters and animating them averagely.” Turns out he was right but at the time I chose to ignore him.

The idea he tried to communicate was when you sit down with an idea, try to strip it back to it’s simplest form. This doesn’t just help you with a more streamlined project; it will also help you concentrate on what really matters. Make sure you’re showing off what you’re good at. If you’re great at 3D then don’t make the whole film in traditional 2D. Experimentation is to be encouraged but make sure for the most part you’re presenting your best skills. Personal work is your chance to showcase.

A great self-funded example above of a project that was simple and an excellent showcase of talent.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Whether you’re an independent animator, a student or a big studio, ultimately you want an audience for your work. This doesn’t mean you have to make a film with cute fluffy dogs but make sure you have an idea of a market or audience before you start. Think about why and who you want to see it . For example if your making a horror short then are there any horror festivals in the calendar? If so make your deadline for their submission dates. There’s nothing worse than finishing up on your film only to realise that you’ve finished the day after a huge a festival, event or submission date. Error!

My first short ‘The Robin‘ in 2014 was created with the sole intention of gaining me more freelance work so I researched the right people at animation studios to send it to. Also asking for feedback on your work when you send it out is also a great way to make connections within the industry, especially if you’re just starting out. The animation community is small and always willing to lend a hand.

Simplicity is key. Concentrate on what your good at. Animating!

BUDGETING TIME (AND MONEY)

Before we get onto the horrible money side of things it’s absolutely key to budget your time with as much rigour. Time is precious and if you run low, you’ll start to rush, ending up with a film that isn’t what you intended. To make sure you have no regrets, plan dates and milestones before you start, especially if you intend to hit a certain festival. If you’re lucky enough to have others working with you then make sure you know when they’re free. I speak from experience, when you think someones free and they’re not, schedules fly quickly out the window! As Mr Franklin once exclaimed “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” But perhaps we won’t get that dramatic.

Money is also a tough thing to allocate. If you’re lucky enough to be a 2D or 3D digital animator (like us) then costs are going to be relatively low, unless you’re hiring other people to lend a hand. With stop-motion and puppetry there’s more costs involved, materials, etc. This is where it’s important to work out roughly how much you’re going to spend. If the costs start to spiral in an initial budget you’ll have time to tweak the story to make things a little easier on yourself. There’s nothing worse than stressing over money during the production. You want to be doing some of that care-free animating!

Another thing to factor in is distribution. If you’re planning on taking your film to festivals then some of them charge to submit! So be prepared. For my first films I lacked this budget so didn’t enter the costly festivals. Therefore missing out.

Rex Factor The Animated Show currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter

CROWDFUNDING

There is one more option for those self-funded short films. The illusive crowdfunding. It’s something Tinmouse is currently doing with our new pilot Rex Factor The Animated Show and I will say right away it takes a lot of time and effort to be successful. If you are starting as a relative unknown in the industry it can be a risky venture. Support for you and your project needs to be drummed up months before going live on Kickstarter or Indiegogo for example. Its naïve to expect instant results by just placing up your project on a crowdfunding site and hoping people will pledge without prior knowledge. Your film could be the most amazing thing ever but if people aren’t aware of it it can be an uphill struggle.

This doesn’t mean it can’t be done though, oh no. If you have the time to put into a campaign then it’s very rewarding. Make sure you create a audience before the launch. As in the ‘Know Your Audience’ section, target the right people and get them excited about your film. Create an email database to keep people up to date and make sure you create some promo artwork to entice all those pledgers. We are currently a 3rd of the way through our 1st Kickstarter campaign so can’t say too much on this right now. However it is very rewarding and humbling to see people backing your project once you’ve launched and certainly something I’d recommend. You’ve just got to be committed. I will return in a couple of months, to tell you how it all went and give you some tips on creating a great crowdfunding campaign.

Tom is the producer at Tinmouse Animation and they are currently self-funding and running a Kickstarter campaign for their new pilot Rex Factor The Animated Show. A show that is bringing history to life, making it fun, accessible and engaging for all. You can find out more about the project and pledge your support at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1958705267/rex-factor-the-animated-show

The post Tips To Self-fund Your Animated Film appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

When people talk about film shot at twice the frame rate (48, 50, or 60 frames per second), they invariably refer to it as a high frame rate. But that’s not necessarily true. They can actually be used to attain lower frame rates. For hand drawn and stop motion animation, this is great news.

