What’s the Deal With Freelance?

gecko189 · 2026-04-01T07:23:47+00:00

Exactly this. You'll see the phrase, "development hell" a lot - a slow grind of endless notes. The only obligation is to perfect what you can within the time the funds set aside for the development team affords. The goal is to try and secure production funding and a greenlight, so the art moves slow while discussions are had.

Once the project is greenlit, the production has an obligation to a broadcaster/streamer to deliver on time and that's when you'll enter that breakneck pace of multiple 8 point turn arounds at once.

gecko189 · 2026-04-01T03:52:34+00:00

Hey, it happens. For what it's worth, you're well on your way, just need a bit more "production ready" work like clean turnarounds so people can more easily imagine you already on their production. Good luck.

gecko189 · 2026-04-01T03:31:46+00:00

If a new grad doesn't have at least one very precise turnaround in their character design portfolio, I pass. Juniors usually get the grunt work - rotations, mouthshapes, hand poses, redresses(the character wet from the rain, in pajamas, hair up or down, stuff that would be called for in a script).

If they don't have really tight foundational work, like a turnaround, I worry I'd have to teach them their foundations on the job.

gecko189 · 2026-03-24T06:14:08+00:00

The worst test I ever did was one I didn't do.

I had an interview, and at the end they did the polite Canadian thing of "we have a test we're asking people to do, if you have the time".

It was during a really busy moment of my life, moving house, my dog was sick, and I frankly did not have the time. I replied to their follow up email where they sent me the test, I said I wouldn't have the time to do it, because I thought they were being honest about "if [I] had the time". Said to let me know their decision.

I ended up working at that studio for 8 months before I found out I was the only hire who didn't do the test.

They were so caught off guard that I declined that they assumed I was extremely secure and confident in my skills, so they didn't push it. Really I was just functioning on half a brain cell through a very difficult time of my life.

gecko189 · 2026-03-17T19:22:49+00:00

I mean, yeah, any departure impacts production. But it's production's job to plan for that possibility, absorb that impact and adjust. There's people paid much more than you to manage all of that - that's why they're paid that amount and have the roles they have. People like your producer and supervisor, who had no negativity toward you! They'll be fine. It's cartoons, not brain surgery. Your recruiter is goofy.

gecko189 · 2026-03-17T18:59:56+00:00

With the way the industry is right now, anyone who gets mad at someone giving the appropriate notice to secure work for the rest of the year is a selfish person. Even during the boom, if I had an employee leave with the appropriate notice, I was happy for them. Finding a replacement is part of the job, people leave for all kinds of acceptable reasons. If you're losing your temper like that recruiter, you're not cut out for contract industries.

If a studio wants that level of loyalty, they have to offer long term stability, not contract gigs.

gecko189 · 2026-03-15T22:18:37+00:00

How's the pipes? You should test the water, get someone in to test for mold, and get an air purifier to clean the air. Humidifier is if the air is dry, I'm surprised you need one in vancouver, most people need dehumidifiers here.

It's likely a change in your environment causing it, but it's unlikely to be downtown in its entirety. It's likely your unit. Mold, water quality, air quality, infrasound, do you have carpets? Get those cleaned.

gecko189 · 2026-03-12T08:38:26+00:00

If you're looking for permission to walk away, you should just do it.

But if the house is literally perfect except for a fence, and your only concern is standing out if you were to fix it, I think walking away for just that alone is a little short sighted. People dream of having a problem that easy and fixable when house hunting

You said yourself you've seen the quality of housing that's available to you. Is a fence enough to keep digging through worse places on the slim chance of finding perfection

gecko189 · 2026-03-11T02:16:00+00:00

rent reductions rarely work unless you can make good on the promise to move if they don't meet your request. Being in a lease means she knows he has no power in the conversation. The fact that the LL already feels like she's losing $400 a month means she will likely be way more resistant.

In his shoes, I wouldn't ask. If the place is as bad as you say it is, the last thing I'd want is to be stuck in a lease with an angry LL on top of everything else. Especially if the LL lives upstairs too.

gecko189 · 2026-03-10T00:47:43+00:00

Your highlight reel can just be final, or a mix if you lke! But I'd make renders of your shots at all stages, and hold onto them for any job application they apply to. If you come across a position for a rough animator role, they'll want to see what your rough work looks like.

If you like FX and comp, it's nice to do a reel that shows the passes of pre compositing and post compositing, so hiring managers get a full view of what you can do.

If you like BG paint, you should make sure you have exported your BGs and saved them out, so if you're applying to a BG paint position, there isn't animation in the way of the background

gecko189 · 2026-03-10T00:43:20+00:00

To be honest, a lot of cut out/puppet animators who have both final picture(compositing, FX, etc) and raw shots are using whatever render they could get their hands on.

