TAAFI Number Two

I am guilty of saying this a lot but I don't think I have ever had as much fun as I did this past weekend.
TAAFI 2013 was an absolutely amazing event. Everyone who went learned something new and saw something they had never seen before. Between the short films and feature length screening there were some absolutely phenomenal workshops and masterclasses which were definitely worth the venture. From fireside chats with David freaking Silverman to comparative anatomy lectures with Dr. Stuart Sumida to Life drawing classes, live script reads and a spokesman/animator and graduate of Sheridan College from Pixar giving us the dirty deets on how to get in, this weekend is worth more than its ticket price of $149.

It began on Friday with Industry Day and the Day of the Crows screening in the evening. I must admit to bawling my eyes out at that film. I was one of the most beautiful 2D animations I have ever seen. Preceding this was the College Animation Challenge where 9 of the 11 Ontario Animation schools participated in a
great collaborative project. My friend Jean-Guy MacLeod and I represented our school well. We were the only ones who went for the "Awwww" factor of getting caught doing something nice. David Silverman, early director of the Simpsons and the man who critiqued all the pieces, had only one thing to say about it: "Awww!" I am proud of the efforts we put in and am happy that it stood up well against the other schools'. Every school did absolutely amazing. I especially liked Max the Mutt's school Animation about a little princess, a dragon, and a brave(ish) knight. Check out TAAFI's facebook page if you want to see more of the shorts.

Master animator Kaj Pindal (whom once worked at Richard Williams' Animation studio in London) spoke a lot about 2D animation (and how much he hates 3D) and his life that led him up to where he was today. One thing that really struck a chord for me today was when he said that good animator also tend to be good musicians as well.

"There is nothing in the world like the marriage between music and animation." -Kaj Pindal (TAAFI 2013)

This hit me in particular because of the fact that I studied music prior to studying animation. Studying music gave me a great sense of timing and subtlety that I really value in my skills as an animator.

"Never underestimate the power you have to make people happy." -Dr. Stuart Sumida (TAAFI 2013)

I honestly wish the Dr. Sumida talks went way longer and I hope that he comes back next year because absolutely everyone needs to see him.

"I could just listen to him all day" says Cambrian College student Danielle Hodgson about the lecture.
I am sure the feeling was mutual for everyone else in attendance.

The Nelvana Bouncing Ball party was stunning. The team at Moorshead & Associates did a fantastic job. The food was good, the decor was awesome, and the music wasn't too loud which allowed for some great networking to be done. That being said it WAS a party after all so there was list of dancing and great music with all night requests. They also had a huge ice sculpture of the Nelvana bear that was gorgeous.

It was such a blessing to witness a Ray Harryhausen representative and friend accepting the lifetime achievement award on Mr. Harryhausen's behalf Sunday evening. He most certainly deserves it.

All in all the weekend was unbelievable fun and I hope that everyone out there had as much fun as I did.
If you missed this amazing event please come out to the TAAFI Holiday Party on November 21st at the Vogue Supperclub in Liberty Village, Toronto.

Hope to see you all there!

Free Animation events!

There are some great things happening this weekend in Toronto! The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International is celebrating it's second year at the Corus Quay and at TIFF this weekend. I have been inviting people to come with me and to enjoy the celebrations and do some great networking but they give me the regular student excuse of: I just don't have any money.

I totally get it. I was only just recently a very poor student. I couldn't afford to go to anything but I still managed to do so. How? One word: VOLUNTEERING.

If you volunteer for festivals and events not only are you appreciated but you get behind the scenes action and know how as well as the opportunity to meet the organizers whom are (almost always) in the industry themselves.

Toronto ACM SIGGRAPH's launch event was about a month ago and I didn't have the $20 admission fee. What did I do? I volunteered for the event, enjoyed a beer with the organizers and fellow volunteers, made several connections that night and was even offered a job. Crazy right? Not at all.

Two things happen when you volunteer for a place:

1. The organizers appreciate you. You just offered your time to make their lives easier FOR FREE. This instantly puts you in their good books.

2. You're in the heat of the action at no cost to your pocket. Maybe bus fare. Snacks and water are usually provided in many cases.

Steps to ensure success:

1. Bring your business cards.
2. Bring your best attitude. Be as helpful as you can.
3. Hang around after the event to talk to the organizers or to attendees.
4. Dress professionally.

I am volunteering for TAAFI and my entire weekend pass is free! Plus I made some awesome connections already and the party hasn't even started yet! Next year, this could be you!

The more you appear at events the more people start to recognize you. The more you are recognized the more interesting you appear. This helps people become interested in your work. Which leads me to another topic that I will cover in a later article: Online Footprints!

Again, I wish you all the best of luck!

One of those days

I don't know why but today I had this overwhelming feeling of joy. I am so happy to be where I am and so happy to be doing what I am doing. I love my job and I love my life. Everything is falling perfectly into place and all that hard work was definitely worth it.

Dreams really do come true.

More networking tips

Networking is not just about giving your business card to everyone in the room. Its about making a lasting connection.

But how do you do that when you meet them? Chances are you have only spoken long enough to grab their name and business card. How do you keep that connection so that they remember you the next time they meet you? You have established a connection and now you need to maintain it.