Let’s say your deadline or your budget does not allow for animating on 1s at 24fps. The traditional solution is to animate on 2s at 24fps. That helps you meet your deadline and stay under budget, but it doesn’t have the same look. It’s a common conundrum. And usually people split the difference by using a mixture of 1s and 2s at 24fps. But is there another way?

Animate on 3s at 48fps. As you can see in the table below, it’s smoother than animating on 2s at 24fps, but it requires fewer drawings (2/3rds as many) than animating on 1s at 24fps. It’s the perfect compromise.

Alternately, you could animate on 5s at 48fps. It’s smoother than animating on 3s at 24fps, but it requires fewer drawings (4/5ths as many) than animating on 2s at 24fps. Additionally, it’s possible to animate on 7s at 48fps. It’s smoother than animating on 4s at 24fps, but it requires fewer drawings (6/7ths as many) than animating on 3s at 24fps.

And, of course, you can use any mixture of frame rates you want for your project’s needs. There’s a lot of unexplored nuance available at 48fps and, contrary to popular belief, it does not require animating at a full 48fps (on 1s).

The post Animation Tips: 48 FPS for *Lower* Frame Rates appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

“Jobs in the entertainment industry have always been highly competitive” says Alex Williams, Head of Animation at Escape Studios, part of Pearson College London. An institution that is known in the industry for producing high-calibre talent, Alex’s student’s from Escape Studios have firmly found their feet in the industry– going from classroom straight to studio and working around the world on projects for film, TV and more.

So how can you do the same? What does it take to be successful?

Well, look no further! Here are Alex’s 12 Top Tips for Finding Work in the Animation Industry…

1 – Get good at what you do

Your first and most important task is to get really good at what you do. You have to be on top of your craft, and be better than the competition. It takes a while to get really good, so use your time to study hard and practice. At Escape Studios our courses allow a lot of time for online after care, so our students can continue to practice what they have learned and polish their demo reels.

2 – Have a great demo reel

Your demo reel is your shop front – it is how people will judge the quality of your work. The number one rule of demo reels is that your reel should be completely free of mistakes. Your best work should go first, and anything that needs finishing or polishing should be left out.

3 – Make your work easily accessible

Got yourself a blog or website? If not, why not? These days, employers won’t wait for you to send them a reel- a blog is quick, easy and free to start, so you need to get your work online and make it easy to find. Put your name in the URL so that it comes up on the first page of a Google search.  

4 – Scrub up your CV

An up-to-date, short, and easily readable CV should accompany your showreel so that employers can see where and when you’ve been busy working, studying or volunteering.

5 – Research where the jobs are

There are literally hundreds of animation, games and visual effects companies in the UK alone, and hundreds more around Europe. Make a list of companies, or – better yet – create a spreadsheet, so you track where you have applied and when. There is always a company somewhere looking to hire fresh talent.

6 – Be alert… to job alerts

Take a look around online Animation sites that have their own job boards and sign up for their alerts. If you want a job badly enough, you’ll be ready and willing to apply whenever and wherever you are.  And you have to apply fast – most animation jobs go quickly, so your demo reel needs to be ready.

7 – Customise your cover letter

Don’t send it a form letter. Draft a different cover letter to suit the company you are applying for. What are your skills, and how are they relevant to the position and studio you are applying for? Employers like to see that applicants have done their homework and can explain why they are interested in a career with their company.

8 – Don’t be too picky

Finding internships is easier than finding a job, but they are still competitive and it can be an important step on the ladder to a successful career. A successful internship brings experience, contacts, and direct understanding of what is needed to get a job with an animation company. Also, working as a runner, although unglamorous, can be a great way in to a company and getting your foot in the door.

9 – Get ready for interview

Company recruiters want to know that you are enthusiastic and motivated for the industry and the job role you are applying for. Being aware of what a realistic career in the visual effects industry looks like will win you the respect of the person interviewing you. Saying you want to be Stephen Spielberg will not.

