1. Register and apply On-Line here.
   
2. Ensure that you have agreed to the Terms at the end of the on-line application. You will not be able to continue without this affirmation.  By agreeing, you are agreeing to the terms of the Submission Release. A sample of the language of this release can be found below.
   
3. Once you have completed your application, please follow the specific instructions on how to submit your material. Please note: For many of our positions, we are no longer accepting hard copies of portfolio or reels. In this case, you will need to upload your portfolio/reel and send us via email. If you are applying for a position requiring you to send in a sample flatwork portfolio and/or demo reel, the job description will give you detailed information on how to submit your material.
   
4. You will receive an email acknowledging the successful receipt of your application. We will then contact you if there is an interest in speaking with you further. No phone calls, please!
   

BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR GREAT TEAM

Animator Portfolio:

• The basic elements, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• A video reel of scenes you've animated.
• Five or six animation "flips". (These can be photocopies.)
• Other applicable designs or drawings that show your skill and experience.

Assistant Animator Portfolio:

• The basic elements, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• At least two sets of ruff keys along with your clean-up drawings of same.
• Other examples of your clean-up skills (note if drawings are assistant or inbetween work).

Effects Portfolio:

• The basic elements, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• Effects drawings, showing a variety of work and approach to design.
• A video reel is particularly effective.
• Resume should not any optical training you might have.

Inbetween Positions:

• The basic elements, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• Samples of your past inbetween work.

Layout Portfolio:

• The basic elements, asPORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• A selection of layout drawings that show your sense of staging, design, lighting and perspective. Include your character drawings for the layouts, if possible.
• Make sure we know if this work is from you own ruffs or clean-ups from another artist's work.
• If you have comic strip/comic book examples, we'd like to see a selection of those as well.

Background Portfolio:

• The basic elements, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• Painting examples geared to our studio approach, with an emphasis on attention to detail, lighting, atmosphere, and painterly technique.
• Originals, color prints or transparencies of animation background you've produced.
• Please do not send stretched canvases.

Story Sketch Portfolio:

• The basic elements, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• One or two sets of storyboards (animation or live-action). Photocopies are fine.
• Examples of character designs/model sheets.
• Quick sketches showing you lighting, dramatic setting and staging sense.

Visual Development Portfolio:

• The basic element, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES
• Artwork that displays your sense of caricature, imagination, color and design.
• A selection of color sketches (any media) that dramatize a story.
• Sample of children's story illustrations are helpful but not mandatory.
• If you are interested in character design, include extensive samples of character concepts drawn from your own design and imagination,. Include various "types"; humans and animals, personalities, anthropomorphic objects, model sheets, characters in environments, etc.

Computer Graphics Imagery (CGI) Portfolio:

• The basic elements, as PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES, if applicable.
• Animators should send a video reel that displays animation capabilities and familiarization with animation fundamentals, whether computer, stop motion or traditional approaches.
• Modelers should show familiarization with computer graphics modeling packages as well as sense of design and ability to sculpt.
• Software Developers need a specialized computer science, math or physics background as well as a good understanding of 3-D graphics techniques.
• Software Engineers need credentials in computer science, electronic or computer engineering.
• Systems Engineers should demonstrate a high understanding of program language (such as C/C+), be able to operate systems like UNIX and WINDOWS, have a working knowledge of communications protocols and be able to write interface drivers.

1. If the job description asks that you upload a reel, you must upload your reel using your own email. Send all the material to myreel@tecnotoon.com
   
2. Please upload only materials that are approved for release. Animators can include all traditional work (life drawings, pencil tests, etc.) on a reel.
   
3. Reels should be a QuickTime movie adhering to the following desired format:
   
   1.  DVD/video res (720x486/NTSC or 640x480)
   2. Apple Sorenson codec or mp4 with a ".mov" extension
   3. Must be under 50MB
   4. File name should be #lastnamefirstinitial#_reel.mov.
      
4. Please include a Demo Reel Breakdown explaining what you did on your reel and describing any software used to achieve the effects. This credit list must also be uploaded as a pdf file and entitled #lastnamefirstinitial#_creditlist.pdf. The upload can also be performed via your own email.
   
5. Note that it can take upwards of 30 minutes to upload a 50MB file over a standard 128kbps (upload speed) DSL line. Take your time.

PORTFOLIO REQUIREMENT AND GUIDELINES

A. General Requirements

• A resume is absolutely essential. Portfolios will be returned if a resume is not submitted at the same time. A brief letter outlining your area of interest (2D or 3D animator, ink and paint, designer, storyboard, etc.) is also important.
• All work must be submitted in a traditional portfolio or other easily-managed case. No rolled samples, please! Portfolios should be no more than 24x30 inches. (60x75 cm)
• All work should be mounted on heavy paper or behind plastic on standard portfolio pages. Mounting on illustration board and matting is not necessary or recommended.
• If pastel, chalk or charcoal works are presented, they must be fixed and/or mounted behind plastic.
• The artist's email, name, or initials must be on each page or sample.
• Portfolios should not exceed 25 pages of work. A sketch book, short video tape or portfolio page with several drawings is considered one page.
• Please do not send stretched and/or framed work.
• Slides and/or photocopies are acceptable, especially for color work. Whenever possible, life drawing should be presented in original medium.
• Videotapes should be clear and no longer then four minutes. A table of contents identifying each sequence and the artist's responsibility on that sequence must be included. (NTSC format please. VHS or 3/4 inch tape are fine.)
• Portfolios not meeting these requirements may not be evaluated.

B. Guidelines

1. Traditional Portfolio:

• A good selection of carefully rendered figure drawings using line to emphasize volume and structure. Also include sketch books or loose sketches (mounted) of animals and humans in motion done in quick sketch/gesture style.
• Generally, drawings should be from live subjects. Do not copy photographs.
• Recent work is a must. We should be able to evaluate your current skill level.
• Samples of your cartooning skills and drawings from your imagination are appropriate, but should not comprise a major part of your portfolio work.
• If interested in story sketch, layout, background or effects Trainee positions, approximately half of the portfolio should reflect appropriate art the indicates an understanding of that particular discipline.

2. Animation Services Portfolio:

• An Animation Services portfolio is much the same as the traditional portfolio, except that we would be interested in seeing additional examples of cartooning and finished illustration, especially involving examples related to video games, CD ROM graphics, etc. In this case, life drawing should only take up about one-half of the portfolio that you are applying for Animation Services.

3. CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) Portfolio:

• A CGI portfolio should include fundamental drawing skills as well as a video reel of animation work.
• A videotape portfolio may include computer animation, traditional animation, pencil tests, stop action, or clay animation. Choose samples of your work that show understanding of animation principles such as timing, clear staging, squash and stretch, anticipation and follow-through, secondary action, character modeling and development (both 2D and 3D).
• Videotapes should be clear and no longer than five minutes. The artist's name must be on the tape and the case. A table of contents (breakdown) identifying the artist's responsibility on each sequence must be included. (NTSC format please. VHS or 3/4 inch tapes are fine).

4. Things They Prefer Not to See:

• Copies of Tecnotoon (or other studios') characters.
• Comic strip or comic book work (Small sampling can be include if applicant is interested in layout).
• Super hero, and science/fantasy illustrations.
• Graphic, poster, industrial and advertising design.
• Clay animation models or sculpture.
• Textile, jewelry or three-dimensional design work.
• Photography.

5. And finally:

Please don't ship COD or over-estimate the value of your portfolio contents, because your work could get delayed in Customs or incur a lot of additional fees. Also, we cannot be responsible for loss or damage to submitted work.