How to get a job in the anime industry All over the world (Patreon)

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Hello, dear guys!
I apologize you it was late to post new article this month.

Today, I would like to share my experience about How to get an animation commission or How to work in animation industry. First, from in Japan's case.

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How to work in the anime industry in Japan

First of all, I would like to say it with simple way.

1. Getting in Japanese companies or studios in person
2. Making a call or sending a mesage to a company/a studio where you want to work
3. Keep posting your work (Original works only) on socal media
4. Having a connection in anime industry (freinds/producer/director etc...)

Mainly I think these are all.
Let me break them down to explain one by one.

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1. Getting in Japanese companies or studios in person

This is the most basic way to start working in anime industry. As I shared my experience about this on previous posting through live-streaming. You submit your portfolio to the studio then take an intaiw and exams. Here.

Just it's all.

If you have ambition and passion and are interested in becoming an animation director, character designer, episode director(演出), or director, this method is the shortest.

BUT, if you were a foreigner, the situation would not be fine. It is because I guess you would be required to have speaking Japanese at least the level that you are able to live in daily life.

I have some friends who came to Japan and have been working in Japanese studios. They always speak in Japanese when I meet them. I think it is a kind of showing respects for Japan. And this fact is very embarrassing for me personally that there are a lot of Japanese people in the studio does not speak English.

This is one of the reason that you need to speak Japanese in the studio. (I mean, you would get many situation to talk about direction or in a meeting in Japanese in person)

The second reason you must learn Japanese is because Must understand storyboards and director's instructions accurately. That is maybe much more tough and difficult things for you.

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So why is it difficult?

I'm currently learning a third language in addition to English, and what surprised me was the richness of Japanese expressions. I realized how difficult it is to capture nuance when some of my patrons asked me questions about my work in Japan. They couldn't understand the meaning of the storyboards. The same goes for the Japanese written in the storyboards and when translating Japanese into English.

As native Japanese speakers, it is natural for Japanese to speak these words in storyboards and meetings. There are very few people, even Japanese animators, who can capture the intent of the storyboard and the direction.

2. Making a call or sending a mesage to a company/a studio where you want to work

This method is quite simple. It's up to the studio to get in touch and get the job. Before the Internet, people used to make phone calls, but now they can do it by e-mail. However, in this case, the other person has no idea how good you are. Therefore, I think it's a good idea to prepare your portfolio and past work history in advance so that you can show them right away.

3. Keep posting your work on socal media

This method is similar to 2. However, in this case, the other person should already know your ability from the work you have posted on social media. This means that the other party may contact you instead of you contacting them.

What I would like to mention here is that the content you post should be your original work. If you want to post commercial animation work, please check with the studio. I am not responsible.

4. Having a connection in anime industry (freinds/producer/director etc...)

This is the way to connect from 1. When you enter a studio, you will naturally form relationships with people. Also, if you do a “good job” once, the studio will likely give you another job. When I say "good work," I mean sticking to a schedule, making no mistakes, and being able to do more work than others. The content of the animation doesn't matter.

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How to get a job in the anime industry all over the world

I have previously worked with animation studios in Korea, America, France, etc. I have also accepted personal commissions. We sometimes receive offers from companies in China and the UK. All of this is obtained through methods 3 and 4 of methods 1 to 4 that I have talked about.

At first, I was invited to work by a French animator I knew. Of course, I have met some of them in person. I decided to accept the job because I knew what kind of person he was. (As for several of the projects we worked on, my guess is that they invited us because they wanted to incorporate a Japanese atmosphere and because I communicated in English.)

Additionally, I receive job offers via email. They learn about me and Takahiro's work through social media and contact us.

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There are some things you should be aware of before taking on the job in earnest.

In Japan, contracts related to work are not issued in the first place. There is no NDA either. If you have any questions, such as the amount of compensation, schedule, how to contact them, what applications can be used, is it possible to issue a contract, etc., please contact the studio.

This is the same when accepting work overseas, but in the first place, the studio will first send you an NDA. I'll talk about the details later. Even if you sign an NDA, whether or not you accept the job will be decided based on the content of future meetings and responses.

If you accept the job, after a few exchanges, possibly including meetings, we will enter into a contract.

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In case of personal commission

In the end, I would like to talk about commissions requested by individuals. Clients first find my work on social media and contact me. This exchange of messages is also a waste of time for creators, so I inquire about the most important things at once: compensation, schedule, and work details.

I decide whether to work or not based on how the other person speaks, how they interact, and how quickly they respond.

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I have decided never to work for others.
Make decisions that are good for you!

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MÖCHOKO