To integrate oneself into an industry, which is in a sense, what this brief is designed to do for each of us individually, there needs to be a good understanding of the business overall, how it works and where a freelancer, junior VFX artist or animator could fit in. The place to start is with the VFX and Animation pipeline, which is an industry term that refers to the steps of production and the way in which they are organised.
The system involves people, hardware and software arranged in a sequential order that maximises efficiency and keeps everyone on task, something which is essential if the group of people are to finish a piece of media in a preset timeline. Usually, the pipeline starts with an idea and ends with this piece of media – a final product to present to the world. In order to keep the work cohesive, consistent and relevant, every single member of the team needs to be aware of what they are doing, when, how and why, and the pipeline acts as a guided method of organisation for this to be achieved; each step is taken in a pre-determined order, all leading up to the final vision.
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VFX/Animation Pipeline
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The most relevant pipeline for me is a typical animation one, which is why I will be focusing most of my research there. However, it is also beneficial to be aware of some other types, such as one of the major ones, VFX. I have chosen to look at a breakdown of a stereotypical pipeline within Visual Effects, which is one of the best ways of understanding how the production takes place, in my opinion. Since there are so many departments involved and they all depend on each other, understanding the relationships between them can be difficult. This is why by having things broken down into different parts, laid out and dissected, the bigger picture can be understood.
Yellow Cat, a specialist company for production, post & creative services, provides a clear graph and some useful explanations.
The pipeline is broken into three, Pre-Production, Production and Post-production.
- The stage before shooting begins is where ideas are pitched and the creation of the chosen project is outlined. This is called Pre-Production.
- Next, the shooting takes place and some visual effects begin, which is Production.
- Finally, the phase where the most VFX takes place is when filming is over and this is called Post-Production.
This is just a general outline of how the pipeline works in terms of VFX, however, much more is involved within each stage, which I will showcase with a few examples (there really are too many roles to go through all of them!).
⛥ミ Modelling/Pre-visualisation »
Pre-visualisation or pre-vis is where the existing storyboard of the project is taken and turned into a basic 3D animation as a guide for the directors. This is why modelling also begins in pre-production so that low-res models can be created exactly for this. Often, the original pre-vis guidelines differ from the result as several versions of this animation are made before the client decides on a final option. Whilst pre-vis stops at that point, modelling continues on through production, even into the start of post-production, as models are continuously being created, tweaked and rendered differently until the client is happy. The modellers can be divided into teams depending on what they create, e.g. environment, creatures, vehicles, props etc.
⛥ミ Animation/FX Animation »
Although this is a later stage in the process, it relies almost entirely on the modelling and rigging stages that occur beforehand (as well as some other previous processes as well). Animators bring the rigged elements to life, working with medium resolution versions of the models in order to keep their software running efficiently. FX animation is usually the next step, amending any kind of animation that requires simulation within three subcategories: particles, fluids, flame and rigid body dynamics.
⛥ミ Element Shots »
As one of the final aspects of production, element shots are sometimes used when producers want certain textures/materials (smoke, dust, splashes etc.) to be included as real-life elements against a green screen, for CG purposes. They are mainly used to give a more realistic effect – not everything has to be added through the computer!
Now I’ll be looking into an animation pipeline and since this is the career path that I have chosen, I will be doing more in-depth research.
Thanks to productions such as The Tiger who Came to Tea or Digby Dragon, the UK animation industry has been established as one of the best in the world. In terms of the studios, there are various sizes, some specialising in a particular type of animation and others in several. There is an increasing demand for animation in subscription services such as Amazon, Netflix and Sky but services continue to be provided for commercials, education videos, games, visual effects and VR companies.
But what is animation?
Animation is a form of storytelling where still images are displayed in rapid sequence to create the illusion of movement. An animator has to have a broad range of skills, including knowledge of the way a character or object moves in order to make them believable. Different categories of animation include hand-drawn (each frame is drawn by hand), stop-motion (different materials are used to create everything in frame which is then photographed frame by frame) and computer-generated (frames are created on a computer in either 2D or 3D or a mix of the two).
Similarly to VFX, animation follows the general pipeline of development, pre-production, production, post-production and oftentimes sales and marketing. However the individual aspects of this process are quite different, and since 3D and 2D differ, I found a traditional 2D animation workflow as my example. The one below shows that most of the steps cannot be done simultaneously, meaning different departments start work in a staggered time frame and rely heavily on the previous stages’ completion.
✭ ⌒ Script ⌒ ☆
Either from the client requesting the project or the studio itself, it all starts with the script – the foundation. Once it has been created, it is followed closely by the design team who begin character, prop and location designs. The storyboard artist will also begin here, making the first draft.
✭ ⌒ Designs ⌒ ☆
As soon as the script is locked, the design team begin working on the appearance of major elements within the animation. The designs can be done on paper or digitally but for traditional projects, they almost always begin on paper before being cleaned up, added to the model pack and sent for colour styling.
✭ ⌒ Colour Styling ⌒ ☆
This stage doesn’t have a major impact on the pipeline if it is done on paper or directly in the animation software but it does have a pretty important role in the process overall. A colour script is created in order for the director and client to get a feel for what the animation will look like long before it is complete.
✭ ⌒ Audio Recording & Dialogue ⌒ ☆
If there is any dialogue involved, it is recorded from the script and must be done soon enough to import into the project before the animation. This is so that the animator can animate the mouth and expressions, do sound breakdown and any storyboarding that’s required.
✭ ⌒ Storyboard ⌒ ☆
As mentioned before, the storyboarding phase can be started in parallel with the design and audio recording although this depends on the project and studio. It is the illustrated script of the film and is a fundamental part of the process, showcasing the story in a simplified visual format.
✭ ⌒ Background Layout and Posing ⌒ ☆
In a traditional pipeline, this step is crucial as it communicates the storyboard animation clearly to the animators. All of the information needed to complete a scene is referenced from the model path and included in the layout. The folder contains a field guide showing the right size of each scene and the proper camera movements, key character poses following the official designs and storyboard, effects, backgrounds and all other information necessary for the animator. Once again, this step can be done digitally or traditionally but it is mainly applied in larger productions, as an individual can move directly from the starboard to the animation.
✭ ⌒ Background Painting ⌒ ☆
If not a small team, there are usually two people painting backgrounds in animation or external software.
✭ ⌒ Animation ⌒ ☆
Although no longer done as often, traditional animation occurs on paper. The animator draws each frame or the animation or each pose of the character using the layout folder and breakdown, sometimes only doing key poses and leaving the rest of the in-between department, sometimes doing everything. In an old-fashioned pipeline, the completed animation would be sent for hand-inking and painting but in modern processes, this is done digitally.
✭ ⌒ Line Tests ⌒ ☆
To see if the animation is going in the right direction, the rough, key poses need to be tested quickly. This is why, during the animation process, scenes are passed through line-testing where the hand-drawn frames are checked for sequence flow assessment. The timing is tested on a digital exposure sheet.
