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Rachel McDonagh
Nov 30, 2022

Artist portfolio and interview: Immy Goodman

Written by Rachel McDonagh

For this month’s Artist Portfolio, we're taking a slightly different approach in the form of an interview! I spoke with Immy Goodman, a 3D Animator, Artist, and friend of mine. Immy graduated from Portsmouth University in 2021 with a first-class degree in Animation. We spoke about her journey as an animator, what she has accomplished since graduating, and where the road may take her next.


Photography by @daisy.popple on Instagram


How did you find navigating the industry after you graduated?


Honestly the first word that comes to mind is ‘tricky’. Yeah, it was. I think no matter how much someone tries to prepare you, it’s different when you actually do it. With every application I wanted to give myself the best possible chance of getting something. I would get so invested in it, to a point where I would convince myself that whatever I was applying for was my dream job. Most of the time it was, but as soon as I’d hit ‘send’ on something I’d have to try and pretend it didn’t exist - because rejections or simply not hearing back was difficult to handle. I wasn’t just sending things out with no thought, though. I tried to give myself a time frame in which to just work on my portfolio and my showreel before I looked for any old job. I think stuff like that is really useful because it grounds you, stops you staying in a limbo for too long. That will be different for everyone, it depends on how much you can tolerate.

However, one thing I wish I'd taken on board sooner and stopped hesitating about is reaching out to people? With networking, which I know isn't a fun word. No one really likes doing it I don't think, but once you reframe it, I feel like it becomes a lot more than that. You're not just networking, you're connecting with people? Meeting people with similar interests and positions who you can learn from. Obviously, you need to be respectful of people's time, you know. If someone gives you feedback about something you have to be open to it, take it on board. Don't try to just get things or only advice from people, it's about making genuine connections, especially since people in animation from the interactions I've had are very friendly.

There's a load of ways to do this, too. Lots of online and in-person events, even if you're just going to see what things are like, because opportunities have an odd way of finding you. You need to be ready for them, but you won't get any if you're not doing at least a little bit of searching. LinkedIn or just general 'networking' really doesn't have to be your enemy. If you do it in an authentic way and you take everything as best you can, it makes navigating a whole lot easier.


Because then people will remember you?


Exactly. I used to think of LinkedIn, for example, as something that wasn’t for people in our industry. I thought it was more business-y than anything else. In reality it’s a really useful tool. Engaging casts a wider net out to other people seeing you and what you’re all about. It doesn’t always have to be about jobs, just being yourself is great. Sending someone a message to say you enjoyed a talk they gave or that you saw their work somewhere means a lot, especially when you remember all this stuff adds up.


Don’t worry if you think it’s too late to start or that it won’t count because you might not know what kind of career you want. You don’t have to feel like you know everything right now but you lose nothing by keeping yourself open like that.


Still from ‘Nothing Special’


You were a part of the first cohort for the ScreenSkills Animation Trainee Programme, how did that happen?


This is actually relevant to what I was saying about connections, because I didn’t find out about it on my own. In the Discord server we used during our final year someone had posted a link to the ScreenSkills website - and they said they’d heard about it from their friend! I’m very grateful for it, it’s a good example of smaller interactions blossoming into something bigger.


I just applied, got an interview and was lucky enough to get in! When you’re in you still have to apply to the placements like anyone else, but the pool of applicants is a lot smaller. It’s also not a permanent job since it’s a part of the scheme, but it’s with real companies working in the industry, and is pretty much the same as if you were going straight into a job but with slightly different expectations. I do believe some people accepted jobs from the studios they worked at after the placement, too, so it’s not just a one and done thing.


The programme itself is mainly about improvement and opportunities. There was a mixture of people who were graduates, like us, or those who wanted a career change. Everyone had a different background, which I also thought was really cool. We were given a lot of good advice through some sessions about the industry itself. Learning about different job roles throughout different pipelines; freelancing as an alternative or navigating festival circuits and seeing where some gaps in your abilities might be and trying to fill them in.


I also got a mentor, which was so valuable. I know people say there’s ‘no such thing as a silly question’ but I really think I pushed that! My mentor really went above and beyond and it’s amazing how much my confidence increased from their input. Not everyone in the scheme knew what they wanted to do, either. Having that mix also felt pretty reassuring because I know everyone starts to feel the pressure, especially after graduating, that you need to know exactly what you want to do. Seeing that flexibility in a way that was directly tied to the industry was comforting.


