How did you start your career?
I always knew I wanted to work in television and specifically kids TV since I was young. I loved nothing more than curling up on Saturday morning to watch the cartoons before anyone else got up. I had no idea how to get there but when Media Studies became an option for my GCSEs, I finally found something I could be passionate about…and good at!
From there I could see away forward, doing a TV production degree and taking work experience wherever and whenever I could. One of those was for HIT Entertainment which led to seven years of learning the ropes and working my way up.
One of the jobs I had in my time there was reviewing all the idea submissions that came in. An incredible way to search out talented writers, designers and creatives to work with. And now, here I am as one of those creatives, producing cartoons for kids like me, eager to be transported into a new and exciting world.
What made you join the Animation Skills Council?
I’ve actually been involved on and off with the council in different forms since my career began. My boss would ask me to stand in for her when she couldn’t attend (in a previous incarnation of what ScreenSkills is now). Being fairly fresh out of university I felt I could offer a voice for young people and graduates. I was so pleased there was an organisation bridging the gap between education and industry.
What is the Animation Skills Council and what does it do?
The Animation Skills Fund was created to support the development of animation talent at all levels from looking at how to start a career in animation through to those working in the industry and wanting to develop and advance their careers. ScreenSkills can support across the board.
UK production companies pay into the fund from current productions and are then able to access a range of fantastic training initiatives industry wide and bespoke that will enhance their crew and benefit their productions. Animation takes a long time so it’s an amazing place to develop talent and skills. With ScreenSkills’ support this makes it more financially viable to access that training in increasingly tough budgetary environments.
What is the most exciting thing about work in animation?
The best part of my job is getting to work with so many incredibly talented people and seeing everything come together. Every part of the process is being created from scratch, it’s amazing! I love that animation blends creativity with technical ability too. An animator needs to be extremely competent with the technology and create characters that you can emotionally connect to. It will always amaze me!
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career?
Going into production as the pandemic hit was pretty challenging! It was the start of a huge project and I was juggling the enormity of that with the uncertainty and emotions that came from the pandemic. Plus homeschooling three children. It was really tough. It taught me so much about communication, teamwork and perspective. It’s also incredible how flexible and resilient we can all be when we support one another.
Describe one the best/most meaningful experiences in your career
When Pip and Posy won the Best Pre-School series award at the British Animation Awards it meant a huge amount personally and professionally. As a mum I found it challenging to get back into work and never dreamt that I would get to be a part of, let alone, Series Producer, on such a beautiful project. I saw it through from early development to screen, through the pandemic. I’m very proud of it and grateful to everyone who made it. I get a huge amount of satisfaction from seeing the team around me develop and grow through each project. They are all rockstars.
What’s the best piece of advice you can give to somebody wanting to start a career in animation?
Be curious. Ask questions and understand how the industry works. Use the ScreenSkills resources (the career maps are excellent!), watch animation, analyse the work, reach out to people with a specific interest or question. Connect through forums and network events.
What is the key area of training you would recommend for freelancers to help them build and sustain a successful career?
I think you never stop learning so being open to any form of training and development, whether specifically related to what you do day to day, understanding our audience or to challenge the way you think and approach work is key. Every project is different so you need to be flexible and adapt. The world around us is changing so let’s ensure we have the best working practices we can and be inspired to create meaningful content. Courses on making our productions more sustainable, more diverse and more inclusive are hugely important in building and happy and productive teams.