✭ ⌒ Scan ⌒ ☆
A person is assigned to import the animation drawings into a project, making the scan step the gateway between traditional and digital animation. The scan is done either prior to or after the exposure sheet and involved incorporating all of the drawings by importing them into the software (with correct or incorrect timing depending on when this happens), ready to be painted.
✭ ⌒ Inking and Painting ⌒ ☆
This is when colourists can clean the scanned artwork and start applying colour and is probably the longest digital step. The length of time does depend on the complexity of the drawings but either way, all of the frames need to be polished, inked and filled in with colour.
✭ ⌒ Compositing ⌒ ☆
In this stage, animatic reference, the exposure sheet and sound are required so that the compositor can import the coloured backgrounds, camera moves and other necessary motions. As well as combining all of these elements, digital effects are also added here, such as tone, highlight and shadow.
✭ ⌒ Rendering ⌒ ☆
The last step is to export everything! Once the compositing is complete, the animation is rendered as a movie or image sequence, often done by the same person in charge of compositing.
✭ ⌒ Post-Production ⌒ ☆
With the animation rendered, final effects, sound and filters are added; everything is assembled in an external application. With the finished result, distribution and marketing are often the following steps in the journey and final transfers are usually handled by a different company specialising in post-production.
Now having a deeper understanding of the inner workings of a VFX and animation pipeline, I’m going to shift my focus onto another part of the industry which plays almost an equally important role in the order and efficiency of production.
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VFX/Animation Hierarchy
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A hierarchy is an organisational structure in which the items or members are ranked in accordance to their importance, relative status and/or authority. Some obvious examples of this in society are governments, corporations and organised religions most of which are hierarchal. This also applies to VFX and Animation studios and is in fact a vital component of the fluidity of their systems; if everyone’s opinions were regarded as equal, no decisions would ever be made and if they were, it would take a copious amount of extra time and therefore money (especially for larger teams!). This would dramatically reduce productivity and overall product quality, which is why there absolutely has to be a disciplinary structure in the job roles of a company. Starting with VFX, this is how the typical hierarchy can be presented:
At the very top, we have the film studio which usually has the ultimate authority on the progression of the motion picture. Their main responsibilities include greenlighting the film and hiring the director, but they can be involved throughout the entire production process given enough communication with the director(s), which bring us down to the next part of the pyramid. Each film contains several top-level artists, including said director and the VFX supervisor, sometimes hired at the same time or through recommendation.
It isn’t just that simple, however, since during this process VFX studios also bid out sequences for R&D, particular effects and budgeting. “Once a show has been awarded by the film studio to a VFX studio, the VFX studio must now choose an internal VFX supervisor to lead the team at this facility.” This person is then in charge of the technical aspects of the visual effects, such as lighting tools and specific render shaders made for the show. Depending on the production, the CG and VFX supervisor can be the same person. Continuing downwards, the visual effects production team work under their leadership and is comprised of Production Managers and Production coordinators who keep the gears turning smoothly. Their tasks range from keeping everyone working on time and making sure nothing goes over budget, to asking for more money when necessary and keeping the artists happy and productive. The production would go haywire without this team – shots being overworked, artists staying on for unpaid hours etc.
Below this group are the Comp and TD groups and depending on the production, Animation, FX and Roto groups. These are all at the same level and work on getting the best visuals for the higher-ups, guided by the Production Coordinators who manage their shots and the time spent on them. These groups also sometimes connect with the VFX supervisor, usually when a critical look has to be established or a deadline is nearing and pointers are needed in person.
For approvals, the process is reversed. I create a shot, the lead comper of the show approves that, and then it goes up the chain. Our visual effects supervisor, the show VFX supervisor, and then the director, and then the studio. If everyone’s happy, we have a final shot, and we film it out or do what we have to do to make sure Production gets the shot in their hands, and it goes to their Editorial department, which cuts the show up for broadcast.
– Member of the Comp group
As for an animation company, the hierarchal pyramid is followed in a similar way, with some jobs being higher up and others lying lower down, all in for the benefit of making magnificent animated movies and works.
As with VFX, we start with the top of the ladder with the main head or decision-maker of the company, the owner/director. They take charge to keep the business moving forward and set all of the major goals in place. Underneath is the technical director who, as the name suggests, handles equipment, programming and all of the technical aspects of animation. In the higher parts of the pyramid, the members communicate more closely with each other and this is applied to the TD and director, who often discuss the overall vision of each project together along with other department heads. One such is the director of photography, who is sometimes needed for supervision if an animation requires proper sequence shooting. This one came as a surprise to me but the production background head comes next, who is in charge of the background paintings needed for the final version of the movie, which is an important element but one that I thought would have been arranged beforehand with the ‘higher-ups’ and passed down during production. Similarly, I didn’t know about the photo science engineer who holds a more important position in an animation company than expected. Their responsibility is to obtain masters from the completed film to film negative and get high definition video from digital cinema.
Moving along, we have the editorial cartoonist, who draws the preliminary sketches using their skills, knowledge and a team of people. They may also work with the TD and other producers to ensure the designs are correct. With some of these in hand, the story artists then sketch movements, sceneries and ideas for the film, passing along the established ones to the background artists. The layout/background artist will create the backdrops for each scene or frame whilst the studio background artist prepares noncommercial backgrounds for presentation or publicity purposes. Finally, almost every animation company also has a finance and marketing department which is besides the above-mentioned job positions. They take care of the budget and also handle marketing for the company and its productions and to an extent, operate outside of the hierarchy.
From what I’ve gathered, whether it is VFX or animation, the overall scheme is that workers communicate with their relevant heads/directors who then pass the information and work along to the higher-ups, who have the ‘vision’, and vice-versa when major decisions need to be communicated down. Thanks to this structure, companies run smoothly and the pipeline is followed as systematically as possible.
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Company vs Freelance
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The pipelines and hierarchies of companies are all well and good but there is another way to work if this isn’t to your liking. There are many factors to consider when entering the industry or even during the journey as a part of it: how you prefer to work and how you work best, in what environment you are most productive and what kind of approach you take to the more serious aspects of life (such as finances). These things need to be reviewed before job hunting but they are also subject to change as you grow within your career, so it can be pretty significant when deciding if you should work in a company/studio or as a freelancer. Another way to say ‘part of the team or going solo’?
✧༺✦ Freelance ✦༻✧
Freelance is a type of employment that is done on a flexible basis where you use your skills, education and experience to take on various assignments and work with multiple clients without committing to any one employer. Money is earned through these services, largely depending on the complexity and time taken as well as the type of project it is. Generally, freelance workers receive smaller tasks and are hired by lesser-known businesses, but companies can also take up freelancers for specific periods of time or projects. Since freelancers are responsible for sourcing their own jobs and rely solely on themselves to get the job done, they tend to possess a high level of skills in a particular area and are quite knowledgeable in their field. Examples include designers, writers, programmers, translators, project managers and so on.
