The CTN Animation Expo is without a doubt a “must-see” event for anyone interesting in working in the animation industry. On Nov. 16-18, 2012 hordes of animation lovers will once again be descending on the Burbank Marriott Convention Center for three days and nights of animation goodness. There’s still time to register if you’d like to attend.
Just like last year I’ll be giving a presentation on freelancing called “Be Your Own Boss: Freelancing Tips and Tricks”. Here’s a summary:
In the current economy more and more companies are hiring artists as freelancers. Unfortunately many talented people wind up earning less than they could, or miss out on opportunities altogether, because they haven’t understood the business side of being an artist.
Cedric Hohnstadt has owned an illustration studio for over fifteen years and has created work for end clients such as Hasbro, Disney, DreamWorks, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Best Buy and Target. After working on hundreds of client projects he’s learned a lot of business skills the hard way and now he’s here to pass on some of that info on to you. He’ll discuss how to know if you are cut out for freelancing, how to promote yourself, how much you should charge, how to talk to clients about money, and look at different areas where an artist can find work outside of the animation industry.
My presentation is scheduled for Saturday, November 17 at 12:00 noon in the Exec Boardroom. It’s classified as a Workshop which means that seating is limited and that the Expo organizers have tacked on a very small extra charge to attend. I’m not sure about this year but last year it was only $5. I’ll try to cram as much info in as I can and afterward we can all go down the hall for an informal Q&A session, so you should definitely get your five bucks worth. Last year my talk sold out so don’t wait too long to sign up.
As a freelance illustrator and character designer I draw a lot of inspiration from the animation industry. This talk is my humble way of giving a little back. I hope to see you there!