The best way to do this is to send them an e-mail after meeting them. I recommend the next morning but within the next two days is crucial. You don't remember what you had last week for breakfast do you? How about 50 breakfasts ago? Well the person you connected with probably met at least 50 to 100 other people that night for a SMALL event. Events like SIGGRAPH and you are one in several thousand trying to establish that connection. The longer it takes you to e-mail them the harder you are to remember.

If you can, try to arrange a meeting. Buy them lunch or dinner or a beer after work. Many people will take you up on this number one because it doesn't cost them anything and number two they need to keep making connections too. You could be the next John Lasseter or Milt Kahl. How would the know if they didn't take the chance?

(By the way, if you don't know who the aforementioned names are and you are in the animation industry please do some research!)

Also, be nice to people. Offer to help them with a project or with something personal if they mention it in passing. Offer to volunteer with them. Volunteering is one of the best ways to meet people. Volunteer for your local film festival or for an animation mixer. People you meet there are likely the kinds that are either in the same industry or are like minded individuals such as yourself. The more positive connections you make with people the better.

LinkedIn is another great way to maintain that connection. LinkedIn is great because it not only connects you to that person, it adds all their connections to your extended network. This can be a great tool when trying to find out who the recruiters are at a company.

There is one major thing to keep in mind when trying to connect with people. If you can't connect with them quickly or can't seem to find some common ground thank them for their time and for listening to you, give them your card, then move on. Don't try to force a connection with people who aren't willing. Sometimes you just can't click with person and it is no fault of your own. You can't possibly be friends with everyone but what you can be is polite and professional. By thanking them for their time you acknowledge that maybe they don't have time to take to you now but you are leaving your business card signifying that you are willing to contact them again soon and maintain a professional relationship. That in itself demands respect.

All that being said it is not impossible to start up a conversation out of the blue. Keep trying and you will get better every time you get out there.

Good luck and remember: have fun! This is supposed to be fun!

Nelvana: My dream job.

Nelvana's newest employee? ME!

I am thrilled to be joining such an amazing team of people in the industry.

For those of you that don't know about Nelvana I suggest you do some research. Here is a snapshot: Nelvana is one of the largest studios for children's entertainment in the world. Housing over 300 artists, Nelvana has set the industry standard for quality children's entertainment. The company was founded in 1971 and continues to house some of Canada's best and brightest. They have a proven track record for success and I feel privileged to be a member of the team.

Remember what I said in a prior article about the importance of networking? I obtained this position through a series of events. First, i did my homework on the company. I knew that there was a chance that I would be running in to at least one Nelvana employee one day so I made sure I knew all about the company. Secondly, I attended a networking event called Digital Marketplace in Nathan Phillips Square hosted by DMIO.

There I was lucky enough to meet one of the recruiters for Nelvana and had a wonderful chat with her. It was shortly -lived however because there were thousands of other students trying to do the same thing but I did something different. I stayed for the entire event duration and after everyone had left I went to the Nelvana booth and offered to help deconstruct their set up. They didn't need my help but it offered me the chance to speak with the recruiter again as well as someone else that I had know from Nelvana. He gave me the strong advice "Be confident in your abilities, don't be nervous. You are selling yourself in an interview."

From that moment I was determined. Luckily enough I was contacted by the recruiter a few short days later to do a lighting test. I didn't even know they were hiring a lighter! This was my dream job! The position wasn't posted anywhere that I had seen.

After completion of the test I got through to the interview. When I went for my interview I was so nervous. I dressed very professionally in a pant suit with a blazer. When waiting in he lobby I had a full on panic attack. I was short of breath and shaking like a leaf! In that moment I remembered what the Nelvana employee told me. I calmed myself down and gave myself some confidence before walking in and I was fine. Still nervous of course but relatively fine. The interview went well and I was contacted after that for my references. Two days later I was offered the job. It was a generous offer.

The point of this is that you never know who you will meet and what will come from those meetings. Always put your best foot forward.

Others went to DMIO's Digital Marketplace with resumes and demo reels in hand. I went with just my business cards. Never feel disheartened and always try your best with what you have at your disposal.

Note: After being hired I finally got to see the job posting. It wasn't a junior position and I wasn't fully qualified for the job but they chose me anyways. Why? Could have been the networking? The offer for help? Meeting with prior employees? The research I did? I think it was a combination of all of the above that did it for me. So don't lose hope if the only jobs you find are for people with major amounts of experience and software you have never heard of. Just be open minded and willing to learn. You will do great!

Toronto ACM SIGGRAPH launch event.

On Tuesday June 24th I volunteered for the launch of the Toronto ACM SIGGRAPH chapter.

It was a screening of the 2012 SIGGRAPH's animations and technical papers at the Royal Cinema downtown Toronto. It blew my mind to see some of the amazing pieces that people around the world were doing and I was inspired to create some of those pieces on my own some day.

The event was followed up with some socializing (i.e. Networking) at the Monarch Tavern just around the corner from the cinema. I met many people that night. One of whom got hired for the same job as me. Turns out Nelvana hired two lighting TDs. It was great to get to know her before starting work so I was able to have a friend that i knew prior. We now sit right next to each other!

The night was absolutely amazing. I very much enjoyed meeting one person in particular named Valerie whom was a great person inside and out. She offered to help me find a job which was incredible of her but I had already just gotten hired at Nelvana. Her support and endorsement made me feel like I have been doing the right thing. That this path was the one I was meant to take.

Get out there and network yourself! You could get a job for it too!

Thought I should share.