As a freelancer, your ongoing tasks and expectations include:
- Negotiating your own contracts
- Having access to the necessary hardware/software and updating them as needed
- Managing finances (invoicing, expenses, tax returns etc.)
- Communicating with clients and other people for opportunities
- Building a work foundation (client list, social media presence, reputation in the market etc.)
- All of the other legal stuff! Choosing a legal entity to work under, opening a business account, obtaining an insurance policy and drafting your own freelance contract…
There were so many more aspects that I hadn’t considered, it may well feel stressful and chaotic a lot of the time. A lot of people probably focus on the obvious perks of being their own boss but don’t fully realise the level of organisation, drive and knowledge needed to stay afloat among all of the important responsibilities.
That brings us to the advantages and drawbacks of the job, which are necessary to research and fully understand before making the commitment.
Flexibility is clearly one of the biggest and most well-known benefits within freelance. You don’t have to ask anyone’s permission to work from home, start late (or stay up late), travel as you work or work when you travel! You can decide your own hours, duties and locations, such as the very artsy, classic trope of sitting with your laptop in a cafe. After everything is set up and the business is running quite smoothly, you are also able to choose your own clients which can be a massively positive step for your mental health. If you don’t like someone’s attitude or idea, you can simply shift your energy towards other projects or find a new gig instead of trying to work through constant battles with the client. Finally, it’s also quite good that you are able to see a direct link between working hard and your account balance. You keep all after-tax profits, meaning you have more spending freedom and can decide how exactly you want to allocate your money.
However, for all these perks there are also a lot of challenges. When things don’t go as planned or you are face to face with a less favourable situation, running a freelance business can be quite hard, especially since you’re pretty much on your own. Resolving issues like complaints from clients or non-payments on your own is difficult: there is no HR or legal to turn to so it is recommended to join a freelance union or sign freelance contracts upfront for access to outside support and more security. Another draining aspect is the irregularity of the payments, which is often the case when you jump from projects of different sizes. As such, your monthly income depends entirely on how much work you manage to find and how well you do it (the lack of security here is why people often say that freelancing is for the ‘free spirits’). Something you also quickly come to realise is that it can be quite lonely, having to carry an entire business on your own shoulders. To combat the negative feelings, a lot of freelancers join networking groups or co-working spaces, which allow some escape from the isolation.
Let’s jump back into the company life since these drawbacks are a real turning point for a lot of people.
✧༺✦ Company ✦༻✧
Working within a company is a type of employment that involves contracted work for a set amount of hours, usually under some form of leadership that is directly responsible for your specific team/department. A fixed amount is paid into your account frequently and is reflective of the way that you work, which is much more regularly and follows an overall structure. Company employees are hired through an application and interview process, where a representative of the company judges their work experience and skillset to decide if they are the best candidate and the right addition to the team. As well as being skilled in your subject area, you also need to show adaptability, eagerness to work and trustworthiness which are most easily showcased through references and relevant experience.
A few of the employee’s common roles are:
- Doing the duties and responsibilities expected of you and outlined in your job description (to the highest standard possible given in a set period of time)
- Meeting the set performance standards
- Attending education or training programs, either mandatory or optional if possible, to improve existing knowledge and gain new skills
- Safeguarding the company’s assets and data
- Co-operating with team members, obeying lawful, reasonable orders
- Following all health and safety procedures and reporting any hazards, illnesses or injuries
Depending on what type of company it is, these rules will be handled in different ways but the legal and health-related portion is always followed strictly. In the creative industry, most companies aim to create a dynamic, productive but fun atmosphere and higher-ups are often quite relaxed/casual with their team. Of course, making sure the work is done well is everyone’s main goal so some compromise is often needed.
Within VFX and animation, company jobs sometimes give opportunities like blockbuster feature film work, but the more general pros and cons still apply. The guaranteed salary provides financial security and often, other benefits such as taxes, insurance, health insurance and paid vacation. There is also reasonable certainty when you go to work each day because of the fixed working hours and overall defined working structure that acts almost as a guide for what to do and can therefore be quite comforting. You are able to plan out your week with more confidence and make more long-term plans as well, knowing that you have a regular schedule and income (things like holidays become easier to slot in yearly). Having a specific role can also make things much easier to handle in terms of responsibility since you don’t need to worry about how other people are performing across the company. This differs depending on the project and the level of interconnectedness of the team but generally, if you ensure all of your tasks are completed on time and receive your payment, you’re good to go worry-free.
Some of the downsides would include the following: limited income. Since there are agreed salary/hourly rates for specific roles, your income is usually capped and cannot be expanded without overtime or a pay rise. In line with this disadvantage, you can’t really break this agreement otherwise you might lose your job. With this greater dependency, you have to follow all of the instructions set by the employer (if they also adhere to certain rules of course). In other words, the structure and stability of the working environment that you grow accustomed to can be broken at any time, and this happens often in VFX and animation: if a project is behind schedule, you might be called to catch up and you have to make lifestyle adjustments accordingly. Finally, there is also a somewhat limited development opportunity because there are often fewer choices for career progression.
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When we look at the pros and cons of both job types, the differences make themselves abundantly clear. But what about the areas that overlap? For example, as both a freelancer and an employee, you have to be mindful of how you treat others. This goes for all jobs since respecting other humans, in general, is an established rule in our society, but it is especially true in VFX and animation, where impressions are lasting and people get fired quite easily if the way they treat co-workers is unpleasant. In both a company and freelance job, you have to manage your time since work needs to get done somehow, even if outside hours are required. You have to have the right mindset and create a work-life balance that works for you, and either way passion for the subject is required, which is a given if you want to succeed and enjoy your job! Another key similarity, specifically in this industry is that alongside commitment, you also need to be prepared for tight deadlines and a hard workload at times. It is a kind of skill to maintain the correct mentality and not buckle under the pressure and it comes through practice and experience working to a brief.
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Emerging Technologies
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Zooming out now, one thing is for sure across the board for all VFX and Animation job roles: the industry is changing and some of the future is already being seen today. As I have done for this report so far, I will be touching upon VFX, but focusing mostly on the animation industry, which is the one that I want to join and is most beneficial for me to research.
In recent years, advancements in technology have started to make massive shifts in the realm of film-making and with more and more new techniques being utilised, it’s safe to say that visual effects are evolving at a steadily increasing velocity. This isn’t surprising, since the industry always rushed to keep up with the demands of the populace, and there is a growing appetite for high-definition visual experiences that engage, excite and entrance. Everything is expanding and users are now consuming more immersive content across multiple platforms and devices, streaming content all the more with the increase in targeted broadcasting hours by cable and satellite TV, availability of low-cost internet access, penetration of mobile devices and the growing popularity of the online social market. It makes sense that animation, VFX & games will all rapidly advance in parallel, making this industry one of the fastest-growing segments in the global media and entertainment market.
