Episode 5 - Dealing with Setbacks and Rejections
In episode 5, we discuss the setbacks and rejections that we have experienced throughout our careers. We emphasize that rough periods which feel like failures in the moment can turn out to be temporary setbacks in the long run.
1) school admissions
“After undergrad I was looking at any MFA program I could find, and I totally applied to CalArts, I applied to the Royal College of Art in London and thought ‘Oh that’s sexy! I’m going to move to London and make my own experimental film, they’re definitely going to want me.’ But nope! I got rejected.” - Katie
The first setback you might experience is not getting into your dream school. Don’t despair, not only are there other schools and options for learning out there, but you can always improve your portfolio and apply again. Check out our resources page for links to some of the best animation schools around (for both online and brick & mortar).
2) school setbacks
“At NYU they push that you definitely want to finish your film, that’s the most important thing, but sometimes there are cases when you need to know when to quit something…”-Garrett
“I dropped from an A to a B and coming from a background where I was getting straight A’s, I was pretty upset about it, but the theme of this episode is that things kind of work out the way they should, and I’m not a storyboarder, I’m not pursuing storyboarding. It wasn’t the most important thing for my career path as an animator.” -Katie
You will likely experience many setbacks and disappointments at school, like getting a bad grade, getting placed in a less advanced class, or failing to finish your thesis film. It’s okay! You will learn from these moments and grow from them. You’re still so early on in your life, and these mini failures 100% will not matter down the road.
3) APPLYING TO JOBS YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED FOR (YET!)
“Most of us grew up in areas where not a ton of people are involved in art and then we are, so it’s kind of like, “Oh we’re the artsy one and this is my destiny to work on one of these big things,’ so there’s kind of this thought of, ‘You know what I’m just gonna apply and maybe it will just work out perfectly.’ And then when it doesn’t it’s this very real world, ‘Oh no, you have to do these very practical things first and it’s gonna be a lot of work and be really hard and it’s not just going to be this fantasy dream sequence where everything works out perfectly.’” - Ben
When we were younger, all three of us shot for the stars and applied to the big studios before we were ready. It can’t hurt to try, right? However, if you don’t hear back from a studio, don’t take it personally. It’s just a sign that you need to keep going and improve your work before you apply again. Below are some fun examples of the work we sent to studios like Pixar and Blue Sky.
Ben’s Character Design Portfolio for Pixar:
Just a quick note to say we recognize this work isn’t “bad” per say, but it’s not relevant to a character design portfolio which normally looks more like this portfolio from James Woods.
KATIE’S STOP-MOTION SHORT FOR PIXAR:
garrett’s stop-motion short for blue sky:
4) botched interviews
“One piece of advice I often give people about interviews is if there’s something that you feel like you kind of bungled or you didn’t get to address is it’s totally cool to mention that in your thank you note as just sort of like an extra thing and just elaborate a little further and say, “you know, I thought about this question a little more on my drive home and I would like to sort of elaborate on my answer a little bit.” I’ve done that before and I think it actually has really helped me along the way.” - Katie
Interviewing is an intimidating skill that takes practice. All three of us have made our fair share of mistakes during past interviews, whether it’s botching research, misquoting salary expectations, or struggling to make coherent sentences. Listen to our episode to hear more but for now know that you can always improve any interview mistake with honesty and a thoughtful thank you note.
5) SETBACKS ON THE JOB
“When you’re struggling, one of the things that intensifies that so much is when the people immediately around you you feel like are excelling.” - Ben
“It was a really tough time when I learned that I wasn’t going to get a job offer or necessarily be invited back right away, and I was pretty down on myself. I would be honest and say I think I was genuinely depressed at that time…Quite honestly, I had to take a quarter off from SCAD, and really take a break and really think hard about things.” -Katie
“You almost have to have like two jobs, you have to work your normal job and then do stuff on the side. So I was taking classes at Animschool and just working on my own film and all this stuff, and I think that was a dark time for me because I was constantly frustrated with myself, I kept applying to studios and I just wasn’t getting anything. I knew why, I knew that my reel was just not great, but I didn’t have the time almost to get it to a good place.” -Garrett
When we entered the workforce, all three of us were dealt pretty heavy blows. Katie and Ben scored dream internships, which unfortunately did not turn into jobs, and Garrett struggled with improving his demo reel while working full time. It takes time to learn and get established, so don’t take it too hard if you struggle at your first gig or aren’t getting the job offers you want.
6) FULL CIRCLE JOURNEYS
“The year I interned at LAIKA raised so many questions about, ‘Do I want to be an animator? Do I want to work long distance from my husband? Do I want to be in stop motion? Do I want to switch to production?’ I had so many questions, and then ultimately this past year, where I used my stopmotion to become an apprentice at Disney, it totally answered all of my questions and I got total closure on that one year where I really struggled.” - Katie
Looking back on your struggles helps you realize that the hard years are also important years of growth, and most of the time, things have a way of working out in the end. You’ll learn things and meet people during those tough years that you take with you for the rest of your life. If you work hard and don’t give up (or only give up temporarily), you can and will persevere.
7) UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
“If you get laid off or your job has ended at a studio, you can file for unemployment insurance, and basically get a weekly paycheck that will help you during your time where you’re looking for work, and in the animation industry it’s incredibly useful because it’s rare that you get a staff position somewhere.” - Garrett
If you are an experiencing a period of unemployment, don’t shy away from taking advantage of unemployment insurance! Find out more about unemployment insurance in this article, and if you want to start using it, we recommend you research your state + unemployment insurance to learn more. Here is California’s website for unemployment insurance, for example.
TIP JAR TIP OF THE MONTH
Frame through animation videos and live action video reference on YouTube using the period (.) and comma (,) keys, and on Vimeo using shift left arrow and shift right arrow. This is a great way to study your favorite animation, and analyze video reference. This can also be a great way to decide when and whether to use a smear frame during a fast action. Give it a try by checking out this awesome Glen Keane animation from Treasure Planet!
Garrett’s gIN AND TONIC RECIPE
2 ounces Roku Gin
4 to 5 ounces fever-tree elderflower tonic water
Lime Juice to taste
