Well the thing about Behemoth is it formed around Dan Paladin's style. I read that somewhere recently but forgot where so it could be BS. I can't offer you any career advice in animation without it being generic stuff that everyone talks about.

You have to be good at what you want, that is not only a fact in animation business.

And even if many want to become animators, not everyone will do it in the end and also animators are needed everywhere. Plus the internet allows nearly everyone to make money of stuff. Just make flashgames and get a shitload of money from sponsoring.

On the other hand, you have to ask yourself, is it the best thing to make what your hobby is now your profession? There's always the fear that when doing it for a living, you get sick of it. :/ But then again, doing a stupid job all day you dont like might be worse.

Well, the way to get into bigger projects I guess is that you produce really nice movies or games (movies tend to grap some more attention). Try making a flash commercial for some company and they might just buy it, or get some more exposure on NG I don't know.

You obviously want to be an artist bad, but it will be rough since it's not a traditional career choice and there are a lot of people out there with skills, but I don't think you do not have the drive or the talent to make it. It's just that you are feeling unmotivated right now (probably because of the let down your job turned out to be). Just don't get to down and keep animating, try to think of something and something good will happen :)

you need to keep doing what you enjoy to do, whether you get paid for it or not. and if you cant, you work somewhere else , so you can afford to do what you love to do.

alot of kids these days lose sight of that. the flash scene is now full of greed and laziness.

the love comes first.. and if you love what you do, it will show in your work and you will eventually get paid for that love.
some people might get to that place faster than others, but it shouldn't matter because ...well
first and foremost you should be loving what you do.

plain and muthafuckin simple.

I think you have the material for being a full time flash animator. yeah I also was like you. everyone on my class room in elementary school was like "omg i wanna be a fireman, or a cop or a taxi driver" and other shitty jobs like that.

Look dude. youre gonna think Im a NO0B but.... havent you seen a movie called "the secret"???

If you really think youre gonna be a flash animator and you work your ass into it, one day you will be hired by the behemoth. or disney whatever the heck.

but I think you have to do as rtil did. he went out and looked for a job. he made A MILLION good animations that were not really payed. they were all done just to demonstarte he was worthy.

you can do the same! make a couplde more flashes. and finish salty swamp!

oh and responding to odhero.... yes dan paladin rocks mah world. but that doesnt mean we should all be like him and make the same characters n drawings.

I use Flash as practice for a future career in the film/game industry. I have some great plots in my head, I just need an early start for experience.

!!!!!!

Now mindchamber is saying words of wisdom. If he was nearby I would give him an applause. I THINK I WILL! "clap"

If anywhere, I'd want to work in a small, independant company doing the programming side of games. Smaller companies are much more fun because everyone there would be there because they enjoy what they are doing, would be so much more fun than a big business, where everyone is in it for the money...

I found myself in a similar situation to you a couple of months ago when I dropped out of university due to medical reasons. I decided that I wanted to pursue animation (even though I've no formal art qualifications and have never received any sort of artistic training). So I called up loads and loads of animation companies (around 30) asking for work experience. Only two got back to me - one offered me a work experience, the other said I had lots of potential. Naturally I'd have rather had 30 replies, but even two replies means I have two more contacts in the industry.

Another good idea would be to call up any prestigious animation universities where you are and ask to meet the course leaders. If they like you, they'll do their best to help I'm sure!

Best of luck with the whole thing, mate, it's horrid being stuck in a rut.

Dont get down hearted.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=QdvKdAZJhI I&feature=PlayList&p=16E6B479 232C7529&index=4

Not sure if that helps.

Actualy, just watch all of the "film skool" series. There intersting and fun. Also he is living proof that you can achieve your dreams. (he made a feature length movie by himself.)

Go for it!

''oh and responding to odhero.... yes dan paladin rocks mah world. but that doesnt mean we should all be like him and make the same characters n drawings.''

Sorry, but I never said anything along those lines.

My advice is to take things slow and learn what you need to learn

Dreams are hard. That's why they're called dreams.

Best thing I can recommend is getting a showreel together and emailing that thing like mad.

ANTE UP
YAP THAT FOOL

ANTE UP
KIDNAP THAT FOOL

GET HIM GET HIM GET HIM
HIT EM HIT EM HIT EM

Ah... dude I have the same dream...

the best thing that I would suggest you do is cook up a resume saying that YOU HAVE HAD past eperiences as working for websites and designer flash banners for websites... At least this puts some perspective on your past work and makes you seem more suited for the job...

