starting your own thing

[AndrewAnimation.com]

hiya,

im trying to get into the field of animation only because i've had my own story since i was a kid that i told myself i had to make my life's goal to produce, and never changed my mind since. i just graduated from sheridan, an animation school, and am now still living with my parents (at 22......) while taking a 3d training course in nyc and taking on freelance projects for employers whose faces i never see (sad). i imagine the next step to reaching my goal is to just buckle down and work on the story itself to completion, but i don't feel right about doing that while still living off my parents (even though they don't care..but theyre strange) so ever since graduation i've decided to look for a full-time job in my field. this will allow me to keep my skills up, support myself, and get an understanding for how the field i've chosen to represent my brainchild works.

most importantly, though, day in and day out, for as long as it takes, i would have several hours to myself in the evening, like any normal full-time job allows, to actually get to that next step: finishing the story.

so my question in this ambiguous 'employment discussion' board is, is this realistic in our field? the bit about the free time after work, especially. any and all wisdom accepted.

it's so tempting to just bust out, drop every sense of 'life,' learn flash, clear my throat, and just start producing quick episodes myself, voice acting included (yes, the womens' voices too!!! >:{ ) to attempt to directly show just why ppl might like this story.. but..then...i wouldnt be supporting myself, now would i. i heard that's what happened to the lady who created this: www.makingfiends.com apparently some studio's executive's daughter told her dad about that little flash series and now that lady's about to become quite happy.

talk to me if you care :dur:

[Captain Graviton]

I feel your pain Andrew.

I think we are talking about "Art v's Reality", damn reality. Hope springs eternal though if the people from your link can make it, we can make it too. I remember when I used to visit a funny little site called www.campchaos.com to watch their silly little Flash animations. You could tell there was something there from the beginning and now they make (and sell!) their cartoons to all and sundry (check out www.campchaos.com/show.php?iID=880 "I'm gunna bake sum cookies!" - funny stuff). And the best of luck to them too.

The secret, I'm convinced, is having the great idea in the first place and then collaborating with others to a) Get the job done pronto, and b) add that little extra to the mix. Point a) however is the real secret and this is where reality sticks out it's big ugly foot for you to trip over. At the end of a long hard day in reality, there's usually some more reality for you to deal with at home and by the time you get some time to yourself you're either so creatively drained that you can't get inspired or your inspiration does not get fed enough time with which to flourish. That's reality.

Solutions? I can't really think of any right now, I'm supposed to be at work. Ring any bells?

:[

[AndrewAnimation.com]

captain,

thanks for the reponse

thats the kinda thing i worry about, being 'creatively drained' or not having enough time after the work day. i dont have much of an idea what a full-time job in our feild is like yet, but i imagine there are some types of jobs, specifically in animation, where not too much creativity and brain work is really even required, beyond a slight, light sense of creativity. for example, when u have model sheets of the characters right there, or esp if ur inbetweening.

otherwise... i imagine my plan would be to wait til a vacation or break from work, but u could be faced with exactly the same problems then. unless its a long period of unemployment, but then u might have something more important on ur mind.

man, recently my family and i went to lebanon for 3 whole weeks, before which i had printed the entire document of ideas related to my story, and i was left with so little to do, no work either because of a lack of laptop and internet, that i eventually went through the entire thing, highlighting the stuff that worked and scribbling notes on the sides. my bros and i didnt like being there for 3 whole weeks, but i realized afterwards that it was a blessing cuz id never do that at home. and it made such a difference, i cant imagine not having what i accomplished in that time. maybe i should just let myself be treated like a kid for one last year devoted entirely to my story... otherwise, while applying for jobs online, id be working on my art instead until my portfolio is deemed worthy enough for a job, as opposed to having the luxury of working on the writing while waiting for a job to come out of a mediocre portfolio.

ur right, its reality.

so i could cheat it for a while longer, at the cost of continuing to live off my parents, and it might be my only chance.. but i dont wanna <:`{

hah, thanks for the link.

anyone whose got some ideas, id be glad to hear them