Some examples of industry trends and emerging tech include:
- Unreal Engine 5
- The combination of live-action and animation
- Virtual production (VR)
- AI-assisted tools
- International film markets & increasing collaboration
- Shorter productions on the rise
- Photogrammetry
- Augmented reality
- Cloud game services and predicted analytics
Taking a further look into some of the leading big-scale changes, virtual production and real-time rendering are allowing directors, cinematographers and multiple other departments to see and manipulate the physical set, often instantaneously. This creates positive changes not only on-screen but also in the studio since working in isolation on a computer takes the process away from production and creates a disconnect that limits creativity and experimentation.
Rob Legato, ASC, Visual Effects Supervisor on The Lion King and The Jungle Book, has always favoured naturalistic filmmaking and praises virtual production massively for enabling visionaries and artists to bring digital worlds to photoreal life. “You put yourself in virtual reality and you immediately get input,” he says. “All of a sudden you start clicking on all burners because you have people to [collaborate with]. The difference is like composing jazz music one note at a time with five hours between each note, versus hearing them all together.”
Another important role virtual production plays is removing the boundaries between story, previs, on-set, post viz and post-production, transforming the system of processing overnight for people to check in the morning, speeding up the workflow dramatically and providing a more seamless experience in general. Data from earlier in the pipeline becomes reusable further down and remarkable creative and technical convergence is achieved, allowing for more efficient filmmaking. But the exciting era of content creation isn’t wholly due to VFX; the animation styles that we grew up with have morphed into something entirely new and even looking back a mere 2-3 years, it is evident that we have achieved more than we imagined! Let’s take a look at where the industry is headed as a whole, before diving into more specific, exciting developments.
First of all, it’s easy to assume that the animation we see now is at its highest quality but even more improvements are undoubtedly on their way. Better graphics, more advanced hardware and software and a push for realism mean that the design and quality of animation will improve and we might find ourselves having a difficult time differentiating between what is real and what is animated. What’s more, studios have picked up the pace due to the pandemic, which paused a lot of live-action Hollywood projects and opened up a gap in the entertainment world which animation filled with vivacity. An enormous boom in tv animation for children and adults has brought us wild success for shows like South Park, Rick and Morty, and The Midnight Gospel, which all prove that the audience is expanding, the stereotypes and barriers animation faces for being ‘just for kids are being broken and the demand has even reached popular streaming services like Netflix.
Another rising trend that we are likely to see more of in the future is the mixing of animation with computer graphics animation. Background, effects and characters can now be portrayed hyper realistically thanks to better software and tools. Animators have more control over their art and can extend the reaches of their trade to new heights, creating realistic environments and subjects such as those seen in computer-animated short film, Piper, produced by Pixar Animation Studios. We aren’t just making leaps and bounds in film and TV, however, because many advertisers have adapted to the modern situation and shifted to using animation. Artists and brands can choose from 2D, 3D, mixed media, stop-motion animation, whiteboard animation and more for the release of their content, giving them a chance to get creative and stand out in their competitive field. An example of an animated video of an artist that got released this year is “my future” by American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish.
It’s clear that in the years to come, we can expect to see even quicker changes as technology advances and our tastes alternate to reflect our capabilities. But what do some of these tech advancements look like, and what could they entail? Here are five [of the many] emerging technologies that are revolutionising animated content.
- Accessible augmented reality
- Live character animation
- Data-driven infographics
- Automated video generation
- real-time animation on mobile
I’ll be going through three of the above examples, starting with accessible augmented reality, which hasn’t broken through into the media spotlight like its famous sibling, virtual reality. It involves enhancing real-world space with computer-generated perceptual information to create a more interactive experience. Indeed, it is one of the many ways we are now emerging tech into our visual environment simulation, but many predict it will make the most long-lasting impacts for the future. The technology is now accessible to millions of users thanks to Google and Apple and more and more AR apps are emerging because of it.
The above example is an advert for an app called Slapstick, which lets you ‘slap’ animated stickers onto real-world surroundings and share them in social posts. Motion design studio Buck, who created it, clearly drew inspiration from Snapchat and went for the fun, wacky approach to draw in a similar audience. Another fun one to try out is Weird Type by Zach Lieberman which uses a similar premise but with 3D and animated typography. Apps such as these have become unexpected hits, like Weird Type, for example, that broke into the top 30 on the App Store entertainment section. We can expect more game-changing AR apps to go mainstream, having already proven that beautiful, animated graphics are desirable in the current market.
The second example was a surprising discovery for me and one that I’m very excited about. Live animation, also known as ‘Real-time performance capture’ or ‘Real-time animation’ consists of controlling a 3D (or 2D!) character live and in real-time, using a motion capture system. Generally, it is used in pre-vis so a director can preview an animation while the mocap actor is performing but the more fun aspect of bringing an animated character to life allows them to be present at game cons, appear on talk shows, speak at keynotes, and cover breaking news.
In 2015, Adobe Character Animator appeared as a beta and the animation world was underwhelmed. That changed, however, when the world of TV got on board. The following year, The Simpsons broadcast their first, ever live show and the industry turned its head, taking notice of Adobe’s new program and the potential in the tech. You can see the behind-the-scenes for the broadcast on their blog here. Today, live character animation is being used more than we realise, with people using digital puppets for content creation on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch and on social media as well.
Finally, I want to talk about real-time animation on mobile, which is something that potentially all of us are already/could be using! For a while now, some of the world’s biggest app brands like Headspace have been making use of the appeal and versatility of animation for their interfaces. There has been a pretty significant change in the methodology, however, since heavy video files were the main method of implementing animation in the past, often resulting in large file overheads and load times. As always, the companies strived for a better user experience, and through the continuous updates that we all sometimes see displayed at the bottom of the screen, they arrived at a far better solution: lightweight scripted animation that can be rendered within the app in real-time.
With several platforms jostling for superiority, smooth, responsive graphic animations have now become the standard and highly-rated apps usually have this type of motion integrated into their very navigation system. The speed of innovation is sure to continue the pace, as creativity is now being tested as well.
It is tech like this that marks this an exciting time for the animation industry as well and we can only adapt as the newest advances become more every day, used in various media formats to accommodate our escalating level of online networking. Evidently, the race to keep up with the tech market and industry growth isn’t the only reason why companies, both VFX and Animation-based, are moving more and more toward new innovations. They produce higher-quality results faster and often help with the cost of production as well and often provide deeper insight and visualisation for those working with or on the program/machine (etc.). A lot of the examples given improve well-being and even create new routes to employment, which adds to the broadening of the industry. With so many benefits, they beg the question do these emerging technologies harm the field in any way? The answer will almost certainly be yes, as with every new addition to our lives, new tech will have its drawbacks. The long-term effects on the employees and audience possibly include increasing workload, starving of departments due to modernisation, further digitalisation and isolation and heightened perception of virtual elements.
