Giving and Keep Trying

Been trying to break into animation since 2018. Created several different projects and worked at pitching them to a variety studios and production companies. All have been rejected for one reason or another.
Some with negative reception, others with positive reception over all.
I attend regular networking events and know at least one person at every major studio, but that doesn’t always equate to a pitch opportunity.
Last year I was almost picked up to work on a show at Netflix, but they ultimately hired someone else.
This year I had two opportunists. One meeting to pitch to a certain company that will go unnamed, but is globally known. Then with a newer company with well established people behind it.
The big one has not gotten back to me with a definitive answer, this is normal for them and I’ve had various producers and talent throughout the industry tell me “they’re dinosaurs who leave you hanging.” But after 5 months the smaller people got back to me with a kind rejection, but ultimately still a rejection.

I’m at a point to where I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Yes, I’ve had opportunities and I’m grateful for them, but I’ve also had zero actual wins and haven’t made a dime in my endeavors. I haven’t even been able to score a job as a mailroom grunt.
Do I give up and go back to college to try and do a career change, or stick through it?
I acknowledge that this route is more or less giving up on my goals forever and I don’t think I’ll ever be happy if I do that, but I’m not really happy now.

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Are you a white guy?

Your art is probably shit. Work on it more. Know more people as well.

Mixed race

Compared to the pitches I’ve seen get picked up, my art is more than enough.

Why would college get you a job?

Show some of your art. Posting on Any Forums does not get you blacklisted. I guarantee you most people in the industry peek at it from time to time.

If you’re looking for advice here I have bad news for you

Don’t listen to the trolls about your skin color, that’s a bullshit cop out.

The animation business is all about who you know. You need to continue pushing your projects out there and network with as many people in the business as you can.

Do you have a Twitter or Instagram where you can post your work? What about a Patreon or Subscribestar to make side-money doing commissions?

What does get you blacklisted from the industry?

It's a combination of working at enough studios and being a toxic, disruptive, gossipy asshole enough to piss a lot of people off. That or sexually harassing people. Basically don't be a bad person.

Who is this cute girl in the OP picture.

I know for a fact they do, I know enough industry people to know that. The only reason I’m not going to is because I’m still under consideration at the big one and don’t want a lazy excuse for them to say no. Hence why I’m not naming the big one despite it being obvious.

It wouldn’t, but a degree in a proper field would at least help the gap in my resume if I give up and do an office job.

I know race is bullshit because my foot is currently jammed in the door, I just need to open it.
I’ve even been to several WiA events and let me tell you, the majority of it is white men.
I network regularly(currently 80 connections in linkedin and growing, I attend Hollywood parties, networking events, workshops, post to Instagram and Twitter, I do all I can. I do know people, but none that can give me a proper push.

I don’t have patreon or subscribe Star because I don’t have an audience that would pay for such a thing. I’m not someone interesting enough to rake in “influencer money”

Shitty work ethic and being annoying to work with. People have to like you. I know many openly right wing people in animation even, they just don’t start fights for no reason

Andrea Davenport from Molly McGee, the only reason to watch that show

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Why not go back to school and continue to apply places while you work on a degree?

>ghost and molly mcgee
Your little project is generic as fuck ins't it? Teenager girl protagonist? goofy sidekick? generic lore, low stakes and shitty jokes?

Nice blog fag.

Why don't you try to get a job at an ad agency or something while you try to get a job in the narrative industry? Something where you can get paid for doing art?

Are you only interested in pitching your original projects or have you been making an active effort to try and get a crew job? You mention you “ haven’t even been able to score a job as a mailroom grunt” but it doesn’t sound like you’ve been applying for every low-level art department job you can find like you should be. Everyone has to start somewhere and get a couple credits

Hey man, I'd like to be the artists who make the characters. Idc about a job from it, I'd just do it for fun, but I want to be a GOOD fanart creator.

Tldr is, what programs do you use for drawing? Do animations like Molly McGee use vector art?

Nope.
I intentionally used a show that in no way like my project for this thread.

Mainly because I’ll have less time to network and attend events

Tried, no success.ni continue to try daily of course. I practically live on job boards.

I’ve applied to every low level job imaginable. The two closest times were last year when Netflix almost hired me to write for an upcoming show, and I BBC may Nickelodeon almost hired me to work in their outreach department, I interviewed twice for both but was ultimately passed up, which is normal for any job

I enjoy creating and do it for free, but it’s still what I’d like to do for a living instead of having it be a hobby.

toon boom is the industry standard, but various softwares are used depending on the studio.

Welcome to the world of animation in our modern era. If you’re honest about everything you’re saying and you really can’t find even the most menial of industry jobs, you might just need to think about reinventing your style/direction entirely. If it hasnt worked after this many attempts, then you arent showing producers/executives what they want.
It sucks, but animation isnt what it was like in the 90s. In some ways its more liberating, but in others it constricts anything that wont rake in millions of fandom-whoring revenue. If youre not interesting to the masses, youre interesting to none. Just look at what happened to Final Space

Have you tried making a different cartoon project? Something more marketable?

Final Space got cancelled but Olan raised $400k in a Kickstarter.

Which isn't nothing but it's not really enough.

Thanks man. I've heard of Toon Boom when researching before. I think it does both bitmap and vector, I assume the industry uses vector?

How did you learn?

The current project is the 7th one I’ve shopped around and the one that has gotten the most positive reception.

That said I am submitting a very different one to Nickelodeon for consideration in their shorts program. And I did develop a Junior show concept as well.

I think choice of network was Final Space’s biggest issue. It was good, but it wasn’t the type of humor American Dad is, and American Dad is the only other animated show TBS puts out. They also heavily advertised Conan’s involvement with the show but it didn’t have a Conan comedic style to it, which was likely jarring and potentially boring to the TBS audience.
I also personally think the pilot on YouTube was funnier and more compelling than the show itself, but I still ultimately enjoyed it and wished it got a proper ending

Lots of trial and error and a brief stint working at an ad agency. I made very boring commercials you see at gas station screens(they had to be boring because the brands demanded it) but through that I got to learn a lot about his room boom works. I’m admittedly not the greatest animator in the world, but I can get a competent pitch produced