Because most of these studios worked in 3D heavily and with my lack of experience in that field, I wasn't expecting a massively positive feedback, if any. This is quite testing because I have After effects skill and flash skill but I was having a hard time finding anywhere at the moment that uses those programs primarily. Then I decided that that if I have any experience in animation, then it can be put to use by the studios that I've found so far so I shouldn't let these concerns stop me from applying and that I should just apply to the studios that I can find, applying to others as and when I discover them.
That these companies might be more down south is a factor; companies like Seed Animations, Tandem Films, Little Loud and The Brothers McLeod whom I would really like to work with but have no means of spare living expense currently. At this point it occurs to me that I could ask these companies if there is any photoshoping or afftereffects work they need doing from home to free up their time or if they could feed me any of the sort and I promplty send out e-mails asking so:
Work experience from home? Hopeful student
My name is Will Campbell, a 2nd Year student at the Leeds college of Art & Design and I'm contacting you in hopes that you could help me out with some work experience.
Unfortunatly, being a poor student I have little means of travelling to Warwickshire everyday or renting accomodation there so I'm offering my services to you as a home-based assistant.
As it says on my enclosed cv, I have experience with Photoshop, Illustrator, Aftereffects, Flash and a beginners understanding of Maya so perhaps I would be capable of helping you by cleaning up frames you don't have time for or any other projects you can think of.
My number is 07515168340 so please don't hesitate to contact me.
If you click here, this is a link to an animation I worked on for the D&AD competition this may.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for anything you may be able to offer me,
Regards,
Will Campbell.
I sent similar e-mails out to the other 3 companies, along with my cv (which I'll show later as I want to unveil it in the manner of how it developed). The brothers did actually phone me up to thank me for my e-mail and that they would be in contact soon if anything came up but after 2 waves of chase-up mails, I've not heard anything from the other companies so far.
In an attempt to not end up looking as suave as this in my future, I pressed on.
I then got in contact with two studios who work primarily in 2d drawn animation , the big Dangermouse-producing company Cosgrove Hall who I had been reminded about by one of my clients and their former employee, Tony Garth and Leeds-based social animation studio, Leeds Animation workshop.
These were the mails that I sent after phoning the studios to find out who I was meant to be contacting.
Hopefull Work-experience Student
From:
"Will Campbell"
Add sender to Contacts My name's Will Campbell and I'm a Visual Communication student from Hartlepool who is in their second year of study at the Leeds College of Art and design.
I'm e-mailing you concerning any possible chances of work placement in your studio on Bayswater row.
I really like your studios animation and drawing style because it has a human edge to it that is difficult to find in the 3D animation studios of today.
In an ideal situation, I would be looking to be able to strengthen my storyboarding and flash/hand drawn animation skills whilst developing an understanding of a professional studio environment. In return I would be very motivated to assist your company in whatever way you felt I could for the time I spent in it.
If you click here, this is a link to a selected page from my blog which features a handdrawn animation I worked on recently but I've had to perspone finishing to finish my other briefs.
If you click here, this is a link to an animation I worked on for the D&AD competition this may.
I would love to discuss the possibility of organising some actual work placement with you, perhaps for a few days or over a week this summer but anything you can offer me is greatly appreciated. My phone number is 07515168340.
Thank you for your time Ms Hargotes,
Will Campbell.
As you can see, I use bits from other e-mails to get myself used to a format in which these mails should be structured.
After a wave of checking up e-mails, I've not heard anything from Leeds Animation studio so I need to phone them up, but I called up cosgroves hall in the past week to ask them if they had recieved my e-mail and that they would be in contact with me soon.
Maybe Cosgrove get off the phone a bit too easily in my calling anxiety but it's all building my confidence and such. Maybe Tony Garth can help me with that situation..
My next set of e-mails went out to companies who I could access easily from Hartlepool or my Leeds home. The companies deal primarily with 3D animation so I've spun the mail to indicate that I would be very keen on learning this skill from them. Those companies are, Back2Front Animation in Stockton, VexFilm in Sheffield, teabag studios in Leeds, moshine in middlesborough and Studio Liddel in Manchester.
Again, I called up each company asking to whom I should be addressing each e-mail when e-mailing through my CV so that I could make each occassion more personal. I was especially keen to get in contact with moshine and Back2Front because they're based very closely to my home up North and I was very impressed by the standard of production, especially considering the studio's location. This is a variation on the e-mail I sent to those particular studios:
Prospective work experience-seeking student
From:
"Will Campbell"
Add sender to Contacts My name's Will Campbell and I'm a Visual Communication student from Hartlepool who is in their second year of study at the Leeds College of Art and design.
I'm e-mailing you concerning any possible chances of work placement in your studio in Stockton.Coming from the North East, I've been prepared to look down South for employment possibilities but the sheer caliber of the work that your studio produces suggests this might not be necessary. I was particularly impressed with the 'I like Brains' animation as I'm a fledgling character animator myself.
In an ideal situation, I would be looking to be able to strengthen my storyboarding and flash/hand drawn animation and aftereffects skills whilst developing an understanding of 3D animation as well as an understanding of working in a professional studio environment. In return I would be very motivated to assist your company in whatever way you felt I could for the time I spent in it.
If you click here, this is a link to a selected page from my blog which features a handdrawn animation I worked on recently but I've had to perspone finishing to finish my other briefs.
If you click here, this is a link to an animation I worked on for the D&AD competition this may.
I would love to discuss the possibility of organising some actual work placement with you, perhaps for a few days or over a week this summer but anything you can offer me is greatly appreciated. My phone number is 07515168340.
Thank you for your time Mr Stevens,
Will Campbell.
After a nudging e-mail to back2front, I actually called the studio and asked to be put through to Mr Stevens so that I could talk to him voice to voice but was told he wasn't in. I will persist with asking for his attention.
Phonecalls to Liddel confirmed what I assumed would be a problem in attaining some experience with these companies; they didn't feel like I had the experience necessary to be of any assistance to them and that I should create a full show reel of character animation before contacting them again.
This was a bit disheartening because I do have animation experience but its worrying to know that some studios don't think I'm good enough despite the motivation to learn from them. So, I have something to try and build up over the summer at least.
Finally I am about to make contact with Tim Illingworth of Pure Photography in Pudsey because his company deals with production and video creation as does Masspro, a company that I have two years experience working with so, this could be an opportunity for me to develop my editing and photography skills.
That is as far as I've gotten at this point and probably this semester in terms of attaining work experience. At the least, I have added some contacts to my address book and have some definate visits to studios lined up which I'm very excited about as they could turn into work experience quickly.
Now to show you the cv I've been making and how I came about making it. Then my portfolio and how that is looking.
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