Tough Questions: What was my First Day in Production like?

I was totally overwhelmed on my very first day in Production. Here's what I learned to make successive  First Days more bearable!



My first day on the job in the animation industry was as a Production Coordinator for a straight-to-DVD movie. I knew nothing about the 3D animation pipeline, and I had no training whatsoever in filmmaking or animation.



The superficial impressions I had of my first day I’ll say now for those of you who aren’t familiar with the industry - our workspace in a pre-COVID era when we actually worked on site at studios is very dark. Be prepared to buy yourself a desk lamp if your studio doesn’t provide one. 

Secondly, remember that Animation is not 9-5, it is 9-6:00 at the minimum for the vast majority of studios.

I was also totally baffled by the terminology. What is layout vs. animation? Lighting vs. compositing? What was this render farm everyone kept talking about? What did they mean when they said  “can it off”. Don’t even get me started on the shot and asset-tracking software- I was totally and completely lost.

Thankfully I had an amazing mentor and Senior coordinator at the time who showed me the ropes. Rest assured that if someone like me can handle it, so can you - you’ll get there. 

I took lots of notes which I reflected on during my breaks and after work to ensure the information was sticking. Animation is a big learning environment, and thankfully, the vast majority of your coworkers are happy to help you out and merciful when answering your questions. However, we’re not big fans of repeating ourselves, especially if you’re not taking notes.

It’s also important to remember for First Days that while the basics remain the same in Production, things will differ a little studio to studio. For example, Shot Finaling might be called Technical Animation or even Shot Clean Up. The responsibility of those in this department will vary a little depending on the studio and show format, but it will never be so radically different that its unrecognizable.

Another thing to keep an eye out for on your first day is just little studio quirks and practices. For example, Mainframe in Vancouver is the only studio I’ve worked at to call facial rigging “twitch”, all other studios I have worked at just call it rigging.

Another first day thing thing that I missed the memo on was what you’re supposed to be looking for when you first watch the show. 

On your first day, most studios will start you with poking around the network and watching the show you are going to work on.

On my very first day in Production, I’m embarrassed to say I had a hard time staying awake. It was dark and warm on the floor, and the content of the show I was watching was less-than-thrilling for me as it was a kids cartoon. What was the point?

If it’s your first day in Production and you’re watching the show, you want to make sure you are aware of all the characters’ names, different locations or sets, and keep an eye on the assets so you can start thinking of reuse. You want to be able to recall exactly which episode you saw a given prop or set in. For example, where can you find a plate of cupcakes? A chandelier? A pile of leaves? Trust me, it will come in handy when you know which episode featured these items.

The other good thing to do on your first day is to try and remember everyone’s names and role. Write it down if you have trouble remembering, or study your studio’s internal directory. Don’t get to Friday without knowing all of your supervisors’ names, even if they don’t remember yours yet.

Lastly, make sure you say thank you. While Animation industry folks are a friendly bunch, they are also very busy and almost always under the gun. If they take a moment to help you out, say thank you sincerely for their assistance. 


RESOURCES

Starting A New Job Tomorrow? Here's How to Rule Your First Day at Career Contessa

Advice From A Nice Girl: How Do I Make A Good First Impression When I'm Shy? on Refinery29

VIDEO: Best Practices for Good Employees from A Course in Production Series 1


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