DONATING YOUR TIME AND TALENT IN TODAY'S
ANIMATION INDUSTRY
By Shannon Muir
Originally
published at Suite101.com
***
Today,
many people in the industry find it tougher to be giving of their time and
talent. Time’s hard to come by because
often you’re scrambling to find work on a show (either staff or freelance), and
then finding the next show to move on to when that one’s wrapped. Also, especially for the writers, there
seems to be a fear out there that if they listen to people’s ideas, and either
already have something planned or later inadvertently do something similar,
that they’ll be sued. These factors can
make sharing one’s time very tough.
So, how can you
be generous and assist others while overcoming these concerns?
Volunteer your
time to be on panels at conventions. These provide moderated environments where you can answer people’s
questions in a public forum. Perhaps
your answers can aid or inspire people you might otherwise not interact with to
achieve their goals. It can also be
good public relations and get your name out there -- but, in my opinion, that
should really be a happy side effect. Admittedly there are some who only do it for the exposure though, so
don’t be surprised. I’ve volunteered
for panels at both the Gathering
of the Gargoyles and for several years at Comic-Con
International: San Diego. It should also be
something to try working into your schedule simply on a networking level; yes,
it takes time but it could indirectly help you land that next job. You never know who you might meet at the
convention!
If you have a
little more time, look for charity organizations that can set you up to be a
mentor to a youth whose goals match your area of expertise. These would be controlled, monitored, and
documented arrangements. However, if
you go this route, be certain that the organization is trustworthy and has a
longstanding history of helping youth. Due to personal schedule restrictions, I’ve never had the opportunity to
be a mentor (but would love to), but in other ways have had contact with two
Los Angeles-area based organizations I feel comfortable to recommend as
examples. One is Create Now! (formerly Write Now!), which deals with institutionalized at-risk
kids from ages 5 to 21 and mentoring them in the creative arts. Another is the Fulfillment Fund, which covers more than the film and television, but has a
big amount of support from the entertainment industry; the goal of this
organization is to identify promising disadvantaged or disabled youth, and help
them pursue advanced education to reach their dreams. Investigate and see if
there are similar programs in your local area, and get their history and
examples of places they’ve worked with.
So, there are
ways that you can give use your background and interest in the animation
industry to help others – and this doesn’t have to be something you just do at
one time of the year.
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WITHOUT EMAILING SHAN@DUELINGMODEMS.COM FOR PERMISSION. Thank you.
All content copyright 2001 - 2011 Shannon Muir. All rights reserved.