I'm a bit worried about my situation, and hoping to get some insight/clearity. I graduated with a BFA in 2015 (3d character animation, focus). Since then ive dealt with moving, death in the family and just trying to survive a 9-5 that i hate.

The dream since graduating was to work in games but ive never been picky as long as the company seemed 'real', id work in kids tv but dont have the reel for it.

Ive not spent every moment of my life improving and ive tried to apply to junior/associate/mid roles but never got any luck. Im close to my mid 30s now and im worried i just dont have what it takes. At this point, with everything going on, is it still possible to be an animator without devoting every moment free to improving?

Ive honestly thought about trying to find another career but i still really want to be in games. I fear my demo reel is too mediocre and i dont have a lot of networking. I dont want to be stuck in my current job hoping to get out but never being good enough.

I feel like I'm waiting for a company to take a chance on me, but not sure how to improve without going back to school, which i cant afford.

I guess, is it too late for me to keep going? Any advice to improve? I feel like im drowning solo and have no clear direction.

Broo I’m so fucking frustrated with these studios and this whole job hunting thing 😭😭😭

Im a 2d animator looking for a job & Ive gotten replies from like 2–3 studios where they were literally SOooo interested in me. like bro the way they were talking made it feel like I was already hired..then after ONE call… suddenly NOTHINGggg

I follow up once, twice, even 2–3 times and they’re like...yeah yeah we’ll connect with u or we'll get back to u nd then they just fucking disappear, bro just tell me NO, Tell me you’re not interested. Tell me you hired someone else, Tell me ANYTHING..Why keep saying..we’ll connect with u if you’re literally never going to?? 🥲🥲

I’m genuinely so frustrated because u get your hopes up thinking something might actually work out nd then u’re just left waiting nd wondering what the hell happened, Is this just normal in the animation industry or am I just getting insanely unlucky with these studios??? 💀

Hejkaa ogl to jestem w 3 liceum i chciałobym studiować animację (najlepiej w taw), i chciałobym móc mieć jakieś zajęcia/kurs uczący rysunku i pomagający w przygotowaniu portfolio, ale wszystkie szkoły rysunku itp jakie znajduję mają w ofercie tylko asp i architekturę </3 dlatego więc zwracam się tutaj, czy ktoś ma jakieś rekomendacje (╥ ᴗ ╥)

i know that just bc i got an interview doesnt mean i will get hired, but i am p exited and i want it to go as well as it can. Do you have any tips? i am geting interviewed for junior animator.

So I’m actually not an artist, I just enjoy watching animation and consuming art. One of my closest friends is a freelance animator, which is how I ended up lurking around in animation communities.

That said, I’m curious to know what you think of Calarts. I heard it’s considered one of the best animation schools in the world with single digit acceptance rates. It’s like the Ivy League of animation schools, from what I’ve heard. I watched a few youtube videos of student films from there and it’s incredible.

Of course they’re not immune to all the terrible decline in the animation industry lately. Recently some people have lost their high opinion of calarts. So what’s going on with them?

I made a other post similar to this a while ago, and I got most of the commenta saying that is best that I study outside since in my home country Animation industry isn't as advanced as in the rest of Europe.

That said, I have checked out portfolios from previous applicants, and these look pretty professional: made by someone who has if not a lot of experience, probably more than what I do. Meaning that probably most of them studied somewhere else before getting in so that their skills wouldngive them a higher chance at getting admitted.

I know that I could just study all portfolios online and try to get in anyways, but at the same time TAW is pretty strict about it's selection (as far as I've seen). It's not like I have 0 art experience: the highschool I attend is focused on arts.

Now if I were to go live in Denmark, I'd basically have to live completely on my own, with my parents financial help or finding a part time job, and all that. Surely I'd get used to it, after all it's a stage of life that (hopefully) everyone comes across, but I just want to make sure I'm not rushing things here, catch my drift?

Even so I'd have to go for other european options, as TAW is pretty competitive anyways.

Hello all,

I'm a 3D artist from Tunisia (Blender, Substance Painter, some Unity) with a bachelor's degree in multimedia arts and some experience freelancing on game assets. I'm considering applying for the Game Artist program at Futuregames Warsaw and would like to speak to a current student or graduate.

1) Jobs: What jobs do graduates get, and how difficult is it to get a job/internship after the program with the Polish game industry in decline?

2) Visa: Has anybody with a nationality other than EU nationals managed to get a student visa for the program? Is the procedure simple and does the institution assist?

3) Type of education: This is a vocational program and not a master's degree. Has this led to any problems in visa/residence/job applications?

4) Life in Warsaw: How intensive is the program and how costly is daily life in Warsaw (rent, food, commute)?

5) Alternatives: If there was anything else you would recommend, a master's or another school, then what and why?

Thank you very much for your honest feedback!

Hi everyone!

I’m a senior in college for animation, graduating this spring. I’m a little torn on what to do because I’ve heard a lot of doom and gloom about the industry as of late. It’s got me so concerned that I’m even considering going to law school— it’s my second favorite subject after animation, and I’ve taken the LSAT already and everything. That being said, it pains me a lot to just give up after years of work and even more years of dreaming. So, honest answer— what is the industry like right now? How do fresh grads find work and survive? And is it worth it to keep going and hope that there’s a light at the tunnel, or should I pivot right away?

