Issue 129 – A Foot in the Door
Scott Townsend takes a look at how the right college course can offer a career path into the animation industry.
The first thing any would-be filmmaker is told when looking for the standard career path into the industry is that there isn’t one. One can just as easily work their way up to being a director by spending four years in film school or one year making tea on set. By comparison, working your way into the animation industry can be relatively straightforward. ‘There are very few animators who can break through without at least some level of instruction, as the industry does not foster education programmes in general. So college is worthwhile as you have the space for trial and error, which the industry doesn’t,’ says Andrew Kavanagh, Director of Kavaleer Productions and erstwhile tutor at Ballyfermot College. Animation is a craft, one that can be incredibly technical and scientific. It also differs from both art and film school, in that studying animation at college can often offer a clear career path into the industry. In other words, animators need to be taught, and there are a number of dedicated animation courses throughout the country at different levels that exist specifically for this purpose. As demonstrated elsewhere in this issue, the animation industry in Ireland is an especially vibrant one, and the courses listed below are a foot in the door.
The full article is printed in Film Ireland 129.
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