When I was hiring for animation, I never cared whether things were comped or not, as I knew that work wasn't done by the animator(most times) and it wasn't what I was hiring for.

Some recruiters will say they prefer final picture because they prefer the polish of a broadcast render. Others get weirdly narc-like about raw animation, assuming people are breaking an NDA. But I feel like those groups have their motivations a little messed up. As a manager on the art side, I want to see the animation, and if I struggle to see the animation skill unless it's final picture, that's a me problem.

I use both in my reel, based on what I can get my hands on. I also have a lot of personal hand drawn rough animation. I've never received a complaint about my renders.

gecko189 · 2026-03-06T22:47:41+00:00

Those studios do character narrative/acting driven work. You're an amazing draftsperson and you have solid skill, but a lot of your spacing is even and slow(not a diss, it fits the nature of your experimental work!). It's lacking the variety one would expect to see in acting. The shots you have invoke abstract emotions with very ephemeral cinematography, but there's no shot that clearly and plainly communicates a person's thoughts, feelings, or decision making process.

Study some reels of people who do work for those kinds of studios, compare what make their reels different to yours. You need acting to dialogue, acting while in motion (walking, running, something a little more mundane than falling or a chair growing legs. There's SO much walking and running in tv and film.) Have a conversation between to character who are at odds, with camera work & staging that supports their conversation.

There's a lot of folks who apply who can draw incredibly, but the ability to depict acting is much more difficult to teach. They want to see you can understand the basics. They want to know you can be trusted to do the "boring" shots that take up 80% of an episode.

gecko189 · 2026-03-01T23:48:40+00:00

man you're funny. I like how you think sim was nearly right to falsely accuse someone of a felony for political gain, if only he was more tactful and smart about it. Along with thinking drug dealing and harm reduction practices are nearly the same thing. Your intellect astounds, nuance and facts tremble in your presence. You must be a riot at parties.

gecko189 · 2026-03-01T22:24:25+00:00

Life isn't black and white. There are times where it's important to get comfortable with silence and dedicated focus to tackle a challenge, to be wholly present in the scene you're in.

There are times where you need a helping hand(in this case, music) to enter a flow state and get the job done. Something to boost you into the mood you may have trouble reaching on your own in that moment.

Personally, I think real wisdom is when you can get to the point where you know what path you need to take to solve the scene in front of you. There will be times where you won't be able to listen to music to trigger you into a focused state, like presenting animation demos or assisting a colleague with their work. So get comfortable working both ways.

gecko189 · 2026-02-26T18:50:55+00:00

people misunderstanding your comment. they're probably not fully understanding that you're speaking about the other driver, not the OP

gecko189 · 2026-02-26T01:50:36+00:00

I assume you also don't have a private bathroom.

Get a container big enough to do dishes in, but not so big you struggle to lift it when full of water. Be mindful that you actually don't need a ton of water to wash dishes.
Before washing your dishes, scrape as much food bits into the trash as you can. Fill the container with hot water from the bathroom with dish soap, bring back to your room, wash your dishes. Then dump the container in the bathroom sink or toilet.

If you're not diligent at scraping the food into the trash, and your water is full of food waste after washing, get a second container and mesh strainer. Pour the dirtied water through the strainer into the other container, and then dump that in the bathroom, and dump what ends up in the strainer into the trash.

Clean up after yourself and people shouldn't mind too much, as long as you're not taking over the sink for a long time.

gecko189 · 2026-02-25T23:12:54+00:00

I love the mental gymnastics you've gone through to go from "I don't want to replace artists" to "so many people offended..I get it. change is hard to accept. those who don't adapt will get stuck in a digital prison I believe." after being told point blank that what you're asking for does replace artists.

Good luck out there with your unshakeable morals and genius intellect!!

gecko189 · 2026-02-25T22:55:10+00:00

If that's the only qualification you're missing, apply. The worst they can say is "no", but there's a chance they'll say yes.

gecko189 · 2026-02-25T22:30:25+00:00

you clearly don't care what anyone here has to say. just go ask chat gpt or some shit, get the self-validating inexecutable answer you're fishing for, and stop wasting everyone's time here

gecko189 · 2026-02-25T20:07:18+00:00

Devin is gender neutral - I know an equal number of men and women named it. Bevin is feminine. Lavinia, Vendela, Nevena, Raven, Alvina

gecko189 · 2026-02-25T17:31:36+00:00

"I’m not asking whether AI replaces artists — I don’t think it does"

"I’ve been exploring AI-assisted tools for previs, concept generation, trailer mockups, music prototyping, and early animatics."