If you fancy going to university... you should take animation and art and then at least tht way you HAVE what you need to get into the industry...

You're 19 man... Its not too late until your about 25... Uni/college will take 2 - 3 years tops. And besides, with your dads mate and all you have conections with that type of buisness... so it maybe easier than you think...

As for me, I want to become and animator or an actor... I know they are total opposites, but hey I am 16, sitting my GCSE's now and gonna start college, I haven't got any connections like yourself, I cant travel anywhere and I missed out taking art as a course...

I don't have much hope of being an animator, but I still try to keep my dream alive by creating flash animations and attempting to sell them to different companies... (or at least I will when I stop animating simple things like stickmen and tutorials...)

Anyway, the point is at least you have some experience of working in that field of industry so why not speak to your old boss of the website firm? I am sure he must have some connections with animators etc...

Just get your name out there dude.

Good luck man

~Bob

Ok, I read it now. I wish I could work at some kind of web design company. Also, it has a LOT to do with your location. I could never ever become an animator because there are no, and I mean it, NO animation schools in Germany. It's really annoying, I'd have to move to the USA to get to be an animator.

Oh well.

I'm sorta losing hope and motivation. I've been releasing things a lot slower recently. The thing is, I only want to submit something that I know people will like and that I feel is a good idea...

Sometimes, though, I just get bored of what I'm working on and put it off until later. "Riddle School 3" was postponed for almost a full year. The funny thing is, I had several pages of plans for the game, and when I got back to working on the game, I couldn't find them, so I had to basically re-plan it all from scratch.

I will keep at Flash, though. I believe that, eventually, my inspiration might build back up again. Hopefully it won't all be about video games, though. XD

What's preventing you from being REALLY good or having a real drive or passion about it? Don't limit yourself. I know I'm too young to give someone older than me advice, but that's what I think of the situation

I haven't talked to you in a while D: (Mostly my fault, I just abandoned my e-life when i entered high-school ><)

Maybe have a break for a bit if you're feeling uninspired, the best thing to do is just stop for a bit, do other things instead of forcing yourself.

It's my dream to cartoon too man, whether its illustrating kids books and flash games or directing the next pixar movie or whatever. either way, i'm trying to work so that at the end of my days i'll be able to sit back and say i've lived the life i've wanted to live.

don't give up man, and remember - everyone starts small. matt groening started off doing indie comics that he got to the public by hiding them in record sleeves hehe.

You might be a animator you could take graphic design lessons too help with animations

God I always feared Animation would get annoying if I did it for a living.. But Molkman fucking Ripped that in half.

I can't believe I never looked at it that way before. :\

i'm a 22 year old cashier at a video rental store.

Welcome to the buisness world my friend. I have'nt found a job I truely enjoyed yet. Like you said, i',m definatly not one of the select few. Sadly for the common folk its not about finding a job you like, but one you can tolerate. I just turned 18 and I've been hauling ass since I was 15. I started working at this company when I was 17 and have been there for the past 9 months. Got a nice bit of promotions and just last month when I turned 18 I bought a house. I DESPISE my work but i put up with it cuz thats what allows me to build up. Honeslty I can never find myself enjoying work so I plan on acquiring enough money thru real estate to be able to "retire early" a little down the road. When you don't have any obligations then you can enjoy doing the things you like, when your not worried about income, imo. I'm not an animator, so what I wrote might be irrelevant, anyway Good Luck.

wow. that explains sekey's free time

What I LOVE about newgorunds is that most people in the site have ambition AND VISION. Unlike here in mexico. where everyone is just hopeless. here people have the mentality "I will be a traveling salesman" "I will work for" "I will be a loser"

I love to be in touch with people that just want to get better and better at anyting that they do. Its inspiring for me.

Dude, programming is a skill, and a much easier skill to pick up than being an artist. If you want to do Flash games, learn some actionscript. I'm a Comp. Sci. Undergrad and I'm pretty fluent in Java and C#. I'll admit, it's a learning curve, but you can get it if you get a book on the subject and really buckle down.

I wouldn't worry too much though. You're 19!! I'm 21, still in school and I'm finally starting to take initiative in my life and making my future a reality. Your day will come. When I was your age I was more concerned about the ladies. Enjoy your youth my friend!

