Kim Emson has been animating on established children’s series since 2003, for HOT Animation and BBC Scotland. She has enjoyed success on Rubbadubbers, Bob the Builder and OOglies. Recently she has been breaking away from the major studios to handle projects independently with her own bespoke team, who all met whilst working on Bob the Builder.
Based in Northwest England Kim Emson Animates works both from their regional studio-base alongside agencies and in-house with contracted clients, offering clients a full service approach with best value. Kim Emson brings ideas to life for television and Internet