Portfolio Tips - MA in Animation for Professionals

Life drawing

Thinking of applying for our online MA in Animation at Bucks? One of the most common questions we get asked by prospective students is: What should go into my portfolio?

The answer is - a bit of anything and everything. Drawings, Painting, Life drawing, sketches, scribbles - anything you've got. But most especially - 3D digital artwork. 

Applying to Study Animation at Bucks? What Should Go in Your Portfolio?

Life drawing - excellent training for animators

One of the most common questions we get asked by students applying for the Animation and Visual Effects course here at Bucks is: What should go into my portfolio? The answer is - a bit of everything. Drawings, Painting, Life drawing, sketches, scribbles. But most especially - 3D digital artwork.

What does Bucks look for in an online portfolio?

Life drawing - excellent training for animators

One of the most common questions we get asked by students applying for the Animation and Visual Effects course here at Bucks is: What should go into my portfolio? The answer is - a bit of everything. Drawings, Painting, Life drawing, sketches, scribbles - and especially 3D digital artwork.

Our course at Bucks is increasingly digital, reflecting long-term changes in the industry, and we find that applicants with solid computer skills tend to flourish best. For a full description of what might go into a good application portfolio, check out this post.

Nowadays, we are doing a growing number of online interviews with Skype, generally for applicants from overseas. As a result, a new and slightly different question arises - what should go into an online portfolio?

What do studios look for in a great demo reel?

Getting hired is diffuclt in the current climate, and finding that first job can be the hardest leap of all. The most vital thing that every Bucks graduate will leave with is a demo reel or portfolio that showcases their talent and will - hopefully - get them a job. One question that tutors get asked a lot is - what should go into a demo reel? It's a good question.

Below are some excellent notes on demo reels from Jinny Hinkle, a "wannabe animator" who attended Disney's "Inspire Day" in Los Angeles. The rules for demo reels were handed down by Disney but they apply to finding work at any studio.

Student Showcase - The Art of Monika Dzikowicz

Monika Dzikowicz is a 3rd year student at Bucks who has developed a very strong portfolio in visual development and concept design. She draws well and has practiced her craft to develop her skills as a concept designer, visual development artist and storyboard artist.

Disney Producer Don Hahn on How to Break into The Animation Industry

Don Hahn is an animated film Producer whose credits are almost a roll-call of the Second Golden Age of Animation. His films include Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Beauty and The Beast, and The Lion King. He is currently producing the much-anticipated Maleficent, due out in 2014.

In an interview with FLIP animation blog he talked about his work as a producer, writer and director. We publish here an excerpt from the interview - his excellent advice to students on how to break into the animation business. 

Interview etiquette - technical Do's and Don'ts

A memory stick. And a minefield

Here at Bucks we love seeing plenty of evidence of digital artwork at interview. Even more than a traditional hand-drawn portfolio or sketchbook, digital artwork shows that an applicant is comfortable with computers and, even more important - knows what they're getting into. Our course focuses mainly on digital skills, reflecting the increasingly digital demands of the job market.

What Does The Perfect Demo Reel Look Like?

What does the perfect animation demo reel look like? It's not an academic question. A good demo reel is the student's calling card, their shop front to the world and a public display of talent. No matter how good or talented you may be - you are only as good as your demo reel. It is what employers will look at when they decide which of ten applicants to hire for a vacancy. A good reel is the difference between getting hired, and not.

In Praise of Sketchbooks

One of the best things that any aspiring animator can do is to fill a sketchbook. Fill it with drawings, ideas, scribbles, sketches - most important of all, draw everything around you. Every time you draw something for the first time - yourself, your cat, your friends, your bike - you build up a library of images in your head, a kind of visual shorthand that makes you better at drawing and observing the world around you.

What do we look for in applicant's portfolios?

Life drawing, especially quick sketches, provides excellent training for animators

Here at Bucks we often get asked what should go in to an art portfolio, to apply for our animation course. Drawings? Paintings? Life drawing? Digital artwork? The answer is - a bit of everything. Most important is digital artwork hosted at a website or blog, so we can access it easily.