10 – Work your connections

Personal connections count. If you know people who work in the creative industries, ask them about internships. There is no shame in this – many of the jobs you get in industry will be thanks to the sort of loose connections that make up what we call networking. 

11 – Keep your ears open!

Keep in touch with your fellow graduates! Your graduating class is a little community of talent, you can keep each other informed about who is hiring and who needs bodies in a hurry.

12 – Don’t give up

Finally, but most importantly – never give up! Expect rejection, it happens to everyone. Keep at it and you will be rewarded.

Hopefully you’ve found these tips insightful – we’ve definitely made a few notes to take away! Whether you’re a professional looking to sharpen your skillset or a newcomer looking to break into the industry, there are always ways to stand out from the crowd.

Alex is currently heading up Animation Master Classes at Escape Studios to help artists do just that. Running throughout the summer, you can still bag yourself a seat by heading over to the Pearson College London website.

The post “Get a job in Animation…” 12 Top Tips appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.

It’s such an important element to get right we thought it would be good to ask three of the very best animation composers how they like to work with producers and directors. Their words of wisdom are fascinating as all three have created the musical landscapes for some of the biggest kids TV shows around:

• Stuart Kollmorgen, based in the US who writes the music for Disney’s smash hit Doc McStuffins, Peter Rabbit, Gaspard & Lisa, Imagination Movers and many other favourites.
• Andrew McCrorie-Shand, composer behind the legendary Teletubbies, Abney & Teal, Rosie & Jim, Tots TV  and now Ragdoll’s latest series, Twirlywoos.
• Michael Richard Plowman, writer of such global favourites as Tree Fu Tom, Sonic Boom, George of the Jungle, 1001 Nights and  A Christmas Carol.

Sit back and enjoy their pearls of wisdom…

Stuart Kollmorgen

Stuart, how do you prefer to be briefed before you start a project?

I always ask to see the full bible because I’m usually coming in quite late to the process unlike the producer and director who’ll know the story, the characters backwards. To write the music you need to really understand as much as you can about the project to get into the flow. The bible is a good way of getting up to speed very quickly.

It’s always good to be given references to other shows – for example “it’s like Scoobydoo but edgier”! That tells me a lot right away. But if you do mention a show do tell me what it is you like about it.

Musical references are important too but you have to be careful as often a pop song will be cited and songs are completely different to incidental music – their emotional tone is very driven by lyrics which you obviously don’t have with underscore. The musical reference should be there to indicate the tone or the texture needed in the music. And of course citing a current pop song can be useless because by the time your project is done that song will be old news.

Another thing producers have to understand is what the music actually is there for. It mustn’t be bland wallpaper covering the bits without dialogue or too heavy-handed squashing story points and missing the subtle changes in emotional direction. The incidental music should move the story along without being too noticeable. As a composer, especially in children’s shows, I feel like I’m standing behind the youngsters, helping them to understand the emotion of a scene – nudging them along, providing clues to how they should be feeling.

How useful are spotting sessions?

Spotting sessions with a producer/director are great – when you can look at the animation and go though it scene by scene. For example I am doing a second spotting session today via Skype. This is the second episode, prior to delivery on the first, and we are discussing conventions that will exist series-wide, and the placement of the music. I’m now getting a really good feel for what the show runners want as far as density of scoring overall: where they like me to stand back and let the dialog drive, how out-front they want the music, how hard to hit the comedy etc. I scored a couple of scenes for them so they have a sense of what I’m going to try and do on this series.  A picture is worth a thousand words, so this has informed them, and their reaction, tells me what direction the music will be taking.

And Animatics?

Actually writing to an animatic is actually NOT very helpful. Basically they’re storyboards. The timing of the scenes will be all wrong and there’s not enough action so the composer will end up getting it wrong. I usually only get them for pitching, or if there is a scene where the timing will be critical. For instance a song or a rap or a chant or a march where the music and action needs to stay in time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received a finished animation where a character is singing and it was recorded wild without reference to any tempo and I’m expected to put music behind it. If the animation is done you are sunk if it is seriously out of time, and most people can’t tell just by listening to the solo voice. Either the music will be drunkenly out of time, unacceptable to our ears, or the lip flap will be off, – equally unacceptable, and unfixable short of reanimating.

