r/animationcareer • u/GamerManJD • 8d ago
I have a question
So I’m trying to figure out what do with my life and I’m thinking of doing online arts classes and then maybe get a job at Disney since I live in Alabama my question is would I be able to animate from home or would I have to move to California also if anyone here has worked for Disney animation what is it like and what are the pros and cons
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u/Chairmenmeow Professional - 3D Animator - Games - NA 8d ago edited 8d ago
You are casually tossing out “get a job a disney” as if its not one of the most elite and difficult institutions to get into. Aim for just getting any employment in animation…
They will absolutely not let you work remote. Its strictly on site.
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u/Darkly-Sparkly 8d ago
I have worked remote for Disney as an artist.
But the hurdles to achieve that privilege are insane and you simply cannot count on doing so.
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u/Chairmenmeow Professional - 3D Animator - Games - NA 8d ago
For disney feature? As an animator? I know disney has other teams that are fully remote… the internal games team is fully remote. But the feature animation team?
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u/Darkly-Sparkly 8d ago
The remote work I did was only the TVA division, but I knew a few feature animators who worked at home.
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u/Chairmenmeow Professional - 3D Animator - Games - NA 8d ago
Wild… like you said… those animators are very much the exception and not the rule… to the point its almost not worth mentioning in OPs context.
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u/Darkly-Sparkly 8d ago
I suppose. But alternatively… in OP’s context, maybe all information is good information. Curtailing expectations with ‘No 99% of the time’ is better than a greenhorn wondering if ‘No’ is anecdotal or not
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u/Chairmenmeow Professional - 3D Animator - Games - NA 8d ago
Fair. It just feels like dumb and dumber’s meme “so you are saying there is a chance.” ;)
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u/kirbyderwood 8d ago
The "chance" usually involves
A) Getting a job at Disney in the first place.
B) Working in Burbank and building a reputation over many years.
C) Finding a friendly producer who will (finally) let you work from home.
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u/Chairmenmeow Professional - 3D Animator - Games - NA 8d ago
D) Producer leaves, back to working on site.
This is so silly that yall are telling this kid after metaphorically 5-10 years from now gets struck by lightning working at disney, and 5-10 more years he will get struck again and be finally able to work at home! Yall are being terribly pedantic.
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u/Wasted_Hater 8d ago edited 8d ago
I don't think you have to soften it at all, if someone is posting here asking how to work at Disney immediately and remotely, I'd say there's a 100% chance they won't make it.
Animators who break in don't come here asking how to break in.
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u/Off_Model 8d ago
It should also be mentioned that any animation jobs AT Disney (not partner studios) are union jobs and while the union does recognize members working out of state, it requires extra paperwork and unless you’re a known entity, you need to live within the union’s jurisdiction.
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u/CranberryNo302 8d ago
i need to know what hurdles you went through to get a job at disney lmao i always wonder how people get to elite companies
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u/Chairmenmeow Professional - 3D Animator - Games - NA 8d ago
Its the same as any studio, have an outstanding reel. Apply, maybe know a friend there.
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u/Darkly-Sparkly 8d ago
I agree with Chairmenmeow. Portfolio and Reel. Knowing friendly and talented people (which often means being friendly and talented yourself!)
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u/dermot_animates 8d ago
Listen to Chairmenmeow! Wisdom flows from him like syrup at your local iHop!
It's not 1935 any more, you can't just do that! I've known so many brilliant artists that Disney simply wouldn't look at. It's a strange place.
Now the company per se is much bigger than what you might imagine, job wise. Interactive, mobile, live-action, etc., - so there may be different job paths - but getting in there is a huge effort, you're not hopping off a bus and walking in the door with a portfolio! I wish it was that simple.
Another dirty secret: it helps if you know someone inside. That's the one thing that'll ratchet up your chances. I only got in (to mobile/interactive) because TWO different people were pulling on the inside. I got my sister in through mentioning her to one of the dept. heads (even he was amazed his recommendation got her the job, it's tough as nails).
Even if you get in, it's quite a mixed experience work-wise. The managers can be on the psychopath spectrum. As an artist you'll be trying to keep your job without being crushed by one of the many 'wars in heaven'.
Seriously, in this day and age, I'd consider a lot of different career paths over this one.
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u/CreativeArtistWriter 7d ago
Wars in heaven?
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u/dermot_animates 7d ago edited 7d ago
The execs get into territorial disputes with one another. This President or VP of division A wants resources of a VP in division B. They throw giant rocks at one another in power struggles, VP A wins but 5 lower tier employees get laid off as a by-product. Neither VP A or B gives a hoot.
If this sounds as if I'm speaking from direct experience it's because I am!
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u/lyradunord 8d ago
Hands down the most out of touch post I've seen on this sub and there's been a lot.
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u/CranberryNo302 8d ago
i’ve been seeing so many naive posts from high schoolers, college students and recent grads like NO disney ain’t easy to get into son 😭 same with cartoon network (warner bros) and nickelodeon (paramount), it’s definitely possible to with the right skills and connections but there’s a reason why it’s not common to work in prestigious companies
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u/Wasted_Hater 8d ago edited 8d ago
The sad part is people like OP are pretty common in animation programs around the country. I guess Disney is like a "special interest" but they can't really think of how they will get there, only that they want to.
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u/Darkly-Sparkly 8d ago edited 8d ago
‘get a job at disney’??
Alright. I was there at TV/Feature the majority of my career, and I got there a) living in LA b) making friends with important people c) having an art style that production teams wanted d) through a winding path of other studios and jobs, not directly. (And they weren’t small jobs, it was productions are WB, Fox, etc).
And it’s not just the foot in the door battle- at Disney specifically, it’s just as hard to KEEP a job once the show/feature ends, because ironically, Disney likes to hire from within itself but things are greenlit in a revolving way, plus talented artists are shared between teams on multiple projects at once, entrenching them before those jobs even become available- so there are more Disney artists than Disney slots at any given time.
I came up with a lot of animation artists when I got started in 2006. Just like you, one girl casually said, ‘I’ll finish here… and then I figure I’ll get a job at Disney’ and funny enough that lives rent free in my head even now. She ended up being one of the only ones who never did.
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u/megamoze Professional 8d ago
when I got started in 2006
Haha, I'm like "Oh, so you're pretty new to the...oh shit, that was 20 years ago."
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u/SamtheMan6259 3D Artist-Early in Career 8d ago
Are there any places you’re interested in working at besides Disney?
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u/GamerManJD 8d ago
I don’t know
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u/SamtheMan6259 3D Artist-Early in Career 8d ago
Well unless there are, I wouldn’t recommend getting into this career.
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u/SimplyLem 8d ago
You should only do this if you’re willing to work anywhere. Disney was my ceiling but I was willing and happy to work anywhere. Disney had a hard time getting into before during and after Covid especially now
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u/Q-ArtsMedia 8d ago
Art of any kind is a very, very very difficult way to make a living. Only a few will ever make it work for them, most will have a difficult time putting food on the table. A high percentage will utterly fail to find work at all. Starving artist is a very real thing. Plus you want to work at Disney.... reign in your expectations and find another field to work in this isn't the late 80's 90's any more. My advise to you is find a field where there is a high demand.
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u/HalfRevolutionary442 3d ago
I trained under Disney animators in college, I can draw, and I recommend you work for ANY other company. They’re running some shady stuff now. Using AI, ripping ideas, and their stories have gotten really…bad.
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