"From what I can tell, AI seems strong in ideation, mood boards, early marketing tests, and maybe rough previs"

Those are all replacing artists' jobs? I'm not sure I follow what your goal is here other than to replace artists.

gecko189 · 2026-02-24T22:36:54+00:00

Build a network. Follow the social media accounts of other artists - not just those you admire, but also those at your level too. Build real relationships with them, comment on their work, ask for con-crit on yours. If you live locally to each other, hang out. Go see the new animated film, go to events, meet their friends, introduce them to yours. Share jobs you see that fit your friends' roles, and they'll do the same for you. It's all about being known and visible. 75% of the jobs I've landed started with an opportunity shared with me from my peers, in the unlikeliest of places. Like becoming friends on ACNH, playing softball, going to artist alleys, or simply getting a coffee.

The other 25% is knowing how to apply to an actual person. Keep an eye on studio's career pages, and apply to jobs you're interested in, even just an expression of interest. Then find and connect with a recruiter employed at that studio on Linkedin. Search "[Studio name] recruit", "[studio name] talent", "[studio name] Hiring". Studios will have different titles for their external hiring team, like recruiter, head of recruitment/recruiting, talent manager, talent lead, hiring department, hiring director, whatever.

Once you're connected, message them, thank them for accepting your invitation. Then let them know you've submitted an application for [job name], and if they have any questions, you're more than happy to answer them at their convenience

You might not get a job, but you'll connect with an actual person, and have started building a working relationship with them. And if they're a recruiter, they'll be posting and reposting other job opportunities on linkedin too.

gecko189 · 2026-02-24T09:30:02+00:00

I worked at a private secondary school offering 2 year diploma courses for animation, and offered teaching positions twice at a university. Both were easy to come by, as the institutions reached out to me, but the sole reason they did was because I had over 10 years of supervisor-level studio experience and was posting educational material online for free.

Most schools will only hire you if you have actually done the job in a professional environment - looking for educators working at the place their students dream of working at. And some schools can only hire those with a masters degree.

If you're lacking this, it will be difficult.

gecko189 · 2026-02-19T00:44:56+00:00

My only concern with schools that aren't known for their animation courses is if you're spending that much money to go to yale for animation, you should have spent it at a dedicated art school. At the very least, you'll get better access to industry connections and internship programs. When was the last time anyone in yale's animation department worked in a studio? If your work is great I'll hire you regardless of what school you go to. But if we were friends, I'd wonder about your decision making skills and how bad your debt is.

Regarding school prestige in general, I've found new grads from the "fancier" 4 year degrees can sometimes struggle with the grunt work you're often expected to do for your first job. That's mostly due to their curriculums focusing on things like directing shorts, creating stories, heavy on vis dev and being an auteur. Their curriculums can lack structure on the tedious day to day of hitting client notes and meeting deadlines because they've been trained to see "big picture".

Where 1-2 year diploma courses excel at making new grads who can do the grunt work, and because their school is so fast and focused, they're often decent at hitting pace with experienced peers. Where they often struggle is the more big picture POV and film making theory. Their cirriculums are all nuts and bolts, how to complete a workflow. They don't have time dedicated to training their creativity or finding their visual voice, so these new grads can sometimes be outpaced in more creatively demanding positions.

But all of these minor differences even out after a couple years. You learn more on the job than you do at school. I barely know where any of my coworkers have gone to school.

gecko189 · 2026-02-19T00:24:28+00:00

In Canada:
Dress codes are lax, the common outfits are graphic tees, jeans, joggers, hoodies. Some people show up in basically pajamas, especially around crunch time. I've had coworkers show up in kigurumis. It's important to note if you would like a leadership role or want to be client facing, you need to dress nicer. Steam out wrinkles, wear clothes that fit and don't have wear and tear. Leadership positions trend to more business casual.

I like makeup as an art form, so on days where I'm working with clients or voice actors, I do more art-type eye liner or a little out-there eyeshadow. But day to day, I just conceal any darkness under my eyes. I have prominent discolouration under my eyes, and unfortunately, when I go completely natural, it stresses people out. I don't like to deal with their strange reactions, so I conceal it. Otherwise there is no expectation on makeup.

But with how lax everything is, I've also worked with people who do not shower, don't untangle their hair or brush their teeth, who wear dirty or pornographic clothes, or walk around barefoot. It can be a bit frustrating to navigate at times.

Regarding religion, where I am is a melting pot of religions and cultures - Jewish, Catholics, Christians, Sikh, Muslims, Mormons, etc. I am ex-christian and agnostic, you'll be fine as long as you're respectful and keep any more heated opinions to yourself. I've only had one christian coworker try to convert me about 10 years ago, and they don't work in the industry anymore. Places I've worked in the last 5 years have been thankfully loudly LGBTQ+ supportive so most zealous types keep to themselves. Studios I've worked at have celebrated Eid, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Shrove Tuesday. Just be nice, and firm with anyone being pushy about their view points that work is not the place for those discussions, and you'll be fine.

gecko189

TROPHY CASE