Blordow, when I first saw one of your animations, I looked up to you as one of the greatest animators I know. I'd put you in a list of the top 50 animators I know.

You're a great animator, now all you need is that motivation, and those amazing ideas that you used to have. My advice would be to finish any old projects you ever thought up. Get those old ideas out, so the new ones can come in. Finish Salty Swamp, for one thing, because if done right, it could easily be a TV series if you were noticed by some executive guy.

I've always thought of you as one of the guys who WAS going to make it in this business, and I'm 100% positive you will, if you would just get the right attitude about it. Dan Paladin is awesome because he never gave up, he just kept making more and more flash, until he was more noticed.

I mean, look at Adam Phillips. He STILL hasn't been noticed by any big executives or anyone ever since he left Disney. He had an awesome job, but like you, he wanted to persue his OWN dreams, make his OWN creations, not someone elses. This is clearly what you're trying to do as well, just make your own things in a small environment, but be noticed by many people at the same time.

Adam Phillips is obviously one of the best flash animators there is out there, and he still hasn't been noticed(well, not enough to create his full length brackenwood movie), so why should you be so down about it? I'm sure you can make it, man.

Hopefully this made you feel a bit better, at least a little.

When I read this post I almost felt like if I had written it myself, for we fell quite the same. I guess it's a matter of skill and persistance, I haven't checked your work yet but I'll do it as soon as I type this.

I would aprecciate a programmer that had skill and, furthermore, will-power to keep on going, I guess most people around have enough skill-- they seem to back off when they realize things are a lot bigger then they thought. I lost partners this way.

I believe that, even when you make a bad work, or it doesn't and as expected in any way, it is always a sucess, as long as you learnt something from it. Next time, you'll do greater.

See how many people giving you advice, and yet some tell me NG is not all about partnership!

Best of Luck for you, I'll be waiting for your work.

I think Mindchamber was on the same wavelength as i was. You just have to be really passionate for it. I cant speak totally for the behemoth but im sure they had their growing pains (might still do). Nothing comes easy and you will need alot of drive and passion to persue something you genuinely want.

I think alot of people get it twisted in the people they look up to and just see the success or end product of what is years of frusteration, doors slaming in your face, drama, and other challenges that inevitably present themselves on your path. You've been thrown a challenge now you gotta tighten your belt and face it.. you getting down on yourself just shows that you really ARE comfortable letting your dream be a dream.

ALSO... theres nothing wrong with being an average joe while you make things happen for the bigger picture. Dont live your life with the idea that a dream job naturally lands on your lap and that all you need to do is do nothing while you wait. Go clock punch, go network, get an internship in something semi related, go PM Paladin, etc. Get yourself out there.... Behemoth is a collection of people not just Dan, its a chemistry of people who've networked and realized that collectively they can make something happen.

That may be one of the smartest posts mindchamber has ever made lol but seriously I'm still classed as nothing more then a rookie which is hilarious after being called a genius when I was studying Multimedia.

A lot of the employers just seem to want near flawless results, not caring at all about the work involved. Needing to take my own advice here, but the only ways around that seem to be having the connections and of course loving what you do unconditionally and keeping active with any potential relevant work you can get. If you can do all 3 of those I see no reason why someone shouldn't succeed; of course there's also the whole problem of where do you draw the line between work and hobby but that's a totally seperate issue x.x

I love how it went from how drawing has mad your dick limp to how suprizingly un-dumb I am.

If you're a hardcore video game addict you'd probably make a better game programmer than designer.

I was convinced when I was in like 7th grade that I wanted to be in animation. Its right around the time I started talking to you and making the spirte movies we made. Little by Little I lost interest in it. I also lost my love for drawing. My mind and interests began to expand and I desired to explore other forms. Right now its all about music. I can't get enough of it. Although I can't help but feel that pretty soon I'll grow bored of that and then what? I'm in college right now and if I fall out of this then where do I go?

fuck. Right now i'm working 2 jobs, a waiter and a bowling alley attendant. some jobs huh?

Life never will hand you anything even motivation. And I know it just doesn't pop up out of thin air but it does from from some places you may least expect it.

Not really sure how this will help, but i would just liek to wish you luck getting into the industry :)

Nice rant.

come to te meet in melbourne next year.
i'll be there.