Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1378252
EXPAND YOUR REACH While the online portfolio is essential, it's also true that you never know who your social media pages might bring your way. As Huang says, "Artists that I like or fol- low sometimes post or repost stuff from their friends, and I'll go down that rabbit hole." And if she thinks that person might be a good fit for a show later, she'll make a note. Here are three artists who found work through their social media presence. Character Designer Brittany Myers didn't think anything of it when she posted an Ariel fan art sketch on her Facebook page. Then she received a "like" from none other than her animation idol Glen Keane. She was over the moon—apropos since the next day producer Gennie Rim contacted Myers, and soon Myers was working on Keane's Netflix movie of the same name. Back at his advertising agency in London, Simon Chong created an ani- mated fan short by blending characters from Bob's Burgers and Archer. He posted it on Twitter, tagging the show's creator, Loren Bouchard, and the voice actors. The next thing he knew, he was packing his bags and heading to Los Angeles where he still works on Bob's Burgers, and also The Great North. While it's not quite a social media story, it does show the benefits of an online pres- ence. Living in Atlanta, Kathryn Hudson started a Kickstarter for her enamel pins that led creator Lauren Faust to "friend" Hudson on Facebook. Like Chong, the next thing she knew, she was on her way to L.A., in this case to work as a character designer on Faust's DC Super Hero Girls. 22 KEYFRAME HOW TO NAVIGATE SOCIAL MEDIA & FORUMS If someone likes your work in your portfolio, they may want to poke around your social media sites to see more. Or someone might stumble across your work on Instagram. But in general, according to Roberts, "We discourage using social media as your sole platform of presenting your portfolio. It often doesn't make for the cleanest or most efficient format for showcasing your work, plus it doesn't show any thought in your application." Dong adds that your actual portfolio will always be more relevant to hiring than your social media, so consider social media a nice opportunity to complement your portfolio. CONNECT YOURSELF: Include links to your social media on your website, and vice versa. Make sure, wherever someone finds you online, that all roads lead back to your portfolio. SOCIALIZE: Dong feels social media is a great way for people to engage with their community. Follow people you admire. Tag fellow artists. Actively create a network that will draw people back to your social media pages, and therefore to your portfolio. FIND YOUR HOME: For displaying art, Instagram is the hands-down choice. Roberts says it's the easiest way for studios and followers to find you." For writers, Hoegee says, Twitter is the logical choice. If he's looking for someone to do comedy, he wants to know if their sense of humor is in sync with his project, so he might dip into their Twitter feed. USE HASHTAGS: Instagram tends to be the most popular place to search, and Huang and McAteer both say that sometimes they will search by hashtags. So on social media, it's a good idea to always tag yourself by your job. i.e. #storyboardartist #artdirector WATCH YOUR MOUTH: While most say they don't use social media to vet people, it is agreed that you shouldn't use social media or forums to gripe about everything in your life. "If you complain all the time to random people you don't even know," Hoegee wants to know how will that manifest at work. Keesling adds, "We'd always rather hire someone who gets along well with people." SPEAK UP: Edwards says it can help boost your online presence if you're actively answering questions and providing feedback in forums. He notes that Autodesk, Foundry, SideFX, and Blender are all great places to engage and offer a sense of your abilities and technical prowess. Another place to participate online, McAteer says, are professional LinkedIn Groups. 12:00 PM F E AT U R E ONLINE PORTFOLIO SOCIAL MEDIA MARKET YOURSELF 22 KEYFRAME