Questions to Ask an Animator
For students, aspiring animators and interviewers who get time with a working animator at a class visit, a career day, a convention table or an informational interview. The list follows the order such a conversation usually takes: how they got in, what the work involves, the pipeline around them, reels and hiring, studio life including pay and crunch, then advice for starting out.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Getting in
What made you want to become an animator?
Why ask it
The answer is often one film, a flip book or a game they took apart as a kid, and telling it warms the conversation up. The part to hold on to is what kept them going once it was a job with deadlines, which is rarely the thing that started it.
How did you get your first paid job in animation?
Why ask it
Listen for the route itself: a school recruiting day, a reel sent cold, a test, a friend who vouched. Then ask what year that was and how they would get the same job today, because the door they used may have moved.
Did you go to animation school or teach yourself, and would you take the same route today?
Why ask it
What a program costs and what it is worth depend on where you live, so the useful part is what theirs gave them that working alone could not: deadlines, critique, classmates, recruiters. Someone who would choose differently now is telling you more than someone defending their degree.
What did your work look like when you were at my stage?
Why ask it
Most animators will describe something stiff and overambitious, and some will pull it up on a phone. If it sounds like what you are making now, follow with what they changed in the year after.
What job did you think you wanted in animation, and is it the one you have?
Why ask it
Plenty of people arrive wanting to design characters or direct and find they are happier animating, rigging or boarding. A changed answer is not a warning sign, and it gives you job titles to look up that you may never have heard of.
What was the first shot of yours that made it to a screen?
Why ask it
People enjoy telling this one, so it suits a career day or a convention table. Ask what they see wrong with it today: the flaws they name are a short list of what the years since have taught them.
The work
What does a typical day look like for you, and how close was yesterday to it?
Why ask it
The second half is what gets you specifics, such as a review, a round of fixes or a rig that broke, where 'a typical day' alone invites a brochure answer. If most of yesterday went to meetings and corrections, that is the true picture, and it is fair to ask how many hours were left for animating.
Can you take me through one shot from the moment it was assigned to the moment it was approved?
Why ask it
You should hear stages such as a briefing, reference, rough blocking, polish and rounds of review, under whatever names their studio uses. Find out at which stage a shot most often gets sent back, and you know which stage to practice hardest.
What is the best part of the job, and which part would you gladly hand to someone else?
Why ask it
The first half is what keeps them in it. The second is the daily cost, whether that is endless revisions, cleanup, timesheets or waiting on renders, and it is the half to hold against your own patience, because a junior does more of that part, not less.
Which character have you most enjoyed animating?
Why ask it
An easy opener at a convention table, where that character may be on a print in front of you. The follow-up that earns its place is what made that one fun to move: a design that poses well, a strong voice track, a director who left room.
How many seconds of animation are you expected to finish in a week?
Why ask it
The figure swings widely between television, features, games and commercials, and it means little until you know how polished those seconds have to be. With both in hand, time yourself on a short shot at home and see how far off the pace you are.
Do you work in 2D, 3D or stop motion, and how did you end up there?
Why ask it
Often the first job decided it, not a plan. If you are worried about choosing wrong at the start, listen for whether they have ever moved between them and what the move cost in time.
What carries over between 2D and 3D animation, and what has to be learned again?
Why ask it
Timing, spacing, weight and posing tend to land on the side that carries over, and the tools and the workflow on the side that does not. If you cannot decide where to begin, have them pick which they would learn first and give a reason.
Which software do you use every day, and which did you only learn once you were hired?
Why ask it
Write the names down, but remember studios differ and some build their own tools. The better follow-up is which one program they would practice in at home, and whether a recruiter cares which it was.
Do you film yourself for reference, and what do you look for in the footage?
Why ask it
This shows how much of character animation is acting. At a class visit, ask whether they can show the reference next to the finished shot, because the differences between the two are where the craft is.
What kind of shot do you find hardest?
