You have made it to my third post, and by now I’m sure you have realized I’m not much of a writer. Most my friends would be shocked to find out I’m even writing a blog. As much I would like to believe that my words are poetry, I know that they are not. You have to start somewhere, and I know as I continue to write my writing will improve. I feel this is true with many things in life, including this adventure I’m about to take. You see… I have also never started an animation company. Not many people can say that they have, and there is not a wealth of books out there on the subject. Most of the people who have written about it has not actually started one themselves. I do however have over 6 years experience working at one of the major animation studios, and have been researching everything I could on this topic for at least 15 years. I can read and learn as much as I want, but I feel the best way to learn it is by actually doing it. Sink or swim. As with writing this blog, this whole process will be a learning curve, and hopefully I will get better at both along the way. You will get to see me grow, as I figure all this out. Please be patient with me, but I also encourage you to be an active member of this journey. Share your thoughts by leaving comments, and help me along the way.
The animation industry is one of the most competitive industries out there. There is defiantly a need for animation, and the number of animation positions have grown over the recent years in the US. The problem is there are many animation companies to fill those needs. With all this competition it makes it very difficult to be profitable, and to stay in business. You hear stories about companies like Rhythm & Hues Studios going bankrupt even after working on a big budget film like “Life of Pi”, which won four Oscars from eleven nominations. You also hear about so many jobs being outsourced to places like India and China since studios are trying to be competitive. I fully understand that the odds are stacked against me, but I know I can make this work.
“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”
~ Robert F. Kennedy
I truly believe that if you don’t take chances, or try something new you will never get anything more than what you already have. That might be fine for most people, but there is so much more I want to contribute to the world. I need to forge ahead no matter what the odds. I’m stubborn and I never give up on something once I set my mind to it. Most importantly, I love animation. I live and breath it, and can’t imagine doing anything else with my life. I’m not starting a company just to make money. I’m doing it because I want to create magic, and bring things to life. I want to entertain others, and make them feel something, and be touched by my work. No matter how prepared I am I will also need a lot of luck. The stars will have to align perfectly, and I have to be willing and able to spot the opportunities that I might not be aware of now.
The stage is set, and the stakes are high. I will either achieve my goals, or fail greatly. I know that no matter how many times I fall, I will keep picking myself back up to try again. My next post I will talk about where I’m currently at with my plan.
Thanks for Reading! I hope you will join me on the rest of my journey by subscribing to this blog. This can be done by email via the prompt on the sidebar, and also please leave me any comments below. Otherwise, be sure to stay connected with me on Twitter (@MillerAnimation). Only Time Will Tell.
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