I’ve spoken to Holly Gregory about this ( voice director for Dora the Explorer) and she told me, yes these singing chanting rapping moments are sometimes scripted, but often come up improvisationally in the voice record. She encourages it, but is also armed with a click track and a pitch pipe, for pitch and time. I beg the producers when there’s something that needs to be in time, like a march, to animate it against music. Any music! It’ll stay in time that way.

How much guidance/notes do you like getting as you go along?

Early on as much as possible, because in series work, your producer will probably be too busy once the show is on track.

Once I get past the first two or three episodes you need far less direction from the producer. By then the tone should be set and anyway you’re usually rushing so fast there’s no time. Notes are very useful but too many can be very difficult to handle. I’ve had situations where I’ve been given 56 notes for one 11 minute episode. Too much micromanaging without regard for the overall musical flow will create musical chop suey. In that particular case the episode stunk to high heaven and the producer was grasping at the last straw to fix it – which was me! The composer is the last writer on the show, and music can help cover shortcomings in the action, create the illusion of drama to a degree, but it can’t change awful into good. One producer uses the phrase “bolster”, e.g.” bolster the hit when the dog runs into the fence”. You can bolster but you cannot create.

The worst notes are those that say “I don’t like this. I want something else” but don’t give you any idea. Notes should be about the story telling “this is what I want to happen next with the story, at this point we want the characters too feel this….this is the emotion we need etc.” The director is in a key position as they know the story, they know what’s happening and so of course they’re going to spot things that aren’t working.

What advice would you give producers?

The problem that producers have is that talking about music is actually very difficult. You can steer actors, the designers, the writers relatively easily but getting across what music you’re looking for is difficult because there’s no real language for it. Therefore the best way I believe is for creatives to talk about the emotions they want. And if there is a problem with a scene, tell me clearly what you didn’t achieve with the action or storyline and I’ll attempt to “bolster” it.

Oh yes, and if I’ve written something you really, really like go ahead and let me know! My ego needs it, and I will try to repeat the “goodness”. You know revisions can be crushing drudgery so sprinkling a little sunshine on your creatives will yield positive results.

Andrew McCrorie-Shand

Andrew, What do you need from the producer or director to get you started on a project?

In an ideal world l like to work to a version of the show/film that contains as much finished and approved material as possible. This means a locked picture edit, full FX, actual & ADR dialogue along with any narration.  That’s the ideal of course , but all too often the reality is that many of the post-production elements are being created at the same time which means that as a composer l can’t get the full benefit of the rhythm of the dialogue and FX. Also in the absence of FX there’s sometimes the urge to try to tell more of the story musically than is actually needed.  I am not a big fan of the wall-to-wall music approach and believe the story is often better served by thoughtful music placement, in which l am aided by knowledge of FX, dialogue etc.

How much ongoing guidance do you like?

The more the merrier actually!  Any little thing that helps me create the right textures and sound palette is good.  I’ve worked with temp tracks ranging from Mozart to Green Day and Brian Eno to scratchy snippets of ads hastily recorded on a mobile phone from the TV.  If it helps the producer or director articulate their musical needs then bring it on.

Some producers/directors find it hard to put across their feelings in a technical way but can demonstrate the emotional requirement with pictures or pieces of music or bits of films or TV shows. It all helps to build up a better understanding of where they want the music to go.  Of course it’s not always like that and at the other extreme are the helpful instructions handed out by a particularly hard-pressed director – “It’s 10pm. Do what the **** you want,  just make sure you have it here tomorrow at 8am”.  NOT so helpful.

Does getting the composer involved earlier on help?

Yes, If l am lucky enough to be involved in the project from it’s earliest stages then l will have a deeper understanding of the way it has developed in terms of script and characters.  Coming in later on in the process it becomes a much steeper learning curve. And of course there’s always the last-minute project where there isn’t even time to think.

l do enjoy the back and forth of producer/director notes – picking up on things that l thought worked really well, but not picking up on things that l would have put good money on being chucked out at the next round. A wonderful mystery! In Teletubbies the first complete episode was titled ‘Ned’s Bicycle’, and we must have remade that one ten times over before it was right.  The other 364 episodes were a piece of cake after that.