Why ask it
Quiet close-up acting, four-legged walks, crowds, lip sync and heavy physical action each have their sufferers. Whatever they name, get them to describe how they practice it and you leave with an exercise.
How much drawing do you do in your job now?
Why ask it
The one to ask if you worry your drawing is not good enough. A 3D animator may say only thumbnail sketches and a 2D animator may say all day, so the answer holds for the kind of animation they do and no further.
What do you notice in an animated film that the audience never does?
Why ask it
A good one for an interview or a room of students, because the answer is concrete: a weight shift, a blink before a head turn, a pose held a beat longer. Watch a scene that evening looking only for the thing they named.
What is the difference between a shot that is approved and a shot you are happy with?
Why ask it
The deadline usually settles it, and an honest animator can say exactly what one more day would have fixed. How they talk about letting it go tells you whether the compromise bothers them or has become part of the job.
Pipeline
Where does your work sit in the pipeline, and what lands on your desk before you start?
Why ask it
Storyboards, layout, a rig and a voice track are the usual answers, in an order that depends on the production. Sketch it as boxes and arrows while they talk, and you leave with a map of the departments around the animator.
Who gives you notes, and how many rounds does a shot usually go through?
Why ask it
It might be a lead, a supervisor, a director or a client, and the chain is different on every studio and project. A sigh before the answer is your cue to ask about the longest round they remember.
Can you tell me about a note you disagreed with and what you did about it?
Why ask it
A professional's version tends to run: tried it their way, showed an alternative, accepted the call. If the story ends with the animator right and everyone else wrong, weigh the rest of their advice on teamwork accordingly.
Which other departments do you talk to most in a week?
Why ask it
Rigging, layout, editorial, lighting and effects are jobs a student may not know exist. For each one they mention, get a sentence on what that person hands over or asks for, which says more than the job title does.
What happens to a shot after it leaves you?
Why ask it
In 2D it may go to cleanup, in-betweening and color, and in 3D to simulation, lighting and compositing. Ask whether a finished shot has ever surprised them, for better or worse, when they saw it in the final cut.
How big is your team, and how are shots handed out?
Why ask it
Shots can be dealt by sequence, by character or by who is good at what, and a small team expects everyone to do several jobs. If you are choosing where to apply, their view on starting small versus starting large is worth having, along with which of the two they did.
What goes wrong earlier in the pipeline that makes your job harder?
Why ask it
A late story change, a rig that breaks in one pose and a re-recorded line are the kind of thing you will hear. Keep it light, since you are inviting a complaint about colleagues, and take away how one late change costs everyone after it.
How much say do you have over a character's performance?
Why ask it
This shifts with seniority, the director and the kind of production. Pitching ideas at the blocking stage describes a seat with creative room, and matching the storyboards pose for pose describes one without much, so you know which kind of job you are hearing about.
How do several animators keep one character moving like the same person?
Why ask it
Model sheets, a lead for each character, shared pose libraries and daily reviews all play a part, in a mix that differs by studio. It is a reminder that much of the job is matching a character somebody else defined, which you can practice on a rig you did not build.
Reels and hiring
What belongs on a demo reel for an entry-level animation job?
Why ask it
You will usually hear: short, best shot first, and nothing that is not animation. Opinions on length and content differ between studios, so note which ones they are speaking for and read the application pages of the ones you want.
What makes you stop watching a reel?
Why ask it
Long title cards, a weak opening shot, feet that slide and exercises copied straight from a tutorial come up often. Take notes, then go through your own reel the same night with that list beside you.
Have you reviewed reels for hiring, and how long does each one get?
Why ask it
If they have, everything they say about reels is firsthand. If they have not, treat it as one applicant's opinion. When the answer is measured in seconds, rebuild your opening around it.
If there is time, would you watch my reel and tell me which shot is weakest?
