Kilkenny Animated

Attendee Category: Students and Recent Graduates

Michael Downey is our talent management director and a well-seasoned recruiter, with almost a decade’s experience in headhunting, consulting and hiring. Since 2017, his sole focus has been on the animation industry. During that time, he’s learned a lot about what hiring managers in the industry look for, and what it takes for an artist to truly shine during the recruitment process.  

This year, Kilkenny Animated will be providing a platform for Michael to share some of his wisdom with recent or upcoming graduates of animation-related third-level courses, to better prepare them for starting out in the wild world of animation.  

We caught up with Michael to find out a bit more about his talk, Getting Ready for the World of Animation.  

Michael, tell us a bit about your talk. Who is it for?  

Getting Ready for the World of Animation is designed specifically for those who have either recently graduated or will be graduating soon. The idea is to provide a short but informative session on what should be included in an artist’s CV, as well as some tips and tricks for putting a portfolio together. We will have a Questions and Answers bit at the end so that all attendees will have the opportunity to ask any questions they may have about the industry.  

Why do you feel that this is an important talk for Kilkenny Animated?  

It’s an important topic that gets overlooked a lot, with many graduates trying to scramble to put something together just to apply for jobs in the industry. A CV shouldn’t be an afterthought, it deserves time and effort, and the same with a portfolio. This session will hopefully help a lot of people by providing some tips and tricks for getting their work in order before applying for roles in the industry.  

A talk like this might not be considered as exciting as some of the other events taking place at Kilkenny Animated, but learning these skills is essential for any graduate who wants to be taken seriously in the world of animation. Also, I’ll be sharing some of the mistakes people commonly make when applying for jobs in the industry – and hopefully I can prevent our attendees making the same mistakes!  

You have given this talk before. What have the audiences’ reactions been?  

I have given this talk at universities, events, and in partnership with the 2D and 3D Boot camps with Animation Skillnet. Feedback has been really positive, and after hearing the talk, many attendees send thank you messages when they get their first jobs in the industry. The talk is always about answering their questions while giving some insight into what recruitment teams look for. 

What is your ideal outcome for the workshop/talk? What do you think would be an ideal outcome for the attendees/what do you hope they will gain from the event?  

 I hope that attendees will get a better understanding of what studios are looking for from applicants, and they put what they have heard into practice when creating their CV and portfolio. 

Do the attendees need to bring anything?   

Attendees do not need to bring anything just themselves! And their questions – all questions are welcome. 

Find out what time Michael’s talk is at and how to book tickets over on the Kilkenny Animated website.

www.kilkennyanimated.com