Getting yourself noticed as an animator

Since coming to Leeds my mission has been to get involved in as many projects as I can, and to start to get myself known in the art world. I know I have a long way to go, but here is my plan on how to 'get myself noticed as an animator' in the next two years.

I hope by the end of next year to make my first showreel, with work up to that point that I have produced, as at the moment my self-directed projects are not to the standard I wish them to be, and I am only allowed to use a limited amount of time for each project.

I have yet to make business cards, and feel that I need to brand myself before I even think of doing that.  My CV was recently updated (along with my Linkedin account) and I added a small bubble blowing bunny down the side which I feel might become my little logo, as the same bunny has been used in a different pose as my Twitter picture. Once I have started to brand myself I am hoping to finish off the website I have already been making myself on Wix (http://www.wix.com/) which would then have links to all my other social media accounts.

I feel that once I have all of this done it will be easier to be taken seriously and can then show my work to speakers at events and festivals, and send my work to companies via email for studio visits and placements. When looking at animation festivals in the UK and around the world I came across this website http://www.animation-festivals.com/ which has an amazing list which includes the price of each as well as festival submission deadlines which is also handy for the future!

I currently talk to other illustrators, animators, comic makers and film makers via Twitter, but have started contacting these people over their blogs and Linkedin accounts. But the main way that people see my work is via my online portfolio which I create on http://www.flickr.co.uk/ whilst I was still at school. I have since updated my account deleting my old work, and keeping a bit of my A-level work on there to show my progression. I have made sure that I try to keep it up to date, and reply to any comments I may receive.

The last way I am hoping to get my work seen is to properly re-open my Etsy account (http://www.etsy.com/) and start to sell prints of my work as well as small toys I am hoping to make over the summer break. To get this shop known I am hoping to create small bundle packages (with a postcard print of my work, a temporary tattoo and a discount code) which I plan to send to bloggers who I feel is my target audience, in the hope that they blog about my work and their following will look into what I sell. Although this plan may not work, I am willing to spend a bit of money out my pocket to market myself.