Why ask it
Ask only if the setting allows it and have the reel ready to play at once. Naming the weakest shot is easier for a stranger than giving a general verdict, and the right response is to thank them and cut it, not to explain it.
Is it better for a reel to show one specialty or a range?
Why ask it
A large studio with separate departments and a small one where everybody does three jobs can give opposite answers. Find out which kind this animator knows, and decide by the studios on your own list.
Did you have to take an animation test to be hired, and what was it like?
Why ask it
Whether tests are given, how long they run and whether they are paid all vary by employer. Their description of the task, the rig they were handed and the deadline tells you what to rehearse before one arrives.
How do you show which part of a shot was yours when many people worked on it?
Why ask it
Expect captions on each shot, a written breakdown or a credit line saying exactly what they did. Copy the format, and be exact in your own: claiming a teammate's work is the kind of thing a small industry remembers.
Where did your studio's last junior hire come from?
Why ask it
A specific hire beats a general theory about recruiting. Whether it was a school showcase, an online post, a festival or a referral, you learn which of those is worth your effort where this person works.
Studio life
Have you worked both on staff and freelance, and what did each one cost you?
Why ask it
Staff work tends to trade choice for stability and freelance the reverse, with invoices to chase. If they have only done one, ask what kept them from the other, which is often the more revealing answer.
Are you hired permanently or per project, and what happens when a production ends?
Why ask it
Contract terms differ by country, studio and production, so take this as how it works for one person in one place. Notice whether they describe the gap between projects as a rest or a scramble, and how far ahead they start looking.
What can someone starting out expect to earn where you work?
Why ask it
Ask for a range and never for their own salary. Pay depends on country, city, studio and whether a union agreement applies, so the best follow-up is where they would look the figures up.
How do freelance animators price a job: by the second, by the day or by the project?
Why ask it
You want their method more than a number. The costly lessons are in what they forgot to charge for early on, such as extra revision rounds, render time or wider use of the work, and in what they now settle in writing before starting.
What does crunch look like where you work, and is the overtime paid?
Why ask it
Overtime rules sit with the employer, the contract and local law, so the answer describes one studio. A straight answer gives how often and for how many weeks, and one that leans on passion for the work deserves a second question.
Is your studio covered by a union or guild, and what difference does that make day to day?
Why ask it
Coverage varies by country, studio and sometimes by department. Ask what it changes in practice, such as minimum rates, hours or benefits, and where you can read the agreement yourself.
Do you work from home, in the studio or a mix, and do juniors get the same choice?
Why ask it
It decides whether you would have to move to a city with studios in it, and policies change from one employer to the next. Pay attention to what they say juniors miss when they are not in the room.
Has AI changed anything about your own work so far?
Why ask it
Keep them on what they have seen at their own desk and off predictions, which nobody can check. People hold strong views here, so listen without arguing, and finish with which skill they expect to stay worth having.
What do you do to keep your hands, eyes and back in working order?
Why ask it
Years at a tablet and a monitor give many animators a routine of some kind. Take the practical parts, like breaks and how the desk is set up, and see a professional about any pain of your own.
Advice
If you were starting today with no contacts, what would you do in the first year?
Why ask it
Press for an order of events: what to animate, where to post it, who to show it to. 'Keep animating' is true and no use to you, so if that is all you get, ask what they would animate in the first month.
Which exercises would you set a beginner before any character acting?
Why ask it
A bouncing ball, a pendulum, a flour sack and a walk are the classic ladder, and they may add their own. Get the order, and get a description of what a finished version of each looks like so you know when to move on.
Apart from animating, which skill has helped your career most?
Why ask it
Hope for something unglamorous: taking a note without arguing, estimating how long a shot will take, keeping files where the next person can find them. These are habits you can build on school projects long before anyone hires you.
What do beginners spend too long on?
Why ask it
It might be polishing one shot for months, lighting and rendering, designing the character, or starting a short film too early. Hold whatever they say against how you spent the last month, which is uncomfortable and worth doing.
