Gurpreet Johal

Year of Graduation: 2018

  • Course BA Animation
  • School Wolverhampton School of Art
  • Nationality British
  • Career industry Media
  • Current job title Animation Assassin
  • Current Company Stone's Throw Media

Just because you have chosen a course that is less popular, does not mean there are not any jobs out there and it does not mean you will not be successful. It is quite the opposite.

I had a lot of great memories whilst being at University. I really enjoyed working in the library with my friends and it is probably one of the things I miss the most. It is a very social and visually appealing place to work which is great for concentration and it has all of the equipment you may need. During my third year we were given the opportunity to design a character based on a client brief in order to win an internship. I thoroughly enjoyed working on this project as it was something career wise that I wanted to get into and had also won. My confidence was definitely tested a lot during my time at university but in a positive way. I had become more used to presenting in front of my peers and became more confident overtime. Having the time to develop my skill set and prepare me for the working world with lectures who have taken the same path was extremely valuable to me. I am very happy that I had chose to go on my course as I had also landed my job through the University.
Studying Animation at the University of Wolverhampton helped me learn the fundamentals and explore different animation styles. Through the guidance of our lecturers and various modules, the course allowed me to learn about all of the different career paths that are readily available within animation, as well as all of the tools and latest industry standard software to help along the way. During the end of our third year we are given the chance to present our work through a 'Degree Show'. With this, we can set up a station to show off our work to various professionals which can give you the chance to land a job. It was through the Degree Show that my business card had been picked up and I was informed about an opening for an animation internship at Stone's Throw Media. After my internship had ended I was offered a full time position and I have happily been working there for two years now.
My key responsibilities currently involve: • Working as a team and collaborating with my colleagues to produce high-quality animations based on client briefs. • Participating in brainstorming sessions to share our perspectives and ideas. • To create storyboards, concept art and graphics ready for animation and to show the client our artist direction.
Outside Stone's Throw Media, my career highlight to date has to be when a AAA game company commissioned me to draw a comic for their social media which dives deep into the games lore. I felt as though this was a huge achievement for me and a sign of acknowledgement as this was a fundamental piece of storytelling for the game that I was able to be apart of.
Do your best and work hard! For animation especially, it can take time to progress to a higher skill level. My animation skills improved greatly from my first year to my last year, due to the amount of hard work and effort I had put in. I went into my classes with the mentality that I wanted to be the top of my class. Being a shy person, this was a little difficult for me but I wanted my skill set to do all of the talking. Also, do not give up! There may be hard times but you can also push through.

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