┏━━━━━━–ʕ•㉨•ʔ–━━━━━━┓
Job Role Analysis
┗━━━━━━━ ☆ ━━━━━━━┛
Having done extensive general research on the industry I am entering, I now want to look into a more specific career route and analyse two job roles that I am interested in. By furthering my knowledge in the areas that are specific to me, I can better prepare for the future and focus on building up the skills and portfolio needed to help me achieve my desired position. Now for the hard part, which is narrowing down. Because I have a deep passion for art and storytelling and I’d say that my skills lie in organisational and artistic facets, I have found that I am interested in almost the entire pipeline in terms of job roles. Across four departments, there are multiple jobs that I love the sound of and would like to try! This makes me think about my future and why it is so crucial for me to gain experience on an actual set or in a studio so that I can see these different roles in action and understand how their responsibilities are carried out in reality. Here is a list, mainly for my own reference, of all of the jobs that I would like to look into:
- Animation Director
- Animation Producer
- Animation Production Coordinator
- Concept Artist
- Animation Art Director
- Character Designer
- Animator
Some of the examples listed are things that I am considering because of my skillset. For example, looking back on one of the main problems in all of my projects so far, I believe that I have actually discovered something of a strength. Every time that we were given the brief requirements, including the project theme and outlines, the idea of the final animation would always begin to form early on and sometimes even solidify before I had chosen a specific subject area. I remember always being able to see the final product clearly, with a strong sense of tone and visual output and since this was so finalised and ‘perfect’ in my head, the idea would be incredibly ambitious and even unrealistic, leading to my stubborn refusal to scale down and the primary issue in why my scheduling was not executed effectively.
I have seen this as a weakness for the longest time, but perhaps in the right role, it can actually be utilised in the correct way…perhaps, in the director’s seat? Animation directors hold the vision of the film and are experts in imaginative storytelling, something that with enough practice and hard work, I believe is achievable for me. This was just one example, but I had a similar thought process for quite a few of the roles above, such as Production Coordinator, which is something I never would have thought about just two years ago. With the barest outline of the various roles, I have confirmed my love of the animation workflow and industry but also opened up doors which I never believed I would even look at, having been so set on ‘animator’ since 2015. For the moment though, I am going to stray away from the more business and organisation-based roles since I would still really like to be involved in the making of a film. To utilise creativity and art, I am going to be looking at two roles within the pre-production department (I have a good foundation of knowledge about an animator anyway, so I want to research new and interesting roles that I don’t know much about).
*＊✿❀ Art Director (Animation) ❀✿＊*
They can also be known as the CG supervisor, VFX supervisor or Production Designer but since I am focusing on the animation industry, they are the art director. They are sometimes employed as freelancers working on a project-by-project basis.
Art directors’ work fits majorly into the pre-production aspect of the pipeline since they are responsible for the visual style of a film, making decisions that provide a basis for the rest of the art department to work from. To determine the overall look of key elements within the animation, the art director decides how characters, props and environments will be presented, a.k.a the design ‘language’ of the film. It requires them to have an understanding of what the final, on-screen image will look like and how to get there, making their work more specific and directive than that of a concept artist. They do work closely together, however, developing sketches and artwork that communicate the artistic vision to the rest of the crew.
Despite the title, the director also gets involved in the ‘creation’ aspect, not just the ideas and directing, which is what initially drew me in. They also produce 2D designs (drawings and paintings) which are presented to the director, producer and possibly investors of the project. Their role isn’t just active in pre-production either; they act as a supervisor to other artists (e.g. modellers, characters and background designers) throughout the project up to its release, keeping a close overview of the work being produced. Art directors ensure that the artwork is high quality and keeps with the director’s vision as well as making sure things are on budget and schedule. Personally, I love the sound of this skill mix – communication, management and organisation but also artistic licence and creative guidance.
For the reasons above, I faced some difficulty when trying to find out the top software packages an art director should know in order to be competent in their job area. The general answer was that it depends on the studio, but variant degrees of the Adobe Suite are, of course, the industry standard. Even so, whilst it is beneficial that the director knows how to work with the programs of their team, it isn’t essential. I have found that you don’t have to have to know any of these tools to be a successful art director but at the very least, a working knowledge is strongly recommended and will give you an edge.
In general, as an art director you will be sought after more for your ideas than for your profiency in Photoshop. This is actually a skill that’s very hard to teach.
The execution of the vision, in this sense, is more important and requires, above all, a creative mindset and leadership skills that will enable the team of creatives to execute the work. Multimedia designer and filmmaker, Matthew Hartman (according to his Quora profile) answers the software question with clarity and honesty.
Following on from that, here are some of the key skills that a successful art director has:
- Leadership – strong management skills are needed to lead a department but teamwork and communication skills are also needed in order to effectively relay and expand on visual ideas (e.g. presenting and pitching, giving constructive feedback and understanding what the director wants)
- Planning – in any project, remaining calm under pressure is essential, both to maintain order in the team and also to handle scheduling and budgeting
- Creativity – artistic skill and imagination is needed to produce high-quality, original designs
- Understanding the pipeline – the knowledge of what is achievable further down the animation pipeline ensures the correct work is being given to the pre-production team
One last skill that I want to add, which can be hard to explain but is something I have deduced from the details of what the job entails: blending different skills, attitudes and talents. Every single artist that is part of the crew will have their own unique perspectives, methods of working and styles of art. Since art directors work closely with the director and production management, they act as a bridge between the higher-ups and their own team and need to establish a visual language that works across the board, combining everyone’s strengths to make the best possible, cohesive outcome that fits the vision.
Finally, here are some famous art/animation directors for inspiration and industry knowledge!
– Ralph Eggleston –
American animator, art director, storyboard artist, writer, film director and production designer at Pixar Animation Studios. Has worked on Toy Story, The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, WALL-E and Inside Out.
– Deane Taylor –
Award-winning art director of the Oscar-nominated feature, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and the Annie-nominated Cow and Chicken.
– Andy Gaskill –
Andrew Alan Gaskill, nicknamed “Andy”, works at Walt Disney Animation Studios as an animator, art director, and storyboard artist. His incredible project lineup includes Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too, The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King.
Something that really inspires me when looking at the professionals in this job role is that most of them have multiple specialist areas and have worked in various other roles within the pipeline (which is something I think I’d really like to do!). However, I have also noted that all of the well-known artists within this field are men – I couldn’t find a single example of a famous female art director in Google’s suggestions. Fortunately, this only makes me more determined to break the barrier and bring more inclusivity and equality within the industry.
*＊✿❀ Character Designer ❀✿＊*
The second job role that I have chosen to analyse is character designer, also referred to as 2D character designer within animation. They work closely with writers and directors as well as modellers and animators.
As I mentioned previously, these artists also fall into pre-production, which is one of my favourite areas in the pipeline, and are deeply involved in the visual creation of an idea. In essence, their importance stems from the fact that they bring an idea to fruition through their work, in the earliest stages of development. They specialise in creating the look of individual characters, working from descriptions given to them by the director, which might include notes about the character’s personality, not just their physical traits. Information such as this is incredibly important to a character designer since they need to be able to communicate their personality through more than just their appearance. Facial expressions, physical poses and even the small details of any clothes all add to the impression created in the viewer’s mind and to navigate this, skill and knowledge of anatomy, colour, the physics of clothing, different forms and creatures and much more is needed. For this reason, a specialist area exists purely for the design of characters, and it’s one that I am quite interested in!
