So where do I go from here?

My goal is pretty clear but how to reach it is still an unknown path for me. The secondary research I have done so far has helped me getting a better overview and has taught me some things I didn't know. I do have hopes that I will get some primary research done about Pixar and I have contacted Chris Williams in hopes that he somehow can connect me to Pixar for some kind of interview so I can get more inside info that won't be revealed with secondary research. So far I'm still awaiting my reply and whatever the reply will be I have a feeling I won't get that part of my research done before Pixar is here during Animex so for now I guess I'll put that on ice. As much as I could wish for it I don't expect to get my foot inside Pixar straight from the university so naturally I will have to start working somewhere else to get experience and climb my first steps on that ladder. The industry might not be as big in Europe as in the U.S but it's still an exciting and growing industry. Working in Europe is defiantly (almost) just as interesting for me as working for Pixar. I've seen a lot of great work coming from Europe and particularly from France. I don't think I would mind working in several places in Europe to gather up experience. At the same time I would get to travel and see more of the world around me which I also consider a plus. Preferably I would like to get hired under a contract for a studio or a smaller company but will also look into the opportunities of working as a freelancer. It is hard enough already to get into the industry so if I'm not including freelancing in my job search I'm afraid it's going to get a lot harder to get a job. My first priority will of course then be to get hired under a contract. That way I can gain more working experience and feel more confident and independent as a freelancer later on. Even though I am studying specifically to become a 3D Animator, I still have some skills within modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering and if I'm offered my first job within one of these areas it would be just as interesting to me because then I have my feet inside the door and can take my first steps on the ladder.

National Companies

So where do I start searching? As I've mentioned earlier I don't expect to be walking in the door to Pixar straight from the university and will have to start some place so why not start somewhere local/national where I'm from? I think starting my career in my own country could be a good thing since it will most likely be the most comfortable starting point (language, close to family/support etc.) when I'm still fresh in the game. There are some companies locally in Bergen that I'm interested in working for:

• Bug (One of the major companies in the region and probably Bergen's answer to Pixar)
• Gosu Design (Also one of the larger companies in the region with a big client list and impressive portfolio)
• Michelsen Design
• Northern Visual
• Maestro Media

The 2 first companies are defiantly the ones I would like to work for the most because these are the companies that most likely would need animators. Bug for instance is currently working on a TV animated series for children called "City Of Friends" where Disney is the distributor. City of Friends is currently the most expensive production of its kind in Norway and I'm excited that it's happening "in my backyard" which is just one of the reasons why I would love to work for Bug. Gosu Design might not be currently working on a TV series but they still have an interesting portfolio and client list including TV2 which is one of the major TV channels in Norway. The last 3 companies on the list also do 3D but mostly I expect that their projects are visualizations for the real estate industry. I am interested in doing some visualization but primarily animation, which is the reason why Bug and Gosu are on the top of the list. Bug has grown a lot as well and has become a very profiled company in Bergen so they mostly seek specialized employees. The reason I know this is because I have visited them and talked to the manager 2 years ago. Ergo. If I will be working for them it will most likely be as an animator. When it comes to the rest of Norway there are very few companies I'm familiar with and the only 2 I can think of are based in Oslo:

• FunCom
• Toxic

FunCom has grown to become an international known company within the gaming industry and has released worldwide known titles as:

• The Longest Journey
• Dreamfall (The Longest Journey 2)
• Anarcy Online
• The Age of Conan

Currently, FunCom is primarily focusing on producing MMORPG games like the last 2 mentioned in the list above. I know it's the gaming industry but based on what I'm studying I don't see why I can't work for that industry as well. I've loved playing computer games since I was little anyway so joining a team making one would defiantly be interesting and give me a lot of experience. As far as I know, Toxic is doing much of the same thing as Bug and Gosu in Bergen so based on that I'd much rather work for Bug or Gosu if I get the chance. This because it is closer to my family/relatives/friends and it's in Bergen which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world (I'm not kidding, I've lived close to it most of my life and in the centre of it for the past 2 years and I love it).

The Rest Of Europe

When it comes to the rest of Europe I still haven't researched enough to know what companies are there but France is defiantly an interesting country for me based on what work I've seen from them (even the French student works are amazing). In the UK I still have little knowledge about what companies exist here except from the ones we have been introduced by in lectures and the one that interests me the most is Blue-Zoo Animation Studio. Based on what I've seen on their webpage they seem like a very profiled studio with a lot of exciting projects that I would love to be part of.

