In the part 2 of this series, we learned that how to make a perfect resume and many of its intrinsic details. In this article, we will discuss the sample resume format. If you haven’t gone through the earlier two parts, we strongly suggests to do so. 

Many of the tips mentioned in this post, has references from earlier posts. So, please read them entirely to get the complete understanding. 

Don’t expect reply from HR, if you don’t follow these guidelines

As mentioned earlier, a hiring manager receives a large number of resumes every day, so you must make sure to create a resume that stands out in the clutter. Generally, this is the biggest mistake that many artists do and wonder why they are not getting any response from the HR department.

Given below is the recommended sequence of a professional resume format.

The breakup of a winning resume sample for any 2D/3D Animation and VFX jobs is given below step by step. Please check all the modules and make your resume accordingly. Use it all as a guideline and do necessary edit/delete as per your requirement. 

1. Objective

Always start your resume with the objective. It must be a small paragraph which consists only one or two lines.

Benefits of mentioning objective in your resume

• It highlights your career goals and professional aspirations.
• It is concise and impactful. So, it gives a clarity to an HR / hiring manager about you and how you can be fit into the studio culture. 
• It gives a positive impression.
• It shows that you are a focused and compelling artist.

Things to take care while writing objective

• Make sure to not include any software name(s). It will limit your skills.
• Never use very heavy words or complex sentences. 
• Don’t highlight your qualifications here. 

In a simple language, ‘objective’ is your ‘career statement’ in your resume format. Overall, it shows what value you can bring for the studio, by joining as an artist. 

Some might argue that, it is irrelevant or out of date context in today’s dynamic world. But, trust me, the powerful objective of 1-2 lines will give a hook to the HR department to read your complete resume. 

Some examples of best objective lines

• Passionate [3D / VFX / CGI] artist with focus on details, which brings life to the bigger artistry. Seeking a position that allows me to use my expertise, in aligned with the studio goals. 
• Seeking a challenging role in the [job category / industry] where my creative and technical skills can contribute to the studio growth.
• Want to bring my hard work creative passion to be part of a great team work. 
• A motivated [3D / VFX / CGI] artist with a proven track record of [] years in the [job category]. Looking for an opportunity to utilize my skills in a more fruitful manner. 
• Aspiring [job category] artist with a strong technical and creative background. Looking for new professional challenges. 
• Seeking an entry-level position in [job category] to gain hands-on experience. A skilled artist who can give a meaningful contribution to the studio. 
• Result oriented artist in the domain of [job category] with practical experience and exposure of [] years in the AVGC industry. Can also handle project management and corporate functions of a studio. Seeking a leadership role where I can leverage my strategic thinking and team-building skills to achieve studio goals. 

Please modify it as per your experience and the job category you are applying for. Do mix and match from above examples to make your own unique objective statement. 

2. Expertise

So, you have written an impactful objective and now an HR is interested to read further. The second step is to provide your professional details at a glance in your resume format. It gives an immediate information of your capabilities, key skills and proficiencies. This is a great time saver for the hiring manger. 

Understand that it is one of the most crucial part of an your resume, so give proper attention to detail here. 

Why to show your expertise?

• It quickly grabs the attention of recruiters who are looking for artists with particular skill sets.
• It becomes easy for them to put you in shortlisted category.
• It quickly shows that you are a potential candidate for the said job.
• This section only contains the keywords, so it also becomes easy for the studios who uses ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) to filter resumes for initial screening. 
• It increases your chances of securing an interview for the desired position.
• This leads to a productive conversation with HR department. 

This is how you create a targeted job application. 

In a nutshell, the main purpose of this section is to differentiate yourself from other candidates by highlighting your unique skills or expertise. This section provides a comprehensive overview of your strengths and competencies. It will complement the detailed descriptions of your work experience and education elsewhere in the resume.

How to show your expertise?

Tips

• Mention the parent company name with software. It will show your professionalism. Examples: Foundry Nuke, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk Maya
• If you are using this pattern, keep an eye on company mergers and their updates. On Feb 2017, ‘The Foundry’ did undergo a name change. It dropped the ‘The’ and became simply ‘Foundry’. Same way the company Blackmagic Design acquired Fusion from Eyeon in September 2014. So, now it is ‘Blackmagic Design Fusion’. 
• You can also show your proficiency level of an individual software or skill set in percentage or bar style. 

3. Demoreel/showreel link

After showing your technical skills and softwares, now it’s time to show your proficiency with them.

All animator resume format will have Maya and/or 3ds Max as softwares, but the demoreel / showreel shows how much capable you are as an artist. It provides a visual representation of your capabilities to the studio. It is one of the most important part of your 3D and VFX cv. 

Talking about the ‘Animator’ job role, an animation showreel can display a variety of animation styles and techniques. It demonstrates your versatility and range. This can be especially beneficial in studios where different movie projects require different animation approaches.

You can use YouTube or Vimeo to upload your demoreel. In the description section, please mention all the keywords and software names to make it searchable. Also input most trending and relevant hashtags to make it SEO friendly.

