Animator's Journey Lucas Ridley

Back to back layoffs last week spurred this episode.

Discover the tips I've learned over the past year from mentoring students, becoming a parent, managing time, and the pitfalls I see many students fall into on their Journey. Lean into what's working, avoid the mistakes of the past, let's make progress this year together.
Mentored courses available:
https://animatorsjourney.com

James started his 3rd career at age 40 in 3D animation. Discover the challenges and considerations he made when successfully switching careers and now working on his first feature film as a 3D animator next year.

As mentioned in the podcast:

Trainee program James went through: https://www.screenskills.com/

Demo Reel that got James into that program: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/496443097



Animator's Journey Beginner course: https://animatorsjourney.com/beginner-course/

Need ideas for the animator in your life or better yet... suggestions for other's to get you?I always hear I'm hard to buy for, so I put this list together if you ever hear that, some of these are affiliate links:Books:The Illusion of LifeThis is the most classic book for animators that covers the history of Disney animation and really all modern Western animation with anecdotes and stories of a bygone era.Game AnimWritten by my good friend and ex-Naughty Dog co-worker, Jonathan Cooper gives a great overview of all the aspects of game animation. It doesn't go super deep, so this is really for people who would be new to animating for games.Break Into The Animation IndustryHere's my book, which recently had a 5-star Amazon review:" Great book for teenagers looking to get into animation as a career!This was a gift for a teenager that is considering animation as a career. It was a HIT! "

Gear:Logitech Vertical Mouse

This is the mouse I use to keep a healthy wrist and proper ergonomics for the long hours I put in animating. I have started to like this more than a tablet, because to hold a tablet pen you have to keep your hand squeezed tighter than the open position of a full mouse like this one. My hand use to cramp with a tablet pen so I've moved to this mouse full time.Benq Monitor

This is also the brand of monitor I use, it's what I bought when I just wanted to be done with comparing models and knew this was going to be a monitor that would be great quality, resolution, and last me a long time.Increase your RAM!One of the easiest home PC upgrades you can do is adding more RAM. It allows you to run bigger animation scenes and more programs at the same time. Installation is as easy as it gets for the non-technical, just open your desktop PC and plug it into the right place (there is probably also one or two screws to secure it.) I have had 64GB of RAM in my PC for the past 4 years and it keeps chugging!Headphones I've Owned for 13 years

Bose Quiet Comfort 15! I prefer these over-ear wired noise-cancelling headphones for many reasons and these have lasted me since I was an animation student! You can also find them used on eBay for cheap! And then you can buy replacement over-ear cushions on Amazon so you get a fresh start on the used aspect. I've replaced the ear cushions every few years on mine. I like wired too because there are never any technical difficulties like you can get with Bluetooth not connecting. The cord is also replaceable. The replacement parts and the fact it takes a single AAA battery and doesn't have a built-in battery are how I've been able to keep these headphones going for so long. Here's a link to the replaceable ear pads if you buy the headphones off eBay you'll want to start fresh with these: earpadsCourse:Finally, for anyone who's starting out in animation and confused on how or where to start, they can get a clear path with me as a guide in my course:Animator's Journey Beginner.Happy Holidays!Lucas

This week we'll learn where should you start your animation journey. These are my top 10 animation exercises for beginners to start with and master.

If you want to see examples of each of these, watch my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/qFLsNoiZts0

"First Job Jitters: What to Expect in Your Animation Career Debut" peels back the curtain on the anticipation and reality of entering the animation industry. We discuss the typical scenarios, surprises, and learning curves that green animators face as they step into their very first role. Listen in for candid advice, practical tips, and moral support to smooth out those first-job nerves and set the stage for a successful animation career.