I am finally getting connected with the animation community, thank GOD. I met with artist gbpooky who is making effects for kids show. I learned the animation industry is a lot more like a restaurant or factory where they really need to hire people to do the job.

Then I attended a reel viewing, 13 animators submitted their reels and got feedback from three professionals.

Here are highlights:

• Show your love for animation! That’s a breath of fresh air.
  
• Squint at it - if you used contrast (in timing and ideas) it will still work.
• Start your reel with your best work! Polish it
• A reel can be very short and sweet
• Show life and character!
• Highlight dynamic timing and rhythm in your animation.
• Don’t include music in your reel unless it’s an integral part of the animation, but do use sound effects to enhance the experience.
• Keep your reel concise and to the point.
• Your reel reveals your personality, skills, and loves
• Highlight your skill: eg. emotional connection, comedy, acting, physicality, drawing etc
• Ensure every frame demonstrates intention and execution.
• Convey believable physics and expressions.
• Focus on hitting two or three emotional beats
• Take risks and make it stand out with bold animation
• The person doing the hiring is so busy, you have seconds to impress them
  

All of this advice is great but it’s a bit overwhelming! The thing about a great reel is it looks easy.

With all this in mind, I see my current reel is polished but doesn’t show a love for animation. It’s unfocused. It has solid design but an animation reel should have more animation!