In terms of practical application, character designers also need to be aware of current fashion styles, semiotics and conventions within a range of different genres, all of which is then carried out in their depictions (either on paper or digital). Other than flexibility and a wide range of knowledge, this role relies heavily on drawing ability (oftentimes, multiple designs are made for each character. These are then sent to the director and await feedback, often being sent back to be re-worked until the final result is one that fits the vision and the director is happy with.
The next step is creating ‘model sheets’ when a design has been approved so that the character can be seen from different angles. Within 3D, this sheet would be used as a reference by the modellers to create the character, whilst in 2D, the animator uses them mainly to ensure that each frame of the animation is ‘on model’ – in other words, the character design remains consistent, even as they move. Storyboard artists also rely on the finished character and model sheets, as these are incorporated into their work as the project progresses. Unlike art directors, character designers are often employed by the studio rather than freelance.
These are some of the programs used commonly within this role:
- Image editing software (Adobe Photoshop)
- 3D modelling, sculpting and painting software (Blender, 3ds Max, Maya, Mudbox, ZBrush, Substance Designer, Quixel)
- 2D animation software (TVPaint, ToonBoom Harmony, CelAction)
Other than those, physical art materials like pencil, paper, paint, ink and chalk are also used, but the tools to create characters can vary greatly (as the tools to create art do). Personally, I have seen loads of experimental examples, especially for more abstract films like Inside Out, where tissue paper, crayon and other textured artwork have been created. Ultimately, the materials themselves aren’t important; it’s how the characters are created – how the character of the character is presented! This is why it’s important that designers have a high level of technical skill so that they can work in a variety of different styles and show attention to detail.
On that note, here are their key skills:
- Creativity & drawing skills – the obvious ones! Imagination is needed for original and interesting ideas that spark the director’s vision and execution is needed in order to effectively relay those ideas and help tell a story.
- Collaboration – aside from the foundation of teamwork skills needed to work well with other artists and designers, understanding what the director wants, being able to alter designs according to this and acting on feedback is also important.
- Knowledge of the pipeline – like the art director, this knowledge is important to have since the designs have to be appropriate for the medium of the project and for the animator’s capabilities.
- Love of animation – once again, this may seem obvious but watching animations and having a passion for the medium and industry, in general, goes a long way!
Character design work can be seen all over the internet but especially on Instagram. In fact, those are the type of accounts I follow most! Aside from different styles, landscapes and other beautiful artwork, hundreds of characters fill my feed. Since I have so many artists to choose from simply by scrolling, I have decided to add in examples of professionals in this field from this social media. Since most of the artists I follow aren’t considered famous but are well known through their art instead, there isn’t any publicly available information about them and their artistic journey (you can usually see that by scrolling down far enough anyway). For these examples, there will be no additional information for the sake of the artist’s privacy. I will instead, concentrate on finding amazing examples of their work that inspire me and showcase the wide scope of character design.
– @critbit / Crit (Markus) –
Wonderfully detailed fantastical character designs. Their art is like something out of a fairytale storybook, with a beautiful balance of colours and lively rendition of clothing and mythical-form elements.
– @jmadorran / Jessica Madorran –
It surprises me how underrated Jessica is on Instagram – her designs are striking, creative and unique. I love her linework and style and how varied her different characters are (lots of experimentation!).
– @ismarus_art / Madeline Hale –
With this artist, a significant style is starting to emerge, especially in the way she draws her eyes and the round, earthy line quality. Once again, I believe she deserves more followers!
– @unictopusart / Unictopus –
A drastic change here but I love Unictopus’s dark, Haloween-inspired style. He is “inspired by big-eyed monsters, water bears and flying saucers”.
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I am grateful to have learned about the inner workings of these professions. Being prompted to find successful instances of artists within these job roles has also been helpful to me, as I can look at the existing work and grow my fondness and inspiration for the industry. This research has certainly expanded my horizons as I was quite set on the animator role, but I feel so much more open to what there is out there and how many different pathways I could truly take. My interests were greater than I thought and I will definitely be saving my resource sites for future research.
┏━━━━━━–ʕ•㉨•ʔ–━━━━━━┓
Portfolio
┗━━━━━━━ ☆ ━━━━━━━┛
One of the most requisite components of a presence within the creative industry is a portfolio and almost every single person within an innovatory role has one. The definition that has been given to me is “a flat case used for carrying loose sheets of paper or a combination of investments or samples of completed works.” Whilst this covers the preliminary, general definition, it does not give an accurate insight into the diversification of portfolio types and formats and what exactly they are used for, so let’s outline these!
✦༝┉ Creative vs Professional ┉༝✦
Although these terms are sometimes used in reference to the same thing, I’d like to bring attention to a difference that makes sense to me and can be applied to real-life examples. A professional portfolio is a collection of work, documents and more that (ideally) provides a complete picture of a job candidate’s abilities to potential employers. When I found this definition, I noticed that it was quite formal and specific, hence my decision to separate the terms ‘creative’ and ‘professional’ to an extent, because there certainly is a difference despite the overlap. Continuing on with the first defined type, a professional portfolio is used to demonstrate skills and abilities. Irrelevant to the format, it should include achievements, relevant work and other tangible summaries linked to the professional journey of the candidate. The examples of work depend on the target field of work, for example, published articles or press releases, project plans, evaluations, spreadsheets, lesson plans for teaching, and more. They should be chosen to best reflect the candidate’s skill and scope of experience; a resume and cover letter are often standard requirements of a job application, but a portfolio can be submitted to help them stand out, hence the need for honest and high-quality work.
We also have the creative portfolio, a collection of work quite similarly to the professional type but in this case, chosen to showcase creativity, practical abilities and design-thinking skills. I’d like to reiterate that these terms are often used together (e.g. professional creative portfolio) but since the fields of animation, film, visual effects, graphic design, screenwriting, etc. almost always require visual evidence of a candidate’s experience, I’d like to research them as different types. On that note, a creative portfolio, like the name suggests, should in some present an assortment of the candidate’s best creative work – specific to their target job role. However, it shouldn’t be just that:
You should think of your portfolio as a visually coordinated, fully cohesive ‘creative work’ in its own right – a creative job ‘packaged like a product and clearly thought out.
To my understanding, it allows you to showcase your personality, talent and attitude towards creative projects, rather than just skills and accomplishments like a strictly professional one would.
✦༝┉ Physical vs Digital ┉༝✦
As well as the different portfolio types, there are also different formats for presenting them. Physical ones are binders for the work, usually including printed photos and examples. As technology advances, this method is increasingly being considered old-fashioned, however, there are still a lot of establishments that want physical pieces of evidence. I experienced such a case with Staffordshire University, who first wanted a PDF document of my work and after assessment and grant of an interview, sketchbooks and real-life examples. There are ways to be creative and forward-thinking with physical portfolios as well and I have seen many beautiful examples of hand-made ones that have a unique presentation style. The main ones are the folder, book or binding case but there are now leaflets, boxes, experimental folders and other interesting amalgamations of paper.