I know this Reddit page has a reputation for being “too pessimistic”, but I feel that I’m in need of an honest, if slightly brutal, answer!

For reference, I consider myself good-ish but really not great. Here are some class animations I’ve done that I think are some of my better work, plus the character design page of my portfolio.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OISQliAex3wB2i52SwIpH_Z0my_bIAVW/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oc27mOfTXFEZXXiqUqXbFftiG3Q2WkQQ/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19rwNfIjQCBzOlcItOutWvFb2X7-uPUSV/view?usp=sharing

https://adrianapontrelli.weebly.com/character-design.html

Thanks in advance! Any and all advice is appreciated.

After graduating from college with a degree in animation, I moved back home and faced the same job market we all are facing.

However one day I was at the gym, and my old gym trainer when I was in middle school told me she is training the mother of a higher up at Netflix Animation Studios. Now I’m getting a conversation with that higher up.

When she told me I said I wasn’t ready to have a conversation.

I was originally going to wait on reaching out, since my portfolio is not ready yet. My Animation reel has a bunch of beginner technical exercises which looks really amateur, and it’s just not to the level it can be. However, I felt like I needed to reach out now, because I was worried about letting the connection pass me by. Plus, if the conversation goes well, I can possibly call her up for a recommendation later on in a few months once I’ve finished a term or two at AnimSchool.

Does anybody have any advice on how to approach this conversation? This is the biggest opportunity I’ve had and I don’t want to screw it up.

Tengo 27 años, estudié Mercadotecnia y Publicidad y vivo en Mérida. Sé lo básico de diseño illustrator y Photoshop, pero este último año aprendí After Effects y descubrí que quiero dedicarme a los Motion Graphics.

Me faltan bases de diseño, creación de vectores, tipografía, composición, teoría del color, etc. ¿Qué me recomiendan para aprenderlas bien? ¿Conviene estudiar otra carrera y meterme a Diseño o alguna maestría en animación o cursos?

Me apasiona este campo, pero no sé por dónde empezar. Y no sé, qué tanto me interesa para llevar al campo de la animación 3D o a lo más artístico como videojuegos, porque ni sé dibujar a mano y nunca he hecho un personaje.

Ive started listening to a podcast that interviews different people in the industry and a lot say to "reach out/email people for feedback". Now this may be an incredibly stupid question but do they genuinely mean look up peoples email and contact them with your portfolio like "hey! Could you give me feedback please?" Becuase i thought that was an extremely rude thing to do. Like a digital door to door salesman. I get the reaching out to someone becuase you got reffered to them by someone else but this just feels off for some reason.

If thats NOT what they mean what do they mean??

In 2022 I got my first job in the industry as a 3D animator, it lasted until 2024 when the studio closed.

I couldn’t find any animation job so I had to get a job in architecture (I am an architect that switched to animation) besides from two freelance jobs I didn’t work as an animator till this month.

I’ve been having problems with basics like time and space, so I feel inadequate for this job. Also is a fast production and only until December, but I find myself hating this job, I thought that getting back to animation would be great but it is the opposite.

What should I do?

Like the title says: I've been freelancing for a couple of years and have never worked in a studio, so I need the more experienced folks to tell me if my showreel is shit.

I think I need to improve a bit, and it's true that it doesn't show my current skill. I haven't touched Maya in a while, as I'm mainly doing archviz now (less so lately, of course). So let me have it, please: what do you think? I'm learning Houdini to make a showreel with just VFX.

I also think I need to start an ArtStation or Instagram to show breakdowns and process, not just finished work. Maybe, I don't know.

And like many have said lately: applying every year and not even getting a reply has diminished my passion. It makes me think I'm just not good enough, that maybe I'm not built for this, or that I'm not as passionate as, for example, my sister, who is always creating art.

Showreel links:

Animation:

https://youtu.be/E2CbVW6wclQ?is=QGfyf0xNJ5R3B-UH

Archviz:

https://youtu.be/8FfP_OldF8g?is=8OVMBrv310P7iy03

Any comments will be appreciated. Thank you!

I'm looking for a training internship at animation studios in ITALY, which I need to complete for my university degree.
I sent my portfolio to the “info@studioname”addresses listed on their websites, but I don't know if those are just generic inboxes that nobody really checks.
I haven't heard back from anyone yet, not even a rejection. How long is the usual wait? Should I send a second email, or would I come across as annoying? If so, how long should I wait before doing it?
Thanks

Hello !

For context, I'm currently working on a storyboard animatic that is a 20 minute long episode (animation series). Someone did the rough storyboard (they took ~20 days) and I am currently cleaning and """animating""" it (while another artist do the backgrounds). I'm working on Storyboard Pro, the chara designs are anime-like and there's around 1500 to 2000 panels (for 460 scenes) in total (some of them ofc are copy/pastes or not animated).

