Skydance Animation Director of Talent Acquisition Shares the Secrets of How Artists and Animators Get Hired

Comes with a Case Study of a REAL Artist Portfolio that Got the Artist Hired!

A lot of students and artists who complete prestigious academic programs with degrees in Film, Animation, Digital Media, and similar fields, emerge from their institutions with incredible craftsmanship and no clue what to do next in terms of seeking work. That’s okay! You weren’t out sick the day they taught it; they didn’t teach it at all. The one step in career development that most academic institutions fail to address is the methodology of how to seek work and attain it. But there IS a methodology, and if you’re interested in applying your art and animation skills to film and television, understanding this methodology is critical to get your foot in the door.

Submitting your application to an online job posting feels like you’re tossing your resume and portfolio link into a black hole. You know the competition is steep and the number of applicants is daunting. Standing out, getting your submission seen amidst the fray, and landing an interview – let alone getting hired! – feels like a luck of the draw. But it doesn’t have to be like that. There are sequential steps you can be taking to improve your chances of getting noticed, getting interviewed, and getting hired. How exactly can you stand out amongst the crowd? What art should you be including in your portfolio? And what are the biggest mistakes applicants make that you can avoid from the get go?

Ariel Goldberg is an artist and animator who now serves as Director of Talent Acquisition for Skydance Animation, working to grow the new high-profile studio into a major player in both feature and episodic animation. Earlier in his career, Ariel worked as a Senior Concept Artist at Zynga, designing costumes and characters for social games FarmVille and CastleVille. He later joined the recruitment team at Disney Interactive and was then asked by Nickelodeon to oversee Talent Acquisition for its animated productions. At Nickelodeon, Ariel developed a staffing pipeline for the hiring of designers, storyboard artists, directors, production assistants, and script coordinators, among other positions. With his background, Ariel has seen it from both sides – as the artist trying to break in AND as the recruiter determining who makes the cut and has a deep understanding of how artists can break through and find success.

Ariel will use his recruiting expertise to lay out how you can find art and animation opportunities in film and television and improve your chances of getting noticed, getting interviewed, and getting hired. He’ll break down what the animation pipeline in film and TV looks like, outlining the different steps and how it differs between TV and features. He’ll also talk about the main artist roles throughout the process and what the career trajectories look like. Ariel will give you tips on networking and finding your in as well as looking for opportunities and listings and how best to reach out to companies and recruiters that are hiring. Next Ariel will dive deep into putting together an effective portfolio and what it should look like. He will also teach you what an effective artist’s resume should contain and how to nail the job interview. He’ll finally explain the most common mistakes and misconceptions he has seen when trying to break in.

Ariel will even show a REAL artist’s portfolio that helped get the candidate hired and explain why the portfolio earned him the job.

Finding opportunities as an artist is hard work, but Ariel will show you how to pursue your career the right way and achieve your creative and professional goals.

• The Animation Pipeline for Film and TV
  • What are the steps for an animated project to go from concept to finished product?
  • Differences in job titles and responsibilities between TV and features.
  • The main artist roles and how they fit in to the process
  • General career trajectories and how to rise through the ranks

• Why This Industry Is Smaller and Less Scary Than You Think
• Finding your connections
• Networking – cold emails and cold calls
• Keeping in touch before and after applying/interviewing
• Finding Opportunities
  • Where to find listings
  • Who to contact and who not to bother
  • Are you qualified for the position you're looking at?
• Putting Together Your Portfolio
  • What art to include or leave out of your portfolio
  • How best to arrange and format your portfolio
  • Tips on altering your portfolio based on the position you're after
  • How to navigate conflicting feedback
  • CASE STUDY: A look at a real artist's portfolio that got the artist a job and why it worked
• Getting the Job
  • Crafting an effective artist's resume
  • How to nail a job interview
  • Other tips to stand out (in a good way) throughout the process
• The Most Common Mistakes and Misconceptions When Trying to Break In
• Q&A with Ariel

All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how you can find art and animation opportunities in film and television and improve your chances of getting noticed, getting interviewed, and getting hired.

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn how you can find art and animation opportunities in film and television and improve your chances of getting noticed, getting interviewed, and getting hired.

Producers looking to learn how you can find art and animation opportunities in film and television and improve your chances of getting noticed, getting interviewed, and getting hired.

Actors looking to learn how you can find art and animation opportunities in film and television and improve your chances of getting noticed, getting interviewed, and getting hired.