How to be an animator: know what you’re good at

Drawn to drawing? Imagining incredible adventures? Animation may be your answer.

Telling stories through images, developing new worlds, making characters come alive: what’s not to love? There’s plenty of scope for the talented in animation, according to Cartoon Saloon co-founder Tomm Moore.

“Most people start with the passion, the grá,” says Moore, whose own grá (and genius) has helped to win global fame and awards. He, Nora Twomey and Paul Young founded Cartoon Saloon in 1999 “because there wasn’t much out there.” That has changed. Add video games, and realise how much opportunity there is. “Most people come to us via a specialised degree,” Moore continues. “But not all. There are also bricklayers and opticians in the studio.”

I love animation, but I’m no good at drawing. Does that mean I’m out before I start?

Not necessarily. Moore’s love is for drawing. From quick sketches, to fully fleshed character studies, he is seldom without a notebook and pen. “It’s what our studio is passionate about, and what I care about; but I’m also very niche. I’m a bit of an outlier, a bit retro, drawing from life. Now there are people who work in animation, and they may have built their characters in a computer,” he adds.

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What next?

An animation course will give you the basics, and help build your portfolio and connections. Find courses in institutions around Ireland, including IADT, Ballyfermot, Letterkenny and Limerick. Alternatively, people hone their skills on the job. Once in, you’ll find a progression – and the range of work goes beyond the artistic bits. Just take a look at the credits on any animated film to see the huge array of people, and jobs involved.

What about the computer side?

If you are focused on working for a particular studio, research to learn their favoured software. Even the studios grounded in drawing involve computers. Cartoon Saloon mainly use TVPaint and Moho. Disney goes for Maya. Moore notes that while it still takes a village to make a full animated feature, computers also mean that you could just about make a short on your own. “It’s hard, but you can do it.”

I’ve heard Kilkenny is the epicentre of animation

It is a hotspot – including Cartoon Saloon, the Lighthouse Studios, and the Kilkenny Animated Festival. At festival time, Cartoon Saloon and Lighthouse hold Drawn to Kilkenny sessions with an eye to future recruitment. But there’s plenty of animation action elsewhere too. Look out for Dublin-based and maps and plans and Brown Bag, to get an idea of the breadth of what’s going on.

I like what I see, so how do I get a job?

“It’s a lively business, jobs come and go, and we’re always advertising,” says Moore. “It’s like being an actor. You might be the right person for one film, and not for another. There are Animation Nomads, who go from film to film. Know what you’re good at,” he continues. “I used to do everything, and people still do, but find your niche, and gear your portfolio to it. There will be weeks where we’re mad for character designers, and others where we’re looking for special effects people. I always say to people: ‘know yourself’.”

Cartoon Saloon’s My Father’s Dragon, directed by Nora Twomey is on Netflix. Get behind the scenes with My Father’s Dragon: The Exhibition at The Butler Gallery Kilkenny until January 29th, 2023, butlergallery.ie / cartoonsaloon.ie