Still from ‘Nothing Special’


And through the programme you got a placement?


Yeah! I worked at Aardman Animation for almost five months as a Trainee Layout Artist.



What was your job role like?


So the show that I worked on, Lloyd of the Flies, is a mixture of 2D and 3D. So the characters, props, general assets are all 3D - but the backgrounds are 2D. I’d work with the storyboards given to us to make sure each short looked correct, in terms of the camera and general cinematography but also blocking out some simple poses too. All of these parts- framing, poses- all had to be approved independently so I got to work with a lot of really talented people. It was really interesting to see how I fit into that, especially in terms of collaborating with others. We missed out on some of that during university because of the pandemic but I think even then seeing how it works first hand provides you with so much more.


Despite using Maya for my job, which is something I was familiar with, I was kinda surprised at how differently it was used during production. Actually using it was pretty much the same, but files and organisation was utilised totally differently. I got to pick up software that I hadn’t used before, like ShotGrid or AnimBot, and it was a nice mixture of learning new things and relearning stuff I was rusty on.


Not only that, but having ‘Trainee’ in my job title made me feel so much better about asking my colleagues loads of questions! I know they wouldn’t mind anyway, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel more secure because everyone knew I was a trainee. But I really didn’t feel like I was being treated any differently. Like if someone else knew they wouldn’t be able to finish all their shots, it would be distributed amongst everyone else. I was worried about this at first because I just didn’t want to let anyone down, but after a while you realise that it’s all just a team effort. One week you might need an extra hand but the following week someone else does! It’s just the way things happen sometimes.



What did a typical work week look like for you, and how did it feel working from home?


On Monday mornings we would have a weekly catch-up, which wasn’t compulsory but recommended. The heads of each department would talk mostly about progress, what was achieved the week prior and tasks for the week ahead. Even though individually, you’re just doing one job or supervising a small group of people, being reminded what you’re working on is a collaborative effort really helps put things in perspective.


We used a piece of software called ‘ShotGrid’, which is owned by Autodesk, the same company who owns Maya. It’s a useful piece of production software and I’m glad I got a chance to use it. However, I did have my own spreadsheets for my work, which I’d organise by task and whether I’d submitted them, whether they’d been approved, etc. This was mostly to keep track of myself, as there were times where something that had been previously approved on ShotGrid might come back with a change needed. Sometimes I would’ve completed a lot more work since that previous approval, as would others on my team, so taking the time initially to put my own stuff together was really beneficial.


In the layout team, we would have weekly meetings with our CG Supervisor and Junior Production Manager. Again, this was to check in with everyone specifically on our team and make sure everyone was on the same page with any changes or just the general workflow. We would also have an ‘Episode Launch’ where we’d all watch through the animatic for the next episode we were working on. This helped with continuity amongst us when it came to what props or assets would be used for certain scenes, saving a lot of time down the road.


Working from home was a bit odd, but it was nice. The one thing I had to get over was the feeling that because I was working remotely, I had to solve my problems all by myself. Like if I was frowning at my computer for a half hour or so because of something I couldn’t do, in an office environment that would probably get noticed. Or if I start pacing, or I could actually just go and ask someone directly! It took a bit of time for me to remember I should message a colleague or supervisor for help if I needed it.


Something that made this click for me was the realisation that it’s much more painful for everyone if you struggle quietly, much more painful. Like ultimately I wanted to do my job, do it well, and at the very least not make other people’s lives harder. So there was one time I’d heard a colleague mention something to avoid when completing a specific task. I quickly realised I’d done that exact thing a little while before, but thought it was fine. When I heard it mentioned again I then thought ‘maybe I should ask someone about this?’. So I did! I sent a message to everyone asking why we shouldn’t do it, and it was because it would cause a problem further down the line of production. I then immediately said I think I’d done that a little while ago, but it was fine! The work hadn’t been passed along yet, luckily there were no problems, and it was easy for me to tweak.


