How do I charge for my work?

Great article from Heather Castles about charging for a creative job read it here

Read the computer arts article on how to negotiate better fees

Considering the design for your teams DVD cover

For final submission for L2 Production Studies you will be designing and printing out DVD Covers for your groups film. Need inspiration have a look at this DVD search engine Slothradio DVD search  - a sure fast way to see the good, the bad and the ugly and downright redundant.  Just put in any word in the search box and see what comes up, Devil, Rabbit, Badger...

Registering Freelance

If you begin to work in Animation you are more likely to find you are on a contract as a Freelancer. Register for self employment at http://search2.hmrc.gov.uk/kbroker/hmrc/forms/viewform.jsp?formId=490
You will also need to register to pay voluntary National Insurance contributions.

To find out more about self employment check out:
 http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/index.shtml


The Tax return form:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/sa100.pdf

Read about guides to Freelancing, setting up business, how to do a tax return at Business Link.
http://tinyurl.com/39z7ucu

BECTU

BECTU - is the independent trade union for those working in broadcasting, film, theatre, entertainment, leisure, interactive media and allied areas. BECTU provides a wide range of services to its more than 25,000 members, including:

• Negotiating pay, conditions and contracts with employers
• Personal advice and representation for individual members
• Advice and representation on health and safety
• Benefits and services for BECTU members
• A union journal, Stage Screen and Radio published eight times a year.
• A website designed to improve access to the union's advice and support.

Membership is voluntary, and anyone working or seeking employment in the sectors covered by BECTU can join BECTU online

Check out the following link to read about pay rates for the Animation, Media and TV industry.
http://www.bectu.org.uk/advice-resources/rates

Production Studies Team Blogs and individual Professional Practice Blog

To L2 UWE Animation students, please email your blog urls for Production Studies so we can link them to this Overall L2 Blog and your individual Professional Practice Blog.

Networking

Are you signed up to advertise on Bristol Media, are you taking advantage of local Bristol opportunities to Network with Professionals in the Animation industry?

Bristol Media:
http://www.bristolmedia.co.uk/

Hen and Chicken Show me the animation film nights sign up at:
http://www.showmetheanimation.com/

Covering Letters

Check out the following links to help write a covering letter, remember it should be targeted to a named person, be concise, friendly but not too informal. Spell Check and grammar check. Have you included your contact details? Does it show that you are a creative?

http://jobs.guardian.co.uk/cv.html

http://tinyurl.com/34ydjen

Escape Award for UWE Animation Graduates 2010

Some of our graduating class of 2010 were put forward for an Escape Award - top prize up for grabs was a spot on the new Self-Directed ZBrush Course from Escape. Read more about it at:

http://www.escapestudios.co.uk/top-talent-at-uwe/

Key Skills in the Animation Industry

Key skills for animators include:

• Creativity and imagination
• Patience and attention to detail
• Drawing skills
• Computer literacy and familiarity with graphics software
• Communication and presentation skills
• Ability to meet deadlines and work as part of a team
• Storytelling through acting and storyboards
• A good sense of timing and composition
• An understanding of motion, size, ratios and perspective
• Teamwork
• An ability to take direction
• An ability to work quickly, to deadlines, while retaining a high standard
• Interpersonal communication - especially with clients who may interface with even the most junior roles
• Management - of self, others, work, time and projects
• Understanding and knowledge of job roles and responsibilities
• Understanding preproduction, production and post production pipeline
• Computer operating systems, (notably Linux/Unix as well as Windows and Mac OS)
• Software-specific computer scripting languages (e.g. MEL scripting for Maya, action scripting for Flash)
• Digital asset management
• Creative specialists must know how to communicate with technical specialists and vice versa.
• Contemporary Design skills
• Ability to promote work

Web Design Inspiration

Links to sites on web design:
http://bestwebgallery.com/
http://foliofocus.com/
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/what-makes-good-blog-design/
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/first-impression/
http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/find-the-perfect-colors-for-your-website/

navigation:
http://webdesignfromscratch.com/website-architecture/navigation-models.php

Business Cards

Links to Business card design:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dailypoetics/sets/72057594104389710/

Animation Festivals

Most weeks of the year there is an animation festival going on somewhere. So make a film and enter it into all of these festivals. (The deadlines are usually between 6 months and 3 months before the festival itself).

JANUARY.
Animation festival free month!

FEBRUARY.
Animex, Middlesbourough. UK. animex.tees.ac.uk
Animated Exeter. UK. pub.exeter.gov.uk/asp/animatedexeter2006/
Anima, Belgium. www.awn.com/folioscope

MARCH.
BIMNI. Riga Latvia. www.bimini.lv
ANIMAC. Spain. www.animac.info

APRIL.
Cartoons on the bay. Italy. www.cartoonsbay.com
Trickfilm, Stuttgart. Germany. www.itfs.de
Anima, Argentina. http://www.animafestival.com.ar/

MAY.
Anifest, Czech Republic. http://www.anifest.cz/
KAFI. USA. kafi.kvcc.edu
SICAF. Korea. www.sicaf.or.kr

JUNE.
one dot zero. UK. www.onedotzero.com
Annecy. France. http://www.annecy.org/home/index.php?Page_ID=2
Animafest. Zagreb, Croatia. www.animafest.hr
MIAF, Australia. www.miaf.net

JULY.
Anima Mundi, Brazil. www.animamundi.com.br

AUGUST.
SIGGRAPH. USA. www.siggraph.org
Kroc. Ukraine. www.krokfestival.com
London International Animation Festival. UK. http://www.liaf.org.uk/
Hiroshima. Japan. www.urban.ne.jp/home/hiroanim

SEPTEMBER.
TIAF Taiwan. tiaf.ctfa.org.tw
Fantoche. Switzerland. www.fantoche.ch
Arts Electronica, Austria. www.aec.at/festival
Ottawa, Canada. ottawa.awn.com
Fantastick. Sweden. www.fff.se

OCTOBER.
Norwich Animation Festival. UK. http://www.niaf.org.uk/
Fredrickstard Animation Fest. Norway. www.animertedager.no

NOVEMBER.
Holland Animation Film Festival. haff.awn.com/
PISAF. Korea. www.pisaf.or.kr
Cinanima. Portugal. www.cinanima.pt
Calanifest. USA. www.calanifest.com
IAF. Turkey. www.iafistanbul.com
BAF. Bradford. UK. www.baf.org.uk
Animated Encounters. Bristol. UK. www.encounters-festival.org.uk/
SAND (Swansea Animation Days) www.sand.org.uk

DECEMBER.
Castelli. Italy. www.castellianimati.it
TIFF, Albania. www.tiranafilmfest.com
DMF. Australia. www.dmw.com.au
NOT SURE OF TIME OF YEAR!
British Animation Awards www.britishanimationawards.com
Flipbook Festival. USA. www.flipbookfestival.com

Sitting Comfortably

How to sit comfortably at your computer:
http://www.ergonomics.com.au/pages/400_useful_info/420_how_to_sit.htm

Working long hours we sometimes forget about our posture.

Professional Practice Links

a  uwe blog resource for starting out in art, media and design
articles, advice, links, job boards and more; comment and contribute!
http://startdesignmedia.blogspot.com/

a collection of professional practice related bookmarks:
http://delicious.com/startdesignmedia

http://delicious.com/stylobiro

http://delicious.com/rachel_robinson