Once the music is synched to picture l welcome notes/comments/general feedback – anything that means l can get closer to the ideal music for the project whilst hitting all the production briefing points. Sometimes it works like a dream, other times it needs a bit of coaxing, and once or twice it’s a complete nightmare.  Bit like life really.

And would there be any advice to give to a first time (or relatively inexperienced) director/producer in making it work with the composer?

It’s not so much advice but an observation. The great thing is that we all listen to music, have a massive list of favourite songs and pieces of music stretching back to when our age was measured in single figures. Music plays a bigger part in peoples lives than almost at any other time in history.  And everyone has an opinion on how well a particular piece of music works with a particular scene.  It’s all down to hearing it with the pictures. When audio and vision click it’s verging on magic – my job is to make that happen every time.  And l love making it happen.

Michael Richard Plowman

Michael, what do you need from the producer or Director to get you started on a project?

You know apart from the bible and all the other available materials the very best thing a producer can give me is his or her time. I really like to get to know a producer personally and find out what the project means to them. For the way I like to work I find this the very best way of finding out what the project really means to them – and that is the key. Let’s face it this is the producer’s baby and has often been worked on for years and I need to know how they want that child to grow up! Being completely in tune with what the show means to them is the best way to start.  And although that might seem simplistic you’d be surprised how often the composer and the director are actually working on two different shows in their heads because they haven’t connected.

It’s also important to understand of course what the producer likes and doesn’t like musically. So, while the bible, scripts and environments are wonderful for understanding the components of a show, understanding the producers musical approach is crucial. Believe me it saves me going down paths that may hinder the project or even write myself out of the job.

Being given musical references is also very important – as many as they need. For me this process can be a real eye-opener and creatively very stimulating. There has been many times where I am introduced to a style that I am unfamiliar with. It can be a breath of fresh air, the perfect antedote to the overused music that everyone is using simply because it’s flavour of the month.

Of course there’s always the danger that the client wants the music to be exactly like the reference they’ve given. But then, that’s my job to take the reference and balance that with what I think is musically needed to support to the project.

What level of guidance do you like thoughout the project?

Regular guidance and direction throughout the process is essential in getting to a place where we are both happy with the music. To be at this point means that not only are we in agreement about where the music fits technically with the picture but more importantly how it is meant to make the viewer feel emotionally at all those various points.

When I start any project I like to write handfuls of sketches. Short and long. Trying different melodies and instruments. For example on Tree Fu Tom I think I wrote 50 test pieces before writing a single note to picture. Whether I use these or not this process really helps get a relationship with the team and also what I call “getting all the bad ideas out”. I do believe small amounts of music with small amounts of feedback help the bigger picture once you start what can be a very long train ride.

Are spotting sessions invaluable?

Well, spotting sessions can be very useful in moderation. Sometime a great conversation about the overall musical ideas for the project can be much more beneficial though.  On a movie I like to have a spotting session, but on a television series there never seems to be enough time to sit down. When The train starts on a 52 episode run sometimes you only check the tickets once, not at every station! Normally the notes on an episode will help you develop the sound of the show and become a somewhat spotting session for the next episode and so on.

Regarding notes. I really don’t care how many notes a client gives, especially when they are helping the project. At some point of course you run out of time. It is my job as a composer to help guide the client so that giving notes are never stressful for them and  he or she feels like I am listening to them. Never say no to a client, there are always better more constructive ways to disagree.

What advice can you give to producers to get the best results?

 It’s simple really: “Get to know me”. I want to really enjoy the project. This can be a very long process that takes the team on an emotional roller coaster and can last years. So “get to know me” is really important. Why? Because when things get tense the relationship and trust hold it together.  When things are great the relationship celebrates together. So “Get to know me” ! I want to get to know them and them to find out what sort of guy I am. I want to have a personal relationship with them. This way you get a high degree of trust. In fact the founding basis of my business is that clients, producers, directors know they can trust me.

In my book a good composer has to have two skill sets – one the ability to create great music but just as important is the ability to relate to the producers and help interpret their ideas onto screen with as little stress as possible.

The post How To Get Great Music In Your Animated Show appeared first on Skwigly Animation Magazine.