Freelancing

I guess the beauty of freelancing is that I don't necessarily have to be with my client physically so I can work externally which then opens a lot of doors and job opportunities. Being realistic about it though, I suspect I already should have a good rumor about me in order to get such projects without meeting the client in person. Putting that aside. Where to search for such jobs? There is a chance I could come across a work ad in the newspaper or through some recruitment agency. But based on my own experience, this industry doesn't seem to announce job offers (not in Norway anyway) in newspapers and similar media that often. Most likely they will announce this on their own homepages or on forums.

CGTalk - A Highly respected community on the web. This is where the "big boys/girls" are and from what I know this is also where people from the industry and potential employers/recruiters log in now and then. CGTalk also features a page for job search alone where companies often announce jobs. The good thing about the system is that it also consists of filters so you can for example look for one discipline and even narrow it down to one country if you want. I've seen a lot of job announcements here for the U.S and UK. Unfortunately it's been rather quiet from Norway there.

Det Store Dyret - Norway's answer to CGTalk. This is probably the most respected forum/community within the creative industry in Norway. Like with CGTalk, this forum is also visited by potential employers/recruiters within the Norwegian industry. The forum does also include a thread for jobs where both employers and employees can announce job offers/looking for jobs. It might not be as sophisticated as the job search at CGTalk but it works for its purpose and I've seen a lot of announcements there that has never been announced at CGTalk filtered to Norway. If I'm looking for vacant jobs in Norway this would be one of my first places to look (especially as a freelancer).

3D Hue - Another big Norwegian forum/community but I would say less respected than Det Store Dyret since I've seen work here that should have never been posted (people posting their first 3D models. Like snowmen for one example). The forum also features a job thread like Det Store Dyret and there's a chance jobs could be announced there instead of Det Store Dyret so it's still a resource worth checking when searching for jobs.

Festivus - A job search webpage for jobs in the animation industry, mainly in the UK. If I'm looking for work in the UK it's defiantly a place to stop by and check. That's how far research has taken me on these subjects. Any further research will be to look more into Europe and what companies it has to offer, especially France.


Sources:

• Design Region Bergen
• Western Norway Film Commission
• Animation Industry Database
• Bug
• Gosu Design
• Northern Visual
• Maestro Media
• FunCom
• Toxic
• Blue-Zoo Animation Studio
• CGTalk
• Det Store Dyret
• 3D Hue
• Skillset
• Festivus

The U.S Green Card

Since my goal would be to work (even do internship) for Pixar it also means that I of course would have to move to the U.S and therefore would need a visa.

Personally I wouldn't apply for a visa to the U.S without already having a job offer so based on that scenario the most relevant type of visa (or green card) for me would be to apply for "immigration through employment".

What I've found in my research on this subject is that there are four categories for receiving the green card based upon employment:

• EB-1
• EB-2
• EB-3
• EB-4

EB-2 and EB-3 are the alternatives I consider relevant ones for my situation which I'll quote in more detail below:


"

EB-2 Professionals with advanced degrees or persons with exceptional ability

• Foreign nationals of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business
• Foreign nationals that are advanced degree professionals
• Qualified alien physicians who will practice medicine in an area of the U.S. which is underserved.
  

EB-3 Skilled or professional workers

• Foreign national professionals with bachelor's degrees (not qualifying for a higher preference category)
• Foreign national skilled workers (minimum two years training and experience)
• Foreign national unskilled workers

"

I can't say I'm certain of what "advanced degrees" would classify as but since I'm planning to do Master's degree I'm thinking it could possibly fall into that category.
If not, EB-3 should be my best option.

Applying for any of the two options mentioned above is still a 3 step process:

1. The employer needs to obtain a labor certification from the US department of labor (DOL)
2. The employer needs to fill out a form with U.S Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS)
3. Once the form has been approved and the visa bulletin reflects that a visa is available, the employee will apply to a U.S. consulate for an immigrant visa or to USCIS for adjustment of status.

NB. Part of the text above (written in italic style) is a quote from my source since there really wasn't any better way of explaining this in other words.


I guess that pretty much everything in short about what I've found out during my research about work permit/green card in the U.S.


Source: U.S. Citizen Immigration Services