Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/17873
Recruitment ■ ■ ■ ■ ast year at this time, the global economy was generally acknowledged to be in a downswing, and most studios were reporting fewer projects, and more applicants. T e situation is a bit rosier now in 2010—not a com- plete reversal, but showing progress. “We’ve seen an up-tick in hiring since the end of 2009, primarily among smaller- to medium-sized, privately-funded, independent video game develop- ers,” says Chris Scanlon, account manager for Digital Artist Man- agement (DAM), a recruiting agency that specializes in interactive entertainment (games). Last year, studios outside the US seemed to be less affected by the down economy, and business is still good this year at the UK-based Double Negative, according to its recruitment manager, Hannah Acock. “We’re busier than ever at the mo- ment and receive around 60 applications per day,” she says. “Over the last 12 months, we have seen a large increase in the number of new recruits from the US, Australia, Asia, and New Zealand, but we’ve still contin- ued to hire a large amount from within the EU (European Union).” Inside the US, business is looking up in some quarters. At Rhythm & Hues Studios, for example, “We have new work on the boards,” says Barbara McCullough, manager of recruitment. Stressing that she could only speak for her company, McCullough reports that business had been a little slower previously but has picked up in recent months. Many of the studios (fi lm as well as game) interviewed by Computer Graphics World for this article report similar conditions, but not all the news was good. In March 2010, Disney announced that it intended to close ImageMovers Digital Studio in San Rafael, California. T at same month, Toronto’s CORE Digital Pictures shut its doors. “It’s been a really odd year,” says Debra Blanchard, president of Fringe Talent, a recruiting agency focusing on visual eff ects and ani- mation artists for the fi lm industry, noting that things got off to a promising start, but that the recent closing of both ImageMovers and CORE has shaken many in the industry. “It’s been kind of shocking and surprising,” says Blanchard, who adds that nonetheless, projects are still ongoing and that there are geographical pockets that seem to be fl ourishing. For example: “Vancouver seems to be coming alive, and staffi ng,” she says. Social Factors Heading up the list of what’s new in studio hiring this year (besides the tentative economic recovery) are the maturation of social net- working as a tool for both recruiters and job seekers, and the impor- tance—which sounds almost counterintuitive in the Internet age—of maintaining human contacts. Last, it is vital that the job seeker main- tain a virtual presence, such as a Web or blog site, so that his or her materials may be reviewed by studios on a moment’s notice. T e use of social networking sites, such as LinkedIn or Facebook, is not new, of course, but the way in which they are being used has evolved. LinkedIn, the more professional of the two networks, con- tinues to be more seriously considered by recruiters. Josilin Torrano, recruiter at Nickelodeon Animation Studios, particularly likes using LinkedIn for hard-to-fi ll positions. But the importance of Facebook is not to be downplayed. At Electronic Arts, for example, the company’s Inside EA page has more than 100,000 fans and is an excellent way for a candidate to gain familiarity with the company, according to Cindy Nicola, VP of global talent acquisition for Electronic Arts. Staying in touch applies to those not seeking work, as well. Know- ing what is going on at a studio is of primary importance. T en, when it comes time to seek work, the applicant doesn’t have to start from scratch. By the same token, potential applicants should stay up to date on who the right contacts are. “T ere are so many people applying blindly through the Web site,” says Torrano, explaining that such ef- forts are nearly useless. Applicants should address their information to a particular individual. T ey can fi nd recruiters’ names by subscribing to studio pages on Facebook or LinkedIn, or even by cold-calling the studios and asking for names. “Just make sure there’s some kind of human connection,” advises Torrano. While some have felt the negative impact of the industry downturn, others, such as Double Negative, have been busier than ever with projects such as Iron Man 2, says the studio’s Hannah Acock. CG artists also need to make it easy for recruiters to stay in touch with them. “If an applicant doesn’t have a Web site or a blog, they are doing a disservice to themselves,” says Torrano, explaining that recruiters want to be able to see an artist’s work immediately upon request. T at means that demos should be available online, as well. If you decide to mail your reel to the studio, “someone else might get the job while we’re waiting for your package,” adds Torrano. In addition to the economy, and the importance of staying virtu- ally connected, the following issues also factor into the ever-changing hiring landscape at CG studios. A New Pool Almost across the board, studio recruiters report that the economic situation both past and present has altered the hiring pool—sending ever-larger numbers of qualifi ed applicants into the market. Although a large number of applicants would seem to be a recruiter’s dream, that is not necessarily the case. “Unfortunately, volume doesn’t always mean quality; it can be a little more time-consuming to fi nd the right one,” says Nicola. Tor- rano notes that at the height of the downturn, she would get many ap- plicants who were far too qualifi ed for the position. It could be diffi cult to deal with VPs and the like who were willing to take “a serious step August/September 2010 43