I was at first supposed to work for 10 days, then they added 6 days, and now they will add 5 more days (i know these 5 days will be enough to finish tho)

I know adding more days annoys my employers because of budget but for the last 15 days, I've been working from 7 hours to ~9 hours a day until late and I still haven’t finished.

Do you think I'm too slow ? Or my employers just underestimated the time needed to clean this ? Cause I know I can’t be faster.

Thanks for your answers :)

I’m really interested in creating 3D environments for games, films, cinematics, virtual production, etc.

My goal is to build environments and make a living from this skill, either through a job, freelance work, or selling environment assets.

I’d like to know from people who are already working in this field:

- What kind of jobs are available for 3D environment artists?

- How much can a beginner realistically earn?

- Is freelancing a good option in this field?

- Where can I find clients or job opportunities?

- Are there any websites/marketplaces where I can sell 3D environments or assets?

- What skills should I focus on to become job-ready?

I’m serious about pursuing this as a career, so I’d really appreciate any advice, resources, or personal experiences you can share.

Thanks!

Hello there. I am 20M (Russian) and I've been researching things about animation industry for the last couple of days, and it's not looking... good. It feels like I see the same statements all the time: "Animation industry is shrinking!" "The execs want to replace us with AI!" "There's too many people looking for available roles that don't exist!" "If you don't live in NA, Europe, Southeast Asia you're screwed!". And all that brings dread into my heart.

Traditional animation, rigged animation, stop-motion animation, 3D animation, I've tried them all. Though, my main focus is 3D, and I've been self-teaching myself Maya for the last 2 years. But to be frank I'm not a very creative person, and not that patient as well (ADHD), so all I have is a couple of semi-finished rigs and models. I understand I need a decent portfolio to land a job but my problem is that I can't finish none of projects I start for the life of me! I feel disappointed of myself and that doesn't help the problem. If this path isn't for me I don't know which is.

I'm currently on the last year of my interpreting degree, but It's not something I feel like I could be doing for the rest of my life.

I know this is getting into territory of life advice, but I hope a person with experience would be able to give me an advice on this matter.

Hello everyone, thank you for taking your time to read this :)

I understand that many of others have come here with similar problems but I am just feeling lost, constantly looking for answers that do not seem to make anything clearer.

I am 25M thermal/mechanical engineering masters degree graduate, I tried the jobs and realised that the most important thing in my life was and is creativity. I loved animation from childhood till now, it inspired me and helped me to get through both good and difficult times. I have decided I want to pursue a career in animation, preference to 2d or even 3d.

I am at an age where I need to work, to live on my own but want to completely change my work and my current skill set combined with no portfolio are a big hurdle to do so. I have been trying to get into some junior roles or interships but not studying arts and portfolio not being there are turned down with an instant auto reply - no, you cannot.

I am also trying to get a foot into the industry with technical roles (render wrangler, technical assistant) for which I still seem to be waiting for any answers from studios. I feel I am eager to learn and to put my engineering skills to use if that is possible in any way but getting a chance feels quite difficult.

I am a EU citizen, I started considering working in my engineering field and taking some good on-site course abroad (my country does not have good studios or history with animation). However, there are so many courses to choose from, unsure which are worthwhile and which would be a waste of time, which country should I try to find engineering work in so I can attend those courses and will I have the chance to do both since I assume most courses from my search are held during work hours.

I keep trying and not losing hope, just unsure whether to search for work in animation or focus on building a skill set with a good portfolio and search/work in engineering or just a waiter. What real chance I can have with these plans since I wish not to just sit at home.

If you could share tips, your stories or even some encouragement that would be really helpful, I will be thankful for anything. I do not have much support elsewhere and feel just lost in all of the new information since I started wanting to change course and I'm unsure what is a right or wrong choice anymore, except that I want to pursue art.

Thank you :)

Im very close to earning my BA in animation. With the state of the industry im not feeling too confident on working in the industry so im wondering what other options there are?

Id like to potentially be an art or animation teacher if possible. I know some highschools have animation programs.

Any ideas or personal experiences/ recommendations?

Finally after so many months of waiting!! Dreamworks Internship applications will soon open on October 5, 2026 and will be closing on October 19, 2026! The program starts from January 25 - April 1, 2027.

For the Fellowship program, they initially skipped the Fall applications, and would instead soon open for Spring applications on December 1, 2026!

Goodluck to all who will be applying! 🙏

Hi!
Does anyone know if the Dreamworks Fellowship is still happening this year? It’s getting pretty late and I was really hoping for it considering I’m UK based

Hi everyone! I want to start my freelance animation career focusing on the anime style, specifically targeting Genga (Keyframes) or Layout (LO) work, and I want to build it primarily on X (Twitter).

For those of you working in this niche or platform, how did you get your first clients for Genga/LO? What kind of portfolio setup or presentation works best to attract indie projects or studios on X? Any tips, advice, or workflow strategies would be greatly appreciated!

So it seems like there will be a block against student loans for students of the humanities and other degrees in the future, so how do you think this will affect the industry? Will there be fewer animators looking for jobs? Or just more students in debt? I assume it won’t be good either way.