TV Cartoon Production

Hi! Crediting me as Anonymous with no other clarifications is what I prefer. My role has been storyboard artist, that’s all I can say. Thanks!

I would ask other writers for portfolio tips. My only advice would be to watch a lot of movies and TV shows you like and analyze what makes them good in the writing department.

Not too much info unfortunately; I do not have an agent. But they work the same as any representation in entertainment: companies sometimes consult with an agency to look for artists, and if the agency thinks you’re right for the job, they will give your info to the employer.To be honest, I’ve never heard of someone in TV animation having an agent. I imagine some people have them (the situation that comes to mind is maybe an artist who doesn’t usually work for TV and has to be reached through an agent), but I’m assuming it’s not commonplace. Maybe it is more in feature, but again, I would be guessing.The only industry I’m aware of that utilizes agents as regular practice is book illustration, comics, etc.

Some freelance you can get by just applying to regular positions, some you get from being well known amongst specific circles, some you get because someone recommended you.The art world is full of word-of-mouth, and unfortunately, sometimes it’s the only way to get ahead. I’d recommend working on your online presence so you can start to get seen by others!

Hi! I don’t know much about how international artists get their start in the US, but I have friends that weren’t born in the US that do. Here is what one of them said about this question (copied and pasted because I’m too lazy to reformat haha):“ok so, US studios absolutely give jobs to foreigners, its how im working here after allthe problem is that you have to be either really good at what you do (like, outstanding enough for a studio to want to sponsor a whole visa) or have the right connections in LAmy personal path was that i was working at a tiny animation studio in my home country, and eventually got some freelance from a US studio. after freelancing for them for a while, they decided they liked me enough to sponsor a visa, but at that point i had about 3 years of experience both working in my country and freelancingbut if you have a college degree from an art school, studios can basically sponsor your visa as soon as you graduate. i didnt have a degree so for me i needed a minimum of i think 2 years of experiencei guess any advice i would have for this person would be: start working to make sure you’re really rreally good at character design, start talking to people on twitter, hit up recruiters thru email to send them your portfolio, apply to any US-based position you see, basically anything you can to start getting your name out there in the USit takes a different amount of time for every person, but the best you can do is put as many feelers out there so that your chances increase. basically just keep working, keep reaching out, and something good might happenits not a guarantee but tell this person i wish them luck... its a hard road but its not impossible”I hope that helped!

Yes, there are script-driven cartoons, where the writer(s) are in charge of every line of dialogue. Even in board-driven shows, writers still form part of the crew writing outlines and contributing plot ideas.

Nah, I don’t think it’s fair to say that. The US isn’t the only place that contributes to the animation landscape, and you don’t need to go to calarts to work in the industry, so it’s hardly a monopoly.

But to sum it up; the only advantage that CalArts has is that it’s generally seen by studios as a safe bet, due to the quality of its graduates and its close proximity to LA. However, you are not guaranteed a job if you go to CalArts, your odds are just slightly better.

From what I understand, you don’t need one, but it speeds up the process a lot. It’s easier for a company to sponsor you for a work visa if you have a degree in the field, so if you don’t, you need to have a specific amount of experience working in the specific position they want to hire you for.I could be totally wrong (I’ve only heard this stuff second-hand) but, to the best of my understanding, this is the gist of it.

Please check it out before sending me a message to see if I’ve answered your question before!

It’s a double-edged sword; if a studio opens up somewhere other than CA, it helps push the industry elsewhere but it also gives them a hard time trying to hire people. However, if a studio opens up in CA again, it’s super easy for them to move forward quickly, but it perpetuates the status quo of animation being a “California thing”.

Experience looks nice if people only know you on paper, but you don’t need a degree or a degree to work in TV animation.

The problem is that freelance offers often also depend on your exposure and contacts, unless your work is outstanding or you have a big online presence. It’s tricky, but not impossible!

This isn’t an universal answer, but from my experience, yeah. It takes a bit of fiddling and a lot of changing up your concepts and tightening up your pitch, but a once rejected idea can be approved if it’s tweaked enough to the network’s liking.

However, not everyone is approached for a pitch; sometimes the artist is the one who asks to pitch something!

Apply everywhere and work on your portfolio, and make a twitter to keep a look out for job calls!

I’d say a PDF works best. For examples of what stuff is needed, I once again recommend reading the Adventure Time pitch bible, or buying Steven Universe: Art & Origins, which includes in-depth exploration of Rebecca’s pitch.