Sunday, May 1, 2011

What's Your Agenda?


I attended the Sheridan College Animation Department's "Industry Day", this past week. The student work was presented. There were some very good films, some outstanding work, some run-of-the-mill stuff - but surprisingly no stinkers. Overall, a good solid crop from this years graduates. Kudo's gang. Good stuff.

But one film stuck out. I'm not going to mention names because, honestly, I don't want this guy showing up on my doorstep - but... IT HAD AN AGENDA.

(Crowd: Oooh... GASP!)

It was a political work. Not especially well done from a conceptual or execution point of view. It was there to make a statement. Okay. Fine. Fair enough.

But is "Industry Day" the time and place to make a political statement - when you're trying to land your first job? In previous years, there were films featuring "dick jokes" - again, Industry Day is not the venue for this. Mercifully I didn't see any 'dick-joke movies' this year (although I left early and they could have been saved for the end of the screening).

So what's the point?

There is a time and place for everything. If you're presenting your best work - be it a pitch or a portfolio piece - keep the political (and religious) agendas (and the dick jokes) out of it. You are there for ONE purpose - to sell yourself or your project. Anything that will distract from that single purpose doesn't have a place in your presentation.

I wish the guy with his political agenda luck - but he isn't going to get a job - so he's flushed 4 years of his life.


3 comments:

  1. Follow Up: I heard from one of the instructors at Sheridan, inquiring which film I was talking about.

    I told him which film had concerned me - explaining that if I saw this film while hiring, I would have skipped along to the next film/job prospect. The animated filmmaking process has enough stresses. I don't need someone
    bringing global politics into the mix.

    I haven't heard back from him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You, and people of your sort, are the reason animation is such an overwhelmingly vapid medium.

    Personally, I am proud I'm out of the industry instead of working on my little pony or some other heartless, souless and brainless property.

    Perhaps that is money forfeited, but perhaps money's not that great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "You, and people of your sort, are the reason animation is such an overwhelmingly vapid medium."

    Andrew, I've checked out your work. It's poorly composed, badly staged and in my humble opinion, unimaginative. We'll do just fine without you.

    Cheers!

    ReplyDelete