There are a growing number of animation competitions opening up on the web. And regardless of whether you are a hobbyist, student or a pro, you should absolutely take advantage of them.

Here’s 5 reasons why (and 1 huge reason not to enter).

1. For practice.

This is really stating the obvious here, but animating is not that different from learning to play an instrument. The best way to get better is to practise. And practise. And practise.

There is only so much you can claim to theoretically know about squash and stretch, timing, spacing, overlapping action and appeal. You have to be able to do it.

If you are animating 60 hours a week and your fellow animators are animating 6 hours a week, you are learning at 10 times the rate they are.

2. For experimentation

If you have always done 3D computer animation, why not try a 2D cartoon? Or a stop motion test? Or a paper cut-out animation? Or flash?

Not only does it improve your breadth of knowledge and make you more employable, but it helps you focus on what is essential in your main animation medium.

3. For your reel

Treat the animation competition as an assignment for school, or a commission from a paying client. Once you finish it, you can definitely consider adding it to your show reel. Particularly if you select a different style that complements your existing reel.

If your reel is mostly dialog shots, why not go for a very physical scene.

4. For the deadline pressure

If nothing else – entering an animation competition forces you to think about the constraints of the competition brief AND the constraints of the deadline.

It will allow you to focus on what is important and leave out details that are not required.

5. To get feedback

Some competitions, like the 11 Second Club, also have a portion where you can comment or vote on other peoples’ animation. This is where the really valuable part comes into play. Not only can you receive honest feedback (maybe brutally so), but you can GIVE feedback.

In a previous post on feedback I said why it’s better to give critiques than receive, but suffice to say – do what you can to give specific comments on as many animations as you can. It will help develop your eye which is one of the most important things you can do if you’re still learning.

And finally, one reason NOT to enter an animation competition:

1. To win

The simple fact is: you can only control your output, not outcomes. All you can do is your best, and the rest largely lies in the hands of other people. This is true of life and of competitions.

If you spend time thinking about what it would be like to win, or worse: thinking about how you deserve to win, you are setting yourself for massive disappointment.

Instead – make your goal to be doing the kind of work that would have a real chance of winning. Staying focussed on quality, rather than future outcomes is a much better attitude and will ensure you’re pushing your work as far as it can go.

Best of luck in your future competitions everyone, and here are a few that caught my eye recently.

11 Second Club

Aniboom

Spungella

Sixty40 Protoninja

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