Life with a small animation studio

Size matters Tanya Combrinck looks at how being tasked to do more with less at a small studio can make you a better animator

- Tanya Combrinck

Working at a big studio certainly has its perks. Larger studios have luxurious facilities, and the projects you'll work on often have bigger, better budgets.

But sometimes less really is more; a stint at a smaller company where you have to work within tighter constraints can boost creativity and make you a smarter, faster animator. You also might get the chance to work across a variety of roles on different kinds of projects, and experience more of the pipeline than you would working at a bigger organisation.

A director and storyboard artist, Kelsey Norden has spent time working at large studios such as Disney Television Animation and Warner Bros. Animation, as well as smaller outfits such as Six Point Harness, OddBot and Stoopid Buddy Stoodios. She explains that if you've only ever worked at a big studio, there's valuable perspective to be gained from taking on a job at a company with a lower headcount.

BIG JOB, SMALL BOX

"Smaller studios tend to have smaller budgets, so it forces the artist to do creative problem-solving to make a big ask from a client fit into a small box," Kelsey tells ImagineFX. "You'll miss the nicer office chairs, the big standing desk, and the fancy kitchen with fresh fruit, but you'll gain a new bag of tricks to take with you to any future project."

Her roles at smaller organisations all taught her ways to squeeze the most out of every single frame. Kelsey adds: "Titmouse, before they grew to the size they are now, taught me how to get a lot of character out of a little animation. OddBot taught me how to make a CG show on a budget; what parts of the show are most expensive, such as new characters, fur, and props; and how it's built differently in storyboards when compared with a 2D show, as camera moves are cheaper than new shots, which can be the opposite in 2D.