Here's how you can learn valuable lessons from experienced animation professionals in the industry.

Getting knowledge and advice from seasoned animation pros in the field can be quite beneficial to your career. Look for opportunities to be mentored by experienced animators in online groups, workshops, or industry events. Have one-on-one conversations, solicit criticism on your work, and pay attention to how they solve problems and come up with ideas. Reading interviews, watching behind-the-scenes videos, and examining their work can also aid in your understanding of their methods and capacities for making decisions. Through fostering connections with these experts and maintaining an open mind, you can quicken your learning process and steer clear of typical errors.

Mentorship can be a powerful way to learn from experienced animators, offering personalized guidance, feedback, and industry insights. Here’s how to make the most of mentorship opportunities in animation: Finding and Choosing a Mentor Identify Your Goals Clarify what you hope to achieve through mentorship (e.g., improving technical skills, understanding industry workflows, career advice). Seek Out Experienced Animators Look for animators whose work you admire or who have experience in the area you’re interested in. Consider professionals with a strong portfolio and experience in reputable studios or notable projects. Use Networking Opportunities Attend industry events, workshops, and webinars where you can meet potential mentors.

Some tips that I think, would be good to know: Be proactive: Take the initiative to connect with potential mentors. Show genuine interest in your work and experience. Be respectful: Value your mentor's time and knowledge. Be punctual, prepared and receptive to feedback. Ask insightful questions: Show genuine interest in your mentor's experience and knowledge. Ask open-ended questions that encourage you to share your stories and insights. Be willing to learn: Embrace the opportunity to learn from your mentor and be willing to put their advice into practice. Stay in touch: Keep your mentor updated on your progress and share your successes. Express gratitude for their support and guidance.

Learning from experienced animation professionals in the industry can provide invaluable insights and guidance for your career. Seek mentorship opportunities through industry events, workshops, or online communities where seasoned animators share their knowledge. Engage in one-on-one discussions, ask for feedback on your work, and observe their problem-solving approaches and creative processes. Additionally, reading interviews, watching behind-the-scenes content, and studying their work can help you understand their techniques and decision-making skills. By building relationships with these professionals and staying curious, you can accelerate your learning curve, avoid common pitfalls.

This is by far the most effective & beneficial method to learn animation & also create professional animations by yourself. Mentorship plays a very crucial role as it caters not only animation skills but also soft skills, there is personal attention and personal feedback consistently given to each & every student Mentorship batches are small to get most attention Learning detailed professional concepts from the people who are already working in industry is a great thing This helps build a great portfolio to attract your first job. Generally students choose traditional paths where more studentsa are taught together without personal feedbacks & hence poor results. Mentorship works like magic for every aspiring animator to get into industry.

In this era of AI & digital growth, learning animation has become so easy and finding the right path, right mentor has incredibly become easier due to internet. You don't need to worry about where your home town is, if you are willing to learn & grow, you can find the best mentors across globe using internet. Online resources are the best part as this helps students network with like minded individuals, meet them, build relationships, become a member of community etc. Online resourses like courses, forums, blogs, tutorials, reels can help elevate the skills which even your offline teachers didn't know about. This is the fact and every aspiring animator must encash the best use of internet. Internet is a blessing, use it Wisely.

Learning offline doesn't allow to expand the vision of animation industry as majority of top class animation movies are being created in countries outside India. Attending industry events can help get associated with it, meet the artists who worked on it, network with people, find job & freelancing opportunities. Events gives insights on new technologies, processes & lot of outside unavailable knowledge used to create that film. For sure joining industry events and presenting yourself sharp can lead to mentorships, internships, collaborations. Just one suggestion is to be prepared with your resume & work links along with you. As soon as someone asks, show them your skill sets & learn to communicate professionally to have even more chances.

Ahh, this is important! We as students due to lack of awareness of the quality of animation required in studios to get the job, create portfolio on the basis of what we know. We think its great and I will get a job now. Also if someone gives feedback, many of them feel hurt as they know they will have to either redo the file or put efforts to rectify the mistakes. But reviewing your portfolio from an industry expert gives a clear direction to achive better quality what industry demands. Almost everyone maskes the same common mistakes in reels (adding texts, putting assignments, no interesting shot, lengthy reel, basics missing etc) Its recommended to not make the same mistakes again if you're reading this article. Ask for Feedbacks Upfront!

Self-initiated projects from animators are very rare cases. Typically in India majority aren't even aware of the importance of these projects. Let me share what happens if you do so: Learn new thing beyond thinking due to unexpected challenges Discover new ideas and perceptions towards existing concepts Learn to work in a team constructively Have something better than just a portfolio Become a star among recruiters Take ownership of the entire project which shows the desire & passion to work in the industry Get hands on experience of the entire animation pipeline to create a film Present yourself everywhere with a short personal project and not a boring showreel Indulge viewers into your project using story telling. Try & See the magic.

Start Small and Build Up Short Animations: Begin with short animation exercises or clips. Focus on fundamental skills like movement, timing, and character expressions. Personal Projects: Create personal projects that showcase your unique style or narrative ideas. Experiment and Innovate Try Different Techniques: Explore various animation styles, such as 2D, 3D, stop-motion, or experimental animation. Use New Tools: Experiment with different software and tools to find what works best for your creative process.