Legal Alien
That is my legal designation here in the US. It's not really a very nice label, is it? Looking back I seem to have written lots of meandering posts about jobs and reels and Welshness, but not much about being a migrant worker in a country that doesn't really want me anywhere near the labour pool.
I was really very lucky to get my job when I did, with no relevant experience in professional feature animation. As far as I know, I am the only graduate from my uni to get a job straight away as an animator in a big US company. It's not going to get any easier either, further down the line since the quality of work coming out of domestic schools is really quite fantastic right now.
The US is, rather obviously, the best place in the world for feature animation, and like many other Western countries these days, It is also a pain in the arse to get through the immigration gate. There are many hurdles to clear before sitting down at a animation desk these days, and it's unfortunate that although our little industry lives in a progressive global market its companies and creatives are bound by national labour laws and generally mistrustful immigration agencies.
A foreign applicant must have an amazing reel/industry clout to stand out not only from the large number of domestic candidates but the other foreign hopefuls too. This is crucial not only for the individual, but for the company, who, (if interested), must provide proof that the 'alien' really is a cut above everyone else, and therefore indispensable. This is where industry experience comes in handy because it is tangible proof that can be listed and used in evidence to back up this indispensability - ace showreels don't really hold much sway over any country's immigration officers. I'm afraid.
Other stuff can also be used as evidence of alien greatness - newspaper articles, published papers, awards and honours all help to build up a picture of a candidate's merit. Add this to company wanting you and a bit of industry know-how and you're laughing all the way to the one-way ticket purchase.
Of course, this is the start of the adventure for us wide-eyed foreigners, for once we touch down we have to work out how to actually live in our new home. So many life things (Money! Car! House! Culture!) to take care of that a native doesn't have to acclimatise to, particularly at break neck speed before the world of work beckons. I'm actually surprised that I managed to do all this without some form of breakdown occurring, but after all the bureaucratic nonsense is done it is totally worth it.
This may sound a bit doom and gloom, but I don't think any foreign worker shouldn't at least have a pop and try to land the job overseas they always wanted, particularly in animation, The industry moves at a terrific pace, and I firmly believe that to be one of the best in the world, a company must hire globally, from a talent pool hailing from all different nations/cultures in order to tell stories that continue to appeal to everyone.
I was really very lucky to get my job when I did, with no relevant experience in professional feature animation. As far as I know, I am the only graduate from my uni to get a job straight away as an animator in a big US company. It's not going to get any easier either, further down the line since the quality of work coming out of domestic schools is really quite fantastic right now.
The US is, rather obviously, the best place in the world for feature animation, and like many other Western countries these days, It is also a pain in the arse to get through the immigration gate. There are many hurdles to clear before sitting down at a animation desk these days, and it's unfortunate that although our little industry lives in a progressive global market its companies and creatives are bound by national labour laws and generally mistrustful immigration agencies.
A foreign applicant must have an amazing reel/industry clout to stand out not only from the large number of domestic candidates but the other foreign hopefuls too. This is crucial not only for the individual, but for the company, who, (if interested), must provide proof that the 'alien' really is a cut above everyone else, and therefore indispensable. This is where industry experience comes in handy because it is tangible proof that can be listed and used in evidence to back up this indispensability - ace showreels don't really hold much sway over any country's immigration officers. I'm afraid.
Other stuff can also be used as evidence of alien greatness - newspaper articles, published papers, awards and honours all help to build up a picture of a candidate's merit. Add this to company wanting you and a bit of industry know-how and you're laughing all the way to the one-way ticket purchase.
Of course, this is the start of the adventure for us wide-eyed foreigners, for once we touch down we have to work out how to actually live in our new home. So many life things (Money! Car! House! Culture!) to take care of that a native doesn't have to acclimatise to, particularly at break neck speed before the world of work beckons. I'm actually surprised that I managed to do all this without some form of breakdown occurring, but after all the bureaucratic nonsense is done it is totally worth it.
This may sound a bit doom and gloom, but I don't think any foreign worker shouldn't at least have a pop and try to land the job overseas they always wanted, particularly in animation, The industry moves at a terrific pace, and I firmly believe that to be one of the best in the world, a company must hire globally, from a talent pool hailing from all different nations/cultures in order to tell stories that continue to appeal to everyone.
posted by Kevan at
7/05/2006 02:08:00 PM
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