It was during lockdown that Becky, now a scene prep artist here at A Productions, started investigating a possible career change.
Previously a teaching assistant at special needs schools, Becky, 36, had always had an interest in animation.
“I’ve been passionate about animation since I was a teenager. From about Year 7 onwards, I wanted to get into art, design or animation”, says Becky.
During lockdown she started to build up a portfolio of character designs and discovered that Adam’s Animation Academy offered a five-week course in Toon Boom, the software used by animation studios to create content for TV, film, gaming and more.
Becky completed the course and later, whilst doing some temping nursery work, spotted on LinkedIn that A Productions was looking for new recruits to work on series 2 and 3 or JoJo and Gran Gran.
JoJo & Gran Gran is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions in association with A Productions for CBeebies.
Becky landed a role as a scene prep artist working in layout a year and a half ago. “I set up the scenes for each episode; all the different shots that make up one episode”, explains Becky. “I put in the characters, the rigs, the rig props and the background at the appropriate scale, ensuring continuity.”
What does she most like about the role? “I like seeing the final outcome of what we do in scene prep. It’s nice to see the transition from a scene still to a moving animation.”
Any advice to those interested in a career in animation? “If there’s a specific role you’re interested in, check out people’s shared portfolios online to see what kind of thing companies are looking for”, says Becky.
“Most importantly, be yourself. Don’t be scared to make connections with people, and don’t be disheartened if you get turned down the first time. There’s a role out there for you and we’ve all got to start somewhere.”