Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive

Yup, it's all here. Having worked in the Animation industry, I highly recommend this book to anyone considering a career in Animation, or those who want to get more out of their existing Animation career. David Levy's book gives you insight that normally takes years to learn.

I recently picked up this book upon reading a review. I found the book to be so helpful. I have been a freelance artist for years and enjoyed hearing the stories of the author's career in animation. Animation was always one of my interests that I am now pursuing and this book has really given me insight into the field. Even if you are not an animator, this book is a great read.

If it's an animation career you're aiming for, don't set your sights without consulting YOUR CAREER IN ANIMATION: HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE. Animation is now a big-ticket industry to be in offering big opportunities for new artists - but conversely, it offers far more complexities than in the past. 100 professionals from the industry provide their tips and experiences through interviews with an award-winning filmmaker, creating a comprehensive guide that follows a career from school to the real world. From networking tactics to unemployment and learning on the job, YOUR CAREER IN ANIMATION is the perfect item of choice for any who dream of breaking into the business. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

I have been engaged with animation for over 10 years now. It is a lifestyle that if one is to embrace it as a career, one understands that not every day is drawing funny pictures in sequential order and making a living. It is a lifestyle that requires a great deal of passion, but a good sense of aspects that go beyond the desktop computer or drawing board. Your Career in Animation: How to Survive and Thrive is an excellent read for any person who takes the career of animation as seriously. He discusses the parts of this career that many have yet to witness and interact with. I know that many of his stories of angst and frustration are true to form because I have been in those very same positions; contracts, work environment, burning bridges categories, etc. I do not read books every day, but I found myself surfing this book quickly because if you are someone who truly truly wants a life in this business as I do...take it from me, David has been there. He writes on a very personable level and communicates his thoughts as humanly as possible without pulling punches and not hitting you too hard with the truth that comes with this life. If you are an animator and you take even a hint of this career seriously, you would be a fool not to pick this book up.

Thirty years ago, when I went to school for animation, there were precious few books on the subject; mostly "coffee table" volumes, profiling notable feature films. Preston Blair's guides to style and movement were very valuable, but Levy's book on the mechanics of working in the industry is a breakthrough. In many ways, it is an extension of the course he teaches at the School of Visual Arts, and it offers useful, practical, and worthwhile insight into what happens once students graduate. Other books will tell you about squash and stretch--this book tells you how to handle difficult co-workers, how to discover the best of your own talent, how to honor a good boss and to work around a bad one, how to avoid the creative traps animators find themselves in too much of the time, and what to do (and not to do) on an interview. In short, it's the book I wish I'd have read when I was in school, and I would advise any serious student to give it a look. No matter what career we choose, we face obstacles, challenges, and cronyism. Levy's book speaks to these issues and offers solutions at every step of the way, unlike other book by working professionals, which tell entertaining stories but offer no tools for managing conflict, or solving creative roadblocks. Advice from several industry notables rounds out the book's several comprehensive chapters. This is not a colorful fan volume about current animation, it's a thoughtful, useful textbook on how to best prepare for a future in the animation profession. Bravo.