SCAD’s animation department has found a champion of a chair in Chris Gallagher, who assumed his new role last summer. Through this column, I invite not only animation students but the entire SCAD community to listen in on my animated chats with Chris.
With the 2018 SCAD Career Fair’s Feb. 23 date quickly approaching, this week’s “Animated Chats” will focus on how animators of 2D, 3D and stop-motion can prepare an effective body of work that will make them stand out in a screening of demo reels.
A reel, according to Chris, is an animator’s calling card. That is, when animation students want to apply for internships and full-time gigs, they must have a reel showcasing the best work they have.
What should not go in a demo reel? Class assignments. If a student has an assignment to animate, say, a flour sack, he or she is surrounded by 18-20 fellow students also animating a flour sack.
“As a recruiter reviewing reels, do you want to see 18-20 of the exact same thing or do you want to see something that sets someone apart from everyone else? Those are the kind of influences I think are important.”
Chris uses the flour sack example to further explore how students can separate their skill set from the rest of the pack. Consider a “walk cycle.” Every 2D animation student has to animate a flour sack as well as a walk cycle (which is exactly what it sounds like).
“What can you do to make yours different,” Chris said. “What can you do outside of class using the skills you did to walk that flour sack? Do you have that flour sack falling and splitting in two, and the two get into a tussle? That’s unique. It sets you apart from everybody else. Class assignments aren’t for reels. You’re learning skills in class. Take those extra hours to define your craft.”
Depending on where students want to apply, what a reel should include will vary. The same applies for length, but any reel should be no more than two minutes, according to Chris.
“I don’t think a student will really have a two-minute reel,” Chris said. “I think that if you have some incredible stuff, you can show ten different shots and ten different ideas. Do you want a recruiter to have to watch demo reels for two days? They might only have an hour to watch demo reels.”
Students should also bear in mind which companies are hiring what kinds of animators.
“Some 2D animators want to work at Disney Animation,” Chris explained. “Disney Animation does not do 2D animation, and that doesn’t mean they will not look at a 2D animator. They would love to talk to a 2D animator, because they want to see what kind of artistic skill you bring to it. If you have a phenomenal animation that’s in 2D, they’ll say ‘Oh, this person has the skills. We can teach them the software.’ That’s really important.”
If students wish to read more about the evolution of animation technique, Chris recommended “Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life” by two of Disney’s “Nine Old Men,” Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.
“Anything by Frank and Ollie is super influential in getting back to the core of what animation is,” Chris said. “Those are the guys who refined what animation is. They’re the ones who refined it at Disney. Students should read those kind of books.”
Written by Emilie Kefalas.
