Post: #1

I’m in the process of putting together a trailer and 2 episodes for Youtube and am looking for some advice in finding specific talent.

The talent I’m looking for is:
• an animator
• someone competent in using Adobe Aftereffects

My goal is to emulate the quality/style of the Vox channel - here’s kinda what I’m going for: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNla9nyRMmQ.

Thus far I have 1 video project under my belt. I took on the job (for free) specifically to attain some competence in filmmaking. I worked hard and am proud of the video I made, along the way I learned how to use a DSLR camera for the 1st time, a gimbal, shotgun mic and Premiere Pro.

At the moment I’m putting together a script/treatment for 2 episodes and a trailer.

I don’t think I’ll have a problem w/ filming, and I think I’ll be able to learn the very basics of Adobe Aftereffects, but animations make me nervous.

My timeline to have the above filmed and postproduction started is Aug/Sept 2019.

I Googled “freelance animation work” and Upwork.com came up as most along the lines of what I’m looking for.

The way I figure, I can try to a find an animator a few different ways:
• Go to an animator convention and network – anybody know a good one?
• Network in and around graphic design type schools
• Facebook groups – anybody know a good one?
• Use something like “UpWork.com” - has anybody used this site before?
• Physically go to the Vox office in Brooklyn and try to meet their Art Director
• Ask friends/family/co-workers, etc

I don’t mind paying for quality work, but what is a reasonable price? Would you pay per hour, or lump sum?

In an ideal world, I’d like to find hungry people in their early 20s who’d work inexpensively to build their portfolio (as well as my own). If I found enough of these people, I would solicit a few of them to do the same project (assuming it’s not too expensive) and let the cream rise to the top.

Anybody have specific insight they’d be willing to share?

Bless.

Post: #2

Just don't hire a re-animator....

Post: #3

Sounds like you're a beginning filmmaker.

Well I got news for you: you're never going to be happy outsourcing that work to someone else. You have a vision for how you want it to look and no freelancer is either going to care enough and be able to capture that vision for you.

I looked at that video quickly and it's all basic AE animation. Most of it looks like text plugins from videohive.net I'd just hunkering down for a week with youtube tutorials and figuring it all out yourself. It'll take almost as much time just to find someone and clearly write out the scope of the project as it would to teach yourself that basic stuff. You mentioned animations make you nervous but after 2 or so hours of the good YT tutorials you'll see it's only a few basic concepts that are applied in many different permutations.

IMO it's best to learn this stuff while you're still a beginner filmmaker too. Because admittedly beginner's stuff isn't all that great (but no one really cares either except high-paying clients), and this way you'll get good at both together so you won't be imbalanced.

Post: #4

Head over to Mandy.com and look for guys there.

Make sure you have a decent budget. If this is some artsy fartsy project and your budget is modest, you'll get crap. You get what you pay for.

Post: #5

Get in touch with the relevant department at your local university. You ought to be able to find someone really good looking to build their portfolio, who has all the tools (adobe etc) already. They should be available for about 2x minimum wage. It may take them longer, and be slightly raw in some respects, but with good oversight it needn't be. I got very high quality productions from an extremely talented young guy, for modest prices. In fact I ended up paying him more because the quality simply demanded more than he had initially requested.

Post: #6

(12-10-2018 01:25 PM)monster Wrote:  Sounds like you're a beginning filmmaker.

Well I got news for you: you're never going to be happy outsourcing that work to someone else. You have a vision for how you want it to look and no freelancer is either going to care enough and be able to capture that vision for you.

I looked at that video quickly and it's all basic AE animation. Most of it looks like text plugins from videohive.net I'd just hunkering down for a week with youtube tutorials and figuring it all out yourself. It'll take almost as much time just to find someone and clearly write out the scope of the project as it would to teach yourself that basic stuff. You mentioned animations make you nervous but after 2 or so hours of the good YT tutorials you'll see it's only a few basic concepts that are applied in many different permutations.

IMO it's best to learn this stuff while you're still a beginner filmmaker too. Because admittedly beginner's stuff isn't all that great (but no one really cares either except high-paying clients), and this way you'll get good at both together so you won't be imbalanced.

I agree with you in that I need to become (somewhat) proficient in every element of film making before outsourcing work.

If you consider that Vox video pretty basic in terms of After Effects than I guess that's reassuring. I'll sack up and give learning AE/animations a shot.

Post: #7

(12-10-2018 07:36 PM)H1N1 Wrote:  Get in touch with the relevant department at your local university. You ought to be able to find someone really good looking to build their portfolio, who has all the tools (adobe etc) already. They should be available for about 2x minimum wage. It may take them longer, and be slightly raw in some respects, but with good oversight it needn't be. I got very high quality productions from an extremely talented young guy, for modest prices. In fact I ended up paying him more because the quality simply demanded more than he had initially requested.

This is exactly what I was thinking!

Any anecdotes about the process you'd be willing to share?

Did you physically go to the Uni and just ask around? Did you already have an in? Did you approach the prof for a student they'd recommend? Or did you just go straight to the students? Anything you wish you would have known before hand that would have saved you time/headache?

Thanks for taking the time

Post: #8

Sure. It's a pain as all recruiting is. I would cast the net as widely as possible. If you live in a city with multiple universities, I'd contact them all. You can just contact the department, but I would make sure you called and were charming, rather than just emailing. They'll tell you to email an advert that they can forward, but if you are good with them they will do it quickly, and be proactive in helping you recruit.

Best to go through the secretary/whoever mans their phones, and I would personally say you are looking to develop an ongoing relationship with the university to provide regular opportunities to their students. These guys are judged on their recruitment figures, internships, ability to raise funding etc. Show them there's something in it for them. I used to take a stand at their careers fair once they had helped me out the first time (I hired a bunch of people from this University, full and part time). It was about $300 per year, and a boring 5 hours for me, but they pushed their best people my way, and it was a top engineering university, so supply outstripped demand for me, and I always had people when I needed them.

Make sure they send you a portfolio. I would suggest you are looking for competence across a range of animation types, that shows a basic level of flair and talent. They are going to be nervous about coming to a professional project, and being in a 'business' environment. They will be inexperienced and make mistakes. Better the mistakes are high quality not frustrating and ultimately costly ones for you. Students get expensive if you get bad ones.