Tips to make a perfect demoreel

• Start with your best shot. It has to be visually appealing to impress the hiring department.
• If you are an experienced artist, include shots from released projects (movies, web series, commercials etc.).
• If you are doing the above thing, give necessary credits to the respective production house / studio.
• If you are making a Compositing showreel, do include the break up of the entire composition with before and after scenes. Demonstrate your ability to integrate various elements such as live-action footage, render passes, matte paintings, and visual effects seamlessly. It shows diverse range of your skills.
• Arrange your shots in a logical and visually pleasing sequence to create a smooth flow throughout the demoreel. Consider pacing, transitions, and overall composition to keep viewers engaged.
• If you are using a background sound, make sure that it don’t overpower your visuals.
• Highlight the list of softwares.
• Do mention your email id and contact details at the end. Also show url of your blog or website, if any. 
• Make it under one minute, unless you are a TD (Technical Director).
• Overall, maintain a quality. Avoid using unfinished works. 
• Before making the final upload, do take feedback from your mentors / industry artists. It will help to polish your demoreel. 

Don’t do these mistakes

• Never attach the showreel video in a mail. No one is interested to download a video and then watch it. 
• Never make it password protected.

4. Job profile

In your resume format, this section is the the summary of your entire professional journey. It effectively summarizes your entire experiences in a concise and impactful manner. It serves as a reference point for the HR to perfectly evaluate your skills and match with the latest job opening of the studio. 

How to write a professional job profile?

Given below is the structured approach to write a perfect job profile.

• List the studios you have worked for in chronological order, starting with the most recent. Mention the exact studio name and its respective location.
• Following it, mention your job title like Animation Artist, Modeling and Texturing Artist, VFX Artist, Senior Animator, Pipeline TD etc.
• Mention the duration of your job at each studio. It can show start and end month with year. To be more precise, you can also show the total number of years and months you worked for each studio.
• Show your tasks and responsibilities of each job role. Use bullet points to make it more impressive.
• If you have done something extraordinary apart from your regular job role (innovative techniques to improve production / post production pipeline, mentored a team, created tools to increase productivity etc.), do mention and explain them. 
• Highlight any significant achievements, awards received during your tenure at each studio. This could include accolades for projects, industry recognition, or contributions to successful productions.
• Mention the titles of movies, web series, commercials, documentaries that you had worked on. 
• If you have IMDB profile, it can also be mentioned in your resume format before starting the studio list.

Examples of job profile templates

1.

Studio: ………………………..

Duration: ………………………..

Job role: VFX Artist

Responsibilities:

• Creation of various kinds of visual effects as per project requirement
• Final compositing of live action plates (using essential VFX job roles of roto, paint / prep, clean plate, chroma removal, tracking, 3D matchmoving) with CGI elements / 3D render passes / stock footages
• Aesthetic blend of all the elements to create realistic output
• Match the visual style / look and feel as per master shot
• Collaborate with other studio departments to follow client guidelines
• Conduct quality control checks to review and refine VFX sequences
• Troubleshoot technical issues to optimize post production pipeline

Projects worked on: ………………………..

2.

Studio: ………………………..

Duration: ………………………..

Job role: Modeling & Texturing Artist

Responsibilities:

• Create detailed 3D models (digital assets) of characters, props, environments, and other elements based on concept art, reference images, or design specifications
• Optimization of these 3D assets considering polygon count and topology
• Creation of high-resolution textures and materials for various 3D objects as per client requirement
• Perform UV unwrapping and mapping for 3D models to ensure proper texture placement and alignment
• Making sure that texture don’t get stretched / distorted during rendering
• Do conduce all required quality checks as per technical standards of the project
• Revise the details as per requirements
• Produce the desired look and feel of assets
• Collaborate with other studio departments to ensure seamless integration of assets into scenes and environments

Projects worked on: ………………………..

3.

Studio: ………………………..

Duration: ………………………..

Job role: Animation Artist

Responsibilities:

• Using storyboards to develop final animations
• Following the Animation principles to create believable animation
• Creation of various animation sequences for characters, objects, environments as per client requirement
• Bring characters to life by animating their movements and emotions 
• Making alive the Director’s vision with the appropriate animation style
• Maintain consistency in character anatomy and expression across different shots or scenes

Projects worked on: ………………………..

5. Academic qualifications

It’s pretty much straight forward content in any sample resume format. This module showcase your educational background to the hiring department. 

Benefits of showing your academic qualifications

• Employers often require proof of educational credentials to verify your skill sets.
• It helps them to ensure that you meet the minimum educational requirements for the said job position.
• It include relevant coursework, projects, or academic achievements that highlight specific skills relevant to the job.
• it gives you a competitive edge among other resumes.
• In a nutshell, it shows your overall credibility and knowledge which is required for the job position.  

How to show your academic qualifications?

Follow these guidelines to provide clear and relevant information.

• Start with your latest qualification and go backward chronologically.
• Mention the full name of your course.
• Mention respective college / school / institute.
• Also show respective month and year along with.
• At the end, mention the grade that you have achieved.
• Do mention any other online / offline certifications you have done. 

6. Personal details

Mention only relevant information and avoid including sensitive or unnecessary personal information in your resume. Such details are important for hiring department to further communication with you regarding the job application process. These details are also important for any kind of background checks, if necessary.

If your hobbies are directly related to the job you are applying for, it can be beneficial to mention. For example, if you are applying for a compositing job position and you mention photography as a hobby, it could showcase the creative and technical side of yours.

Please share only these things in your resume format.

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Known languages (You can also show the respective fluency)
• Hobbies (Be sensible here. Avoid controversial or potentially divisive hobbies)
• Current address
• Native address (Only if you are ready to migrate back)

The last part of how this series of how to make resume of Animation and VFX artists focuses on cover letter and freelance projects.