It just shows that if you try to keep quiet about something, you might just make it more difficult for others. Obviously you make mistakes you didn’t even know about, that’s to be expected! But it’s so much nicer using these things as learning experiences, and understanding more about what you’re making helps you to avoid making those mistakes in the future. I know this was just one production but everyone was just so supportive and friendly that it wasn’t long before I felt comfortable enough with others, even those not in my department, and in myself.


And look after your back! Take care of yourself! Being able to work is important, obviously, but making sure you have a good set-up for your own health is even more important.


Still from ‘Nothing Special’


Having now spent your time on a production, as well as going through your degree, what do you enjoy most about Animation?


I like details. I’ve always liked details, I think I’m pretty observant and enjoy being analytical. With animation this has manifested itself in breaking down movements, and studying other people’s work. Being able to apply the principles I know but also see how creative someone can be when I’m watching something animated. I feel like it’s allowed me to appreciate the craft a lot more, especially now I have more first-hand experience as to what goes into making things people love so much. I just think it’s allowed me to see the world in a different way- even if I’m now a lot more aware of the way my family walks or talks or the way my dog runs when we’re outside, it’s still fun.


I know throughout my career, especially with the expectation that you’ll be moving around a lot, I’ll be faced with constant challenges. I think that’s quite exciting, and opens a door to continuous learning. I don’t think I’m ever going to stagnate or get bored and that feels reassuring.



Now that you’ve finished up at Aardman, what are you doing next?


First of all, if I ever got the opportunity to go and work for Aardman again, I would! But for now I’m back to doing what I was doing after I graduated. Not so much back to basics, but once again solidifying my skills and maintaining my showreel. I’ve been looking at some online 3D animation courses too, just to have something to keep myself occupied with before I decide I’m ready to put myself back out there!


A lot of online stuff you do have to pay for, but I’m grateful I live in a time where there’s an abundance of free resources at my disposal. I have no excuse to not keep doing something, even if it’s a bit different. I think it’s time to hone in on what I don’t know. It’s easy to have that stuff pointed out to you, especially if you have the chance to work on a production like I did. However that’s only half the battle, you then have to apply yourself to improving, which I want to do now I have the time. I know I said I like animation because it’s a continuous learning process, but I still want to feel confident wherever I end up next.



Is there anything else you would like to add, or any advice you might like to give?


You need to learn to make mistakes and be okay with it. Even if you don’t realise and in the moment it feels like a total disaster, it very rarely is. Mistakes throughout your career are inevitable, especially when you start out. If you do think you’ve made a mistake, tell someone! It makes everyone’s lives so much easier in the long run.


If you’re someone who lacks self confidence, please don’t dismiss others when they give you praise and have faith in those around you. When I started, I would really beat myself up for being slow or not understanding things as quickly as I thought I should. If I caught myself thinking I wasn’t good enough, I’d remind myself that I was hired by someone, chosen by someone- do I think they’re wrong? No! I would never doubt my supervisor, or think they don’t know what they're doing. I wouldn’t doubt the people who looked at my work and decided I was a good fit. Putting that in other people’s hands helps you not be so biassed towards your own insecurities.


For students, just replace ‘supervisor’ with ‘lecturer’, if you’re doing okay and getting good feedback and praise, you’re doing fine. There’s always room for improvement but trust that other people around you know good work when they see it. If you worry about not having the right skills, don’t. Everyone has to start somewhere, but when you do find that somewhere, build off your friends and colleagues. It’s more beneficial than you might realise! You’ll never be completely on your own, but you have to keep those relationships going and said relationships will always matter outside of how they fit in with your job.


If I had to summarise I’d say that yes, having certain skills for certain jobs is important, but you don’t ever really stop being a student. Embracing that and letting go of any ego you might have will make for a much more fulfilling career. Enjoy creating things with other people and getting to know them on a personal level, because one day you might be supervising someone who comes to you with the same worries and fears you had.


Immy can be found via her LinkedIn profile or her website. Her graduate film, ‘Nothing Special’ can be watched on Vimeo. Lloyd of the Flies can be watched on ITVX (formerly ITVHub).



Immy’s Favourite Resources


 

About the Author: Rachel McDonagh


Rachel is a current student at the University of Portsmouth. She completed her BA in Animation in 2021 and is currently studying towards an MA in Illustration. She's incredible at getting started and not knowing when to stop. When she's not making something, she is usually thinking about what she'll make next!


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