Creating networks within the creative industries

 

Creating a network within the animation industry is very crucial to finding work and connecting with other people, but what does networking mean within the context of the creative industry?

Networking means “interacting with others to exchange information that will be helpful for your career. This typically means talking to others about your work and swapping contact details to stay in touch for job opportunities or ways to collaborate.” As described by 'Creative Lives In Progress', creating a network within the animation industry will not only help you find job opportunities, but you may also learn valuable information and skills from your peers and colleagues.

 

How do I create a network?

Creating a network can be done many ways, one of the more common and beneficial ways to achieve this is to attend events related to your work. For example, within the animation industry there is a myriad of events animation and 3D enthusiasts can attend because of how widely animation is used, for gaming, advertisement, TV shows, visual effects and editing and much more! You can find events to attend using sites like Eventbrite, LinkedIn and The Dots. It is best to attend an event that is closely related to the profession you are aiming to work in and bring your portfolio and business card so that potential clients you meet can contact you.

Making sure that you have a portfolio to present while attending these events is important, companies, professionals and indie creators who are present at these events may be looking for potential employees and a good portfolio that leaves an impression has potential to help you create networking opportunities. These networks can also help your find work to do whether it be a work experience placement, internship, or even a job offer.

 

Using social media for networking:

 

Networking can also be done online using social media such as twitter (currently known as “X”), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Presenting your work and portfolio online while interacting with other people of the same or similar industry also creates a useful network as well as being able to receive feedback on your work from others, whether they work in the same industry or are people who have helpful critiques and are interested in the animation world.

When working in the animation industry is it important that your portfolio contains your best work, and you will have to be selective in which work to include to keep the presentation of your work simple and quick to go through. Potential employers who you are networking with and looking at your work will not have a lot of time to go through several images or long videos, so it is best to include the pieces you are most proud of that will leave a strong impression, compared to several pieces of older or newer work that you are not satisfied with.

 

 

Preparing to present your work and approach:

When talking to people at public events as well as potential employers it is important to keep a professional approach, it may be helpful to plan beforehand how you would like to greet people and topics for small talk rather than diving in headfirst with no ideas as how to start a conversation or continue one.

You may also ask questions regarding how to find work or asking for feedback about your current portfolio, but it is best not to push them for it if they are too busy or have no time available. While it is common sense, I believe it is still worth mentioning that acting professional and use of social etiquette while talking to people at these events is crucial to networking. For example, you should remain polite and avoid the use of inappropriate language since these events have many professionals from the industry who would also behave in a formal manner.

However, you can still have a balance between being ‘casual’ and ‘formal’. People who work within the animation industry and attend events such as comic con, for example, are usually there to have fun and are a way for people to connect whether it is business related or simply to socialise with other people interested in the creative industries.

 

 

In my opinion creating a network is highly beneficial for anyone interested in the animation industry for the reasons I have talked about, even if you are introverted or perhaps shy, I would still recommend attending these events.

I believe that is it better to put yourself out there and show your work regardless of what you think of it even if you believe you are not ready yet or the pieces you have done are “not good enough”, a belief myself and many others have had about our work before. There is still potential for you to be given positive feedback that can help you improve and you may even manage to connect with people and create new friends and connections to the industry that you wish to work within the future.