I have always been fascinated by drawing, so working in the animation industry has always felt like a natural dream for me. To explore this passion, I decided to gain some practical experience and even took on a few trial periods as an assistant animator. These experiences helped me understand how animation projects work in real life and what skills are truly important.
At the beginning of September, I started working on an animated short film directed by a filmmaker from the National Film and Television School. The project was a unique combination of stop-motion and 2D animation. My main task was to create the drawn elements, which were only the mouths and eyebrows of the characters. I designed and animated these by hand using TVPaint, a software I had learned during my Master’s studies at UAL.
One of the main challenges was making sure that the 2D drawings matched the three-dimensional stop-motion characters perfectly. The expressions had to look natural, expressive, and appealing. Achieving this required a lot of patience, attention to detail, and checking each frame carefully. Even small mistakes could affect the overall flow, so precision was essential.
Another challenge was learning how to listen to the director and understand her vision. She often requested small adjustments, which taught me to be patient, flexible, and open to feedback. This experience helped me communicate better, present my artistic choices clearly, and respond professionally to creative requests. Over time, I became more confident in sharing my work and discussing my ideas.
I also learned the importance of understanding the administrative side of projects. Reading and signing contracts, understanding terms, and making sure everything was clear and fair was a new experience for me. It gave me insight into how professional animation projects are managed.
Overall, this experience was incredibly valuable for my growth, both personally and professionally. I improved my technical skills in TVPaint, learned how to combine 2D animation with stop-motion, and gained confidence in working with directors and clients. Most importantly, I learned the importance of communication, organisation, and time management in creative work. Even though the project was challenging, it motivated me to continue learning and exploring new opportunities in the world of animation.