Digital portfolios house the creative work on a platform, website or as a document. With the rapidly expanding online transition of human industries and lives, most employers now prefer to see a link, QR code or file containing the work as this is, essentially, the modern-day version of a business card, a resume and a project showcase all in one. It can be quite a powerful way to summarise who the candidate is and what they have accomplished so far and with the endless templates and layout styles available on the internet, even those who aren’t competent with practical composition can display their work in an eye-catching, beautiful and digestible way.
While many people assume that having a portfolio is only necessary for artists and designers, no matter what your trade, a portfolio is an effective and inexpensive way exhibit a holistic view of your skills, personality, and identity.
Some of the ways that this can be done is through a platform designed to show work (a lot of social media do this nowadays), a website that can be created independently or again, through a platform, or a folder within online storage (with a link available), a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation, PDF or interactive document and more. Both physical and digital versions have their strengths and weaknesses and it comes down to what is best for the individual.
– Physical –
Let’s face it, there are just some pieces that cannot be put into a digital portfolio. They are few and far between, but they do exist, particularly if you are an artist, illustrator, or designer. Putting several photos on the website could ruin the flow even if it does save you the hassle of carrying the pieces around in person. With the right equipment, however, you could stand out amongst other potential employees. Certain briefcases are designed especially for this: easily transportable, easy to navigate and share and a very artsy way to showcase work. Now that the pandemic is passing, this option is becoming much more viable again.
– Digital –
Having a digital portfolio opens up a whole world of options – the accessibility and customisation are far greater and allows for a lot of personalisation and thought in the design. Unfortunately, since anyone can start with the free templates, a website might look quite basic without any investment and the creative industry is all about standing out. Of course, there are always ways around this and it involves a spark of passion and knowledge to ‘get the ball rolling’ as they say.
✦༝┉ The Importance of Having & Maintaining A Portfolio ┉༝✦
Based on the definitions stated, we know that the obvious and main motive behind having a portfolio is to display your skills, abilities and accreditations. It is often required and can help you stand out. But there’s so much more to it! Some employers, for example, have a more visual mindset. If you don’t have an as-impressive resume, presenting a portfolio can not only add value and merit to your application but also speak of your achievements and work for you, even if they aren’t necessarily official or documented. Creating an online one can also do wonders for your career without you even realising it; it boosts your presence in the online community and increases the chance that you could be scouted out by a future employer or client. Let’s not overlook the primary purpose of course – helping people see the whole professional picture, not just technical skills. As a creative, your art is most important, right alongside behaviour in the workplace (which is usually deduced through an interview). After all, even if your work is mind-blowing, nobody wants to work with someone inconsiderate, condescending or rude.
But what happens if you landed the job? Your place in a studio, company or organisation is secure for the foreseeable future and everyone that needed to has already seen your fabulous work. This raises the question “Well, what then?”. I have found an article in which award-winning German designer, Tobias van Schneider, explores this topic through his own experience and primary research on social media. Tobias deduces some alarming statistics about how the working force treats their portfolios with 80% neglecting their when in a full-time job. Although publishes in 2019, all of the points he then makes to combat this are still applicable today.
First of all, it shows that you care about your work. Even with a secure job, someone who keeps up with their hobbies, personal projects and online presence has a much better chance of continuing their success and growing creatively. It shows pride, refines your management and self-development skills and gives you an identity outside of your team at work. Even if this isn’t something necessary, it can be the difference between skyrocketing into new opportunities and becoming stuck in one place or even falling behind. With an out-of-date portfolio, a recruiter or client might find your page and move on without a second thought, taking away the chance for a side project that fuels you at your current job, a collaboration with another creative, a freelance gig that teaches you a new skill or a new job entirely.
This is one of the best reasons for me personally, but motivation! Reviewing and reflecting on your work happens automatically when you curate and update the collection, forcing you to consider the work you’ve been doing and the direction in which your creative career is headed. It allows you to hone your dreams and intentions by placing your skills on the visual front. Seeing my older or even current work, most of the time just pushes me to outdo myself so I can back this point from my own experience. Another thing to note is the Google algorithm. Whilst nobody has truly cracked it, it’s safe to say that for a search for “graphic designer in the UK” or “3D generalist in NY”, an updated portfolio will be far more likely to pop up than one that hasn’t been touched for years. Moreover, having an old one is simply poor taste – a clunky, old-fashioned site that doesn’t reflect who you are now, throws such a bad name on your image and reputation. You can never predict just who is going to come across the site: you could chance upon your dream job and miss it without even knowing. You could end up without a job out of nowhere! Circumstances change and it’s always best to be prepared, even if there is no urgent need at the moment.
╔════◈◉◈════╗
“Keeping your portfolio updated is a gift to your future self. No matter whether the circumstances are positive or negative, within your control or not, you will be thankful your website is already fresh and ready to go when you need it. The alternative is scrambling to get something online as fast as you can, which is not only stressful but rarely gives you great results.” (Tobias)
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Here are some ways that a portfolio can be kept up-to-date or maintained:
- Get rid of old stuff —> it may seem obvious but people are often attached to older work or keep things on their site for the aesthetic. As well as adding new stuff, however, it is important to de-clutter and remove things that aren’t relevant anymore.
- Change up the appearance —> the website reflects who you are so it should evolve in style and layout, growing alongside you. The font, colours and organisation can be refreshed every once in a while, when there are new trending aesthetics or just whenever you feel like it.
- Add movement —> animations, gifs, transitions and other motion in a website can really spruce it up and give it some life. Again, these can be changed to reflect current times and/or interests. Don’t go overboard, these are like accessories and should only engage and enhance. The star of the show is still the work!
- Simplify —> in an effort to include a large variety of work or make a portfolio appealing, too much can be an easy state to achieve. The key is to find a balance between ‘in-you-face’ and ‘hardly-tries’. In other words, give the work breathing room and remember minimalism but make sure to have enough that the viewers remember you.
- Follow trends —> do challenges, participate in events and jazz up the site/work with a few popular media and references. It makes it more modern and interesting for the viewer and they are more likely to like and/or share.
- Perfect the flow —> don’t forget the other devices the portfolio can be viewed on. How does it look on a phone screen? How does it differ for someone on a laptop vs a TV (yes some employers might be rich enough to leisurely scroll through the internet on their TV, you never know)? Streamline the navigation and make optimisations to ensure all screen sizes look immaculate.
- Rewrite —> it’s supposed to be memorable as well as visually informative, so don’t be afraid to go through the ‘About Me’ or some blogs you may have on there and make things more interesting/fun/reflective of who you are currently.
As mentioned previously, there are different portfolio formats that you can choose from and within those, different ways to make one further still. I have already included some visual examples of physical portfolios and have purposefully left out the digital examples until now because they are most useful and current and will be most helpful for me in the future as well. Based on the information I have gathered and my opinions and knowledge prior to this research, having an online portfolio is pivotal in this industry, and I was planning on creating my own even if we hadn’t started this project. They can be so helpful, even if you’re just starting out, so I was excited to establish a brand and begin (and still am!). Because of this, I am more committed to the digital aspect of portfolio management and there are two main methods that I will be looking into. ↓↓
•̩̩͙○♡ Online Platforms ♡○•̩̩͙
ArtStation
Starting with one of the big names in the community, we have ArtStation. It’s no wonder this platform has grown in popularity, as it acts as a network for artists, portfolio and website builder all rolled into one minimalistic, clean and easy-to-use package. It is simple yet powerful, hosting high-resolution images, videos, short clips, Marmoset and Sketchfab 3D scenes and 360 panos as well as enabling users to share work in progress through articles and even sell merchandise! It’s also fantastic for inspiration; being able to view thousands of pieces by the world’s best artists makes for an awesome browsing and discovery experience and can help spark ideas as well.
Behance
Another extremely popular, free portfolio website is Behance, a place where designs can be shared via large photos. Not only is Behance used as a place to showcase work for the many companies and recruiters that turn to the site when hiring, but also as a built-in community where connections can be made and feedback can be received! After all, many different kinds of creative jobs like fashion, photography, illustration, graphic design, marketing, and videos can be found there. If there’s a visual aspect to the work, there’s a good chance a portfolio can be created for it on Behance.
Dribbble
Similarly to Behance, we have another photo-based sharing platform for the creatives. Dribbble offers a visual space where designers, photographers, illustrators and others have the opportunity to upload and share their work with a group of like-minded people. What differentiates this site from Behance is that it allows users to show work in-progess. Something doesn’t have to be complete to be put on the portfolio, which can provide much deeper insight for employers who want to get to know the artist’s approach to projects. This is similar to ArtStation but I have noticed that Dribbble is less VFX and 3D-based and more vector illustration and graphic design-focused. It also acts as a job board for designers actively looking for a role and there are much more features available for anyone hiring.
Mainstream Social Media
Although not often considered primary portfolio locations, we cannot overlook the benefits of the less-specific social media sites. Twitter may have been designed for sharing textual information and Facebook is certainly not ideal for a professional portfolio because of the informal usage by the general populace, but more and more artists are flocking to these apps to show off their work. This is due to the larger communities and rapid sharing capabilities which all expand the reach of an individual or company. Whilst it is still expected to present work in a more professional manner, having some pieces on Instagram or showing the behind-the-scenes of a particular project on TikTok can’t hurt and can, in fact, open doors to new audiences and fresh perspectives within the field.
•̩̩͙○♡ Website Builders ♡○•̩̩͙
Adobe Portfolio
As the name suggests, Portfolio allows you to easily create a beautiful, digital expanse to showcase work, whether it’s a traditional site with a full gallery or simply a single splash page. The main reason why I have included this as an example tool is that it is free with a Creative Cloud subscription and I am considering it as a possible upgraded location for my future website. Unlike using a pre-built platform, building your own site through programs such as these allows for much more customization and can add up to a unique result. Portfolio comes with a massive font library and password protection, complete with easy Behance integration!
Portfoliobox
In Portfoliobox, we find yet another simple but effective website builder. It is free to use with 30 images and 10 pages with easy drag and drop features and a ton of different customizable themes. The design direction is a little different here since it is tailored toward musicians, artists, designers, illustrators, and models but any artist can make use of the formatting available (e.g. VFX or 3D artists). Portfoliobox claims to have “unparalleled freedom in design options” with possibilities such as being able to make each page a different style to reflect originality.
WordPress / Squarespace / Wix
These are grouped together because I find them remarkably similar as website builders. There are probably hundreds more examples like these but WordPress, Squarespace and Wix are some of the most beloved and well-known portfolio and brand tools. WordPress is open-source software, brilliant for blogs and apps and containing many useful plugins that can make the experience better for both the user and the viewers. Squarespace offers a flexible place to present, sell and track with analytics and customisable galleries, a premium look and practical online stage can be achieved. Wix has optimizable search engines and advanced features such as accepting bookings and in combination with its Artificial Design Intelligence, you can instantly build a personalized website to help a business grow. I have visited all three homepages for these website builders and there are a lot of overlapping functions. It is up to the user to do some digging, find the fine-line differences and choose the right one for their needs. As stated beforehand, I am going to be using WordPress for this project, since I am already familiar with the interface as it hosts my current college blog. For the future, I want to find something more modern and sleek to move to, so I will most likely be using one of the above examples.
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Now that I’ve been through the reasons why a creative should have a portfolio and how they can keep their forward-thinking in parallel to the industry and given examples of the methods of building one, I want to include some examples! Frankly, I have a whole folder saved on my chrome that contains all of the sites that I find inspiring, interesting and all-around awesome, most of which are artist’s portfolios. I have chosen three from my collection that I think showcase some of the best site performance or will simply help me make mine. I’ve always enjoyed customisation so I think I would have managed to make something quite personal anyhow, but, as we have learned, the portfolio needs to be professional and efficient as well. Having inspiration is best for this since it gives me a chance to learn from the greats and apply techniques that work in my own work.
. . . ~ ● ｡･ﾟﾟ･ Legwork Studio ･ﾟﾟ･｡ ● ~ . . .
I have never witnessed such an interesting website for a studio that no longer exists! Legwork disbanded but their creativity still shines on through this amazing, artistic location. With drag and drop cards that turn into animations, the site has a modern, creative flow that can’t be found almost anywhere else. I love the unique style and the format that they have chosen to relay information. We learn about what the studio stood for and further down, who was part of the team and what kind of projects were worked on, it’s a really cool way to honour something that has passed.
. . . ~ ● ｡･ﾟﾟ･ Steven Mengin ･ﾟﾟ･｡ ● ~ . . .
Creative director Steven Mengin boasts a sublime example of a professional website. The opening screen is a soothing cloud animation that reacts to cursor movement and is a great first impression of who this person is creatively. This style continues as you scroll, with an incredibly simple navigation style that enhances the minimalism and sleek feel. Every element, from the black background to the subtle animations that occur when you interact with the images, adds to the sleek aesthetic of the website and it’s truly a pleasure to traverse through the work.
. . . ~ ● ｡･ﾟﾟ･ Chent Sanchez ･ﾟﾟ･｡ ● ~ . . .
While we can agree that the two examples above are wonderfully made, they are rather complex and have unique navigation systems that suggest extreme deviation from basic templates. Let’s go back to basics! I have included a website that is more to my level and reflects the kind of work I would like to present as well. Chez’s artist portfolio has a simple layout but it is utilized extremely well thanks to the bold, eye-catching illustrations. He has an impressive collection of work and has categorised everything in a clear way, all seen from the top, so there’s no way to get lost or confused. It’s purposeful and effective and I draw lots of inspiration from the site design.