“The industry tends to be pretty male-dominated; it tends to be a boys club.”
Episode 19 of Select+CT with Bridget Costa, Motion Designer, and Professor Samantha from the University of Connecticut.
According to a recent study conducted by Zippia, there are over 7,091 known animators employed in the U.S. Within this number of animators, 71.9% are men. That leaves 28.1% of women, which is not super encouraging, especially for young female aspiring animators.
As experienced motion designers & animators Samantha Olschan and Bridget Costa conversed about the troubles of being a woman in the animation industry, specifically within the younger generation (myself included). These women offer what I think is terrific advice on how to cope and succeed in a male-dominated industry.
Samantha emphasizes that she doesn’t want the younger generation to think about the challenges of being in a male-dominated field. When you hit roadblocks, you can seize the opportunity to grow – failure isn’t necessarily negative (well, sometimes).
See Also: Women in Film
“It’s a challenge that women both from the past and today should never give up on,” said Samantha. She also acknowledged that the challenges for her generation of female animators are different from those of our generation.
Now there are organizations such as women in animation. Within these groups, you can communicate your challenges, share your successes and expand your network. These organizations are helpful because finding connections in your professional environment can make you feel less alone and supported when you experience a problem. In this episode, there is a sense that people are more sensitive to how women experience the workplace, but that doesn’t mean the challenge for women in animation and in any tech-based field doesn’t exist.
Featured Program
The University of Connecticut has a fantastic Digital Media & Design program at both the Stamford and Storrs campuses. The program offers BA and BFA degrees with concentrations in 2D and 3D animation, video production, social media, and web/interactive media. Learn more at the DMD website.
DMCT Micro Credentials
If you are unsure of how your skills connect to Connecticut’s growing Digital Media industry, I encourage you to enroll in DMCT’s first micro-credential course, The Emerging Practitioner. I am a graduate of the program and learned many things to assist my transition from University to a Career in CT and beyond!