Failed art test, confidence rocked
polycounter lvl 5
Hey,
So I didn't pass an animation art test and now my confidence is pretty rocked. I understand that people don't pass art tests for many reasons but I can't help think that if my work wasn't good enough then maybe I have no idea what I'm doing. Maybe I can create good work only when I get critiques from others and if I create anything in a vacuum, I suck.
The recruiter said a "ton of people applied and the calibre was very high." i.e., my work wasn't as good as the others. The character proportions were a little tricky but I feel like I'm making excuses.
I'm trying to break into the games industry as an animator and this is the closest I've been. In the meantime, I'm going to work on a new piece but the grind is exhausting, every position always has the mid/senior label attached to it.
I don't know, just clearing out my mind.
So I didn't pass an animation art test and now my confidence is pretty rocked. I understand that people don't pass art tests for many reasons but I can't help think that if my work wasn't good enough then maybe I have no idea what I'm doing. Maybe I can create good work only when I get critiques from others and if I create anything in a vacuum, I suck.
The recruiter said a "ton of people applied and the calibre was very high." i.e., my work wasn't as good as the others. The character proportions were a little tricky but I feel like I'm making excuses.
I'm trying to break into the games industry as an animator and this is the closest I've been. In the meantime, I'm going to work on a new piece but the grind is exhausting, every position always has the mid/senior label attached to it.
I don't know, just clearing out my mind.
Replies
I'm not sure what the direct equivalent for animators is, but last year I asked some environment artists what kind of props do I have to make that will guarantee me a job, they linked me to a few portfolios and gave me some direct ideas, I saved them and have been working on matching it since.
Instead of confidence, I think it's better to know what exactly you can achieve or work on that will guarantee you a job, because it means less of a guessing game for employers to evaluate your abilities.
For example
Technically, there is no rule that says you have to be a senior to apply. It just means you have to have equivilant skills of someone who does do animation/art for living.
But, I saw this tweet from Michael Cuevas a little bit ago and think this is crazy important to remember when not getting the job you were going for.
Good luck moving forward and hope to see some of your animations here!
I've been told by an animator at Rockstar North that my reel is decent. Also, had a few crit sessions with a senior animator who worked at Riot and he said I have the sensibilities to do this stuff and I'm really close. Maybe a few pieces close and I just need to keep plugging away.
I guess I'm just worried most of my work has had critiques from others and the only reason it's any good (if it even is) is because of the notes from others. I mean I've done all of the work myself but still...
I've taken classes at ianimate and I still want to improve, planning on attending AM. But I just need that first job to get settled and move out of my parents house and kickstart my career.
I'm going to a do a cover animation and after that, work on a mocap piece for my reel.
*Reel is in my signature if anyone wants to take a look*
If you can't handle rejection or criticism, this isn't the industry you want to be in. There is a high chance you’ll get rejected after the next few art tests you submit (although I hope I’m wrong). Are you going to let those rejections take you down as well? You might have been up against someone who has been a pro animator for the last 10 years.
I heard a quote the other day that said you should try to get rejected from as many things as possible. Try to get into places you don't think you can get into, try to talk to people you think don't want to talk to you, apply for jobs you think you'll get rejected from.
Just go on Artstation and look at the Community or Trending page and it becomes quite clear there is no shortage of talent. So when a studio or person says "they only want the best person" they really mean it.
The number of artists entering the job pool will only grow, thanks to free tutorials online and easier accessibility to powerful game engines and rendering software. So it really is about finding a way to make yourself stand out among the crowd.
Would need more details of your animation art test to offer critique (if you can share it that is)
Rejections occur over several factors, not saying they are bs'ing you on the result of the test, but jobs that are more in demand and have surplus supply do need you to pull a few more strings for whatever it is worth.
Post your work, get feedback. Make sure you are showing only your absolute best work on your demo reel. Timing also plays a huge factor, keep at it! Best of luck!
Thanks everyone for the advice, I'll keep working and try to land that big break.
I did about 10 tests in the space of a couple of months and frequently was told "The calibre was very high/there were a lot of applicants" or some variation of those words, before I lucked out.
Frankly, all you can do is move forward, keep applying, keep working on your animations whilst you wait to hear back from applications, and repeat that process until you get your break. It is very tough out there, but nothing worth having comes easy.
Its worth mentioning that I found tests really useful to give me a sense of the quality of work I needed to achieve within a given space of time. That's a real long time goal to try and address I think, but it's a common issue juniors face (not just in animation).
You'll get there, if you want to. Just got to keep at it!
Reality, you were not good enough for that particular studio/job application
That does not mean you suck. Try to improve on your mistakes and keep applying. This is a very disheartening process that you will eventually overcome. I mean, you only need to get hired once, right?