Breaking into Visual Effects, Animation & Games | SAE Institute

Alex
Nov 25
2 min read

Being a newcomer in the visual effects, animation and games industry is a huge challenge, a few of the hardest industries to get into. This is simply because good education is scarce and the expectations placed on juniors and interns are so high that, unless you are already an established artist or technician, you barely have any chance.

In October, I had the chance to host a live workshop at the SAE Institute (Thx Guillen), where I talked about one of the most challenging and mysterious aspects of the job search:

The job application process and how to transition from a student to a professional. Before we get to the interview stage, we first need to impress with our application to demonstrate that we are the right candidate for the role.

The job application is between our skills and dreams.

All students and future juniors have one question on their minds:

How can I apply for my first job when I don't have much experience?

The simple answer is: Focus on demonstrating 'good enough' skills in your showreel.

Many students emphasise too much that they don't have enough experience and can't include much in their CV. This is true but not really important to a recruiter hiring an intern or junior artist or technician. Of course, it would be preferable if the applicant had some professional experience, but it's not essential. Recruiters know that someone who is just starting out or has recently graduated isn't going to be full of experiences. They look for potential and the abilities that are important for the entry-level role.

Checklist: Compare your application with the job requirements.

The best student applications include a 1-2 minute showreel of team projects demonstrating junior-level skills and covering most to all of the job requirements. They read the job application carefully, learning all the basics needed for the role, while looking for professional opportunities to add to their work experience. Their CV highlights their education, background and projects, while their cover letter provides more details about past experiences and future goals. Finally they attend events, join challenges, connect with professionals and recruiters, ask for feedback and apply regularly.

It's not an easy path to join the visual effects, animation and games industry but for those who are willing to walk it, it can be an extremely rewarding one.

Join our next TD Meetup in December 2025 for our upcoming Application Review event.

Best, Alex

PS. Workshop feedback:

"A great if not the introduction into approaching applicating to any job, with the VFX part being only situational flavor of the class." - Raffael

"The coach was very helpful, especially when it came to job applications explaining how to design them effectively, what to include, and how to build meaningful connections through the process." - Antoine