Finally! A book just for animators that shares not only how to get a foot in the door but also how to avoid the pitfalls that can send even the best artist back to the drawing board. Veteran animator and teacher Gene Hamm is your guide to the serious business of drawing cartoons, providing stories, insight, and advice for keeping your wits as sharp as your pencil in this highly competitive industry. How to Get a Job in Animation (And Keep It) is divided into two sections. In Part One, artists looking for a job with an animation studio will discover pragmatic information such as: * what to study in school and which books and videos to use for self-study * how to track down studio jobs and land them * what studios are really looking for on your reel * how to make yourself indispensable once you have a job * how to deal with the union * how to survive in Hollywood. In Part Two, animators who like to be their own boss will find out how to freelance, including crucial how-tos on: * pricing jobs and maintaining client relations * entering and winning a film festival * marketing yourself and writing press releases * joining professional organizations * hiring an accountant and a lawyer * getting your work copyrighted * understanding the golden rule of freelance animation: never work for free. Filled with amusing stories about working in the animation industry; brushes with silver-screen legends Tex Avery, John Lasseter, Roger Corman, and James Cameron; and plain old common sense, How to Get a Job in Animation (And Keep It) will entertain you as it trains you to make the leap into professional animation. It's the career guide that animators have been waiting for.