Animation Apprentice student gets a job on the back of an excellent creature reel

Creature Animation Demo Reel by Giuseppe Candido

Animation Apprentice student Giuseppe Candido has just started a new job as a 3D animator. We asked Giuseppe to tells us a little about his new job and what it took to get hired.

AA: Congratulations on the new gig! Tell us about the job!

Giuseppe: My new job is a position as 3D animator in a new company called Ceona-offshore. They are not an animation company; they specialise in giant vessels for the extraction of oil and gas under the seabed. They buy the project and then they develop the system to work on it.

AA: Woah! Oil and Gas! What does that have to do with animation?

Giuseppe: Good question! In fact what you should really ask is: "how useful is a 3D animator in this kind of company?"  In the beginning I asked my self the same question. However, now that am actually working for them, I finally understand what exactly is involved in my work.

What I do is this: I create a 3D animation, including the models and final render, of the company's vessels, cranes, mechanics - in short a 3D representation of everything that concerns their work pipeline.
Ceona-offshore is an Engineering company, and what they need is graphic videos, animations and images to help their companies be more clear during their meetings.

AA: What software are you using?

I'm using Autodesk 3Ds Max Design, Autodesk Inventor, Photoshop, After effects and soon Autodesk Autocad. I am now working on a new vessel and I can't wait to see it animated!

AA: How did the training you received at Animation Apprentice help you get the job?

Giuseppe: Thanks to Animation Apprentice and Alex's suggestions and feedback, I was finally achieve a really great result with my animation demo reel. It is thanks to this last showreel [above] that I got this new job.

AA: So they were impressed with your reel?

Giuseppe: Very impressed! One question I will never forget, when was inteviewed at "Ceona-Offshore", was this. They asked me: "What dynamics did you use for these creatures?" I answered "there are no dynamics, It is all based on the 12 principles of animation". They were really impressed with my animation, and I was very pleased about that!

AA: What was the best part of studying at Animation Apprentice?

Giuseppe: The best part of studying at Animation Apprentice was the video tutorials, and also the quick feedback and assistance. I got fast feedback and assistance from Animation Apprentice for all the animation I posted online. It is not so common for an online animation course, to get the student's file and really analyse it this closely. This helps the student to succeed in creating a great animation reel - and get a job.

AA: What advice would you give to students trying to break into the animation industry?

Giuseppe: I would advise students to follow the lessons at Animation Apprentice very carefully, and to work hard to be the best. Because being good, unfortunately, is not enough anymore. Set your target and follow the instructions in the tutorials - Animation Apprentice shows you how to do it. Being an animator is a hard job but really satisfying as well. Achieve your goals, and do your job with passion, and you will be satisfied twice.