016: One Year at Mukpuddy Animation
Year One as a Storyboard Artist
I can’t even believe it’s been a year. I haven’t kept a job for that long in a while because life is hard sometimes.
Before getting this gig it was a long year of going from flipping burgers and one insurance company to another. While they were keeping me afloat, they were very not what I wanted to do with my life.
How I got the job
I answered a call for storyboard artists on LinkedIn, although I’ve known about Mukpuddy for a while having friends and acquaintances who work here.
After an agonizing amount of time waiting, I got an email while my partner and I were grocery shopping. They were asking that I do a quick test based on a script from one of their shows.
I spent the next day and a half or so working on my 50 panel sequence and sent it off.
Before I can say “gosh I wish I didn’t have to work in insurance anymore” I got an email asking me to come into the studio for a quick interview.
It wasn’t so much an interview, more of them asking if I wanted to work on Badjelly.
Of course I say yes!
And a month of impostor syndrome later, I finally started the position.
So I didn’t think that I’d be working on the show I knew was gonna be their next big thing. I thought I’d be put on one of the smaller shows that goes on in the background. But no, I was trusted with one of the most important things that Mukpuddy Animation will ever do (probably I dunno).
It looks great, right? Glad you think so cuz it is!
Getting this opportunity is still one of the great honors of my life. I left the US not knowing if I’ll ever be able to work in animation and fully draw for a living.
Just look at me now!
SOME STUFF I’VE LEARNED
That I am good enough but I have plenty to learn
Sometimes we convince ourselves that we’re good, but not good enough. It’s a difficult place to be in but this sort of feeling is remedied by actually doing the work.
Working quickly and clearly are most important
Very few things matter unless something is communicated clearly. Being able to communicate in pictures and words is paramount.
Knowing how to take and apply critique/feedback is the best way to stay in this job long-term.
There was an episode that I worked on, actually maybe more than one, where basically every shot had notes. I felt like a failure. I felt like some of them were unneeded/unjustified. But I know that in this kind of job, you take feedback and apply it (or find solutions), this is how you keep working and remain employable.
How to communicate better with a team
I’m bloody terrible at asking for help. I like to think I’m okay at it but I’m quite easily intimidated. Everyone is here to help, we’re on the same team, so why not lean on them if you need help.
Better time management with less oversight
I was left to my own devices to finish my work on time. While some days it’s nice to leave early if nothing is going right, some days I overwhelmed myself with work I slacked on or was just finding plain ole difficult.
Understanding where to put your energy
Don’t put a ton of work on making something look like a good comic panel if it’s only going to be in the animatic for a hot second and it won’t even actually show up on screen, in front of people. Know where to put the effort.
It’s been a really fun year and I can’t wait for there to be more.
So here’s some quick stats that I wanted to share:
Individually drawn panels, this includes Badjelly, Ahikaa, and another freelance project:
5132 PANELS
Damn. That’s a lot. And I’m not even done for this year.
This doesn’t even count the comics I’ve been making this year.
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Thanks for tuning in! I took a week off last week and now I feel at least a little more refreshed with writing again.
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