What would you start with at home if money were tight?
Why ask it
Prices, student licenses and free versions change, so treat the names as a list to check today and not as a shopping order. The reassuring answers are the ones about pencil, paper and a phone camera.
Whose work should I study, and which scene would you watch frame by frame?
Why ask it
Get names and titles and write them down while they are talking. Then step through one of those scenes a frame at a time and count how long each pose is held, which is the part most people skip.
How do you keep getting better now that you have the job?
Why ask it
Personal shots, life drawing, a mentor or studying a colleague's files are all good signs. Someone with no answer may be telling you how little time the job leaves, which is worth raising gently.
What do you wish you had known about this career before you started?
Why ask it
Save it for near the end, when they have warmed up. The honest versions are about moving for work, uneven employment or how small the industry is, and each one is worth a follow-up about how they handled it.
May I stay in touch, and how would you prefer I send work later?
Why ask it
Ask only if the conversation went well, and take a no gracefully. If they say yes, use the channel they name and send one shot with one question, not a full portfolio.
Getting the most from a short conversation with an animator
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you get your time
Look up their credits first
Find out what they have worked on and in which medium before you meet. It lets you skip 'what have you worked on' and ask about a particular show, game or shot instead, which is the kind of question people answer at length.
Know which kind of animator you have
A 2D television animator, a 3D feature animator, a game animator and a motion designer do different jobs under one title. Ask early which they are, and adjust: questions about quotas and rigs fit some of them and mean little to others.
Choose by how long you have
Two minutes at a convention table is one question from The work and one from Advice. A class visit shared with thirty students is three or four that the whole room can use, so favor The work and Pipeline. A half-hour informational interview can move through the groups in order and reach Studio life once you have some rapport.
Have your reel ready and wait to be asked
Keep it on your phone, loaded and able to play without a connection. Bring it out when they offer or when you reach the Reels and hiring questions, not as your opening line.
While they are talking
Ask about a shot, not about animation
'What is animation like?' gets a general answer. 'What made that one shot hard?' gets a story with names of tools, people and stages in it. Whenever an answer turns abstract, ask for the last time it happened.
Let them show you
Animators think in pictures and many will sketch a pose, act out a movement or scrub through a clip if you give them the opening. At a class visit, a single shot stepped through frame by frame teaches more than ten minutes of description.
Ask how pay and hours work, not what they earn
Ask for ranges, how rates are set and how overtime is handled where they are, never what they personally make. Pay, contracts and working hours depend on the country, the studio and any union agreement, so one person's figures describe one place.
Write down names
Software, studios, schools, films and people will go past quickly. Note them as you hear them and ask for a spelling when you need it. Those names are your reading list once you get home.
Questions that waste the time
Anything a search would answer
What a studio has released or what a program costs is on a website. Spend the conversation on what only this person knows: how a day goes, what a note felt like, what they would do differently.
Asking for a job
An informational interview or a career day is not an application, and asking for work puts the animator in an awkward spot. Ask how hiring works and who looks at reels. If they think you are ready, they will tell you where to send yours.
Unreleased projects
Many animators are not allowed to discuss work that has not come out. If they say they cannot talk about something, move on at once and ask about a finished project instead.
Treating one path as the rule
Each animator got in through a particular door in a particular year and place. Take their route as one example, and put the same Getting in questions to a second and third person before you plan around any of it.
After the conversation
Send a short thank-you
A few lines within a day or two, naming one thing they said that you are going to act on. It is polite, and it is also what makes a later message from you welcome.
Do one thing they suggested
Pick the exercise, the film to study or the cut to your reel and finish it before you look for more advice. If you stay in touch, showing the result is the best reason to write again.
Check what depends on where you are
Starting pay, union coverage, contract terms, tuition and visa rules change with the country, the city and the employer. Use what you heard as a list of things to confirm with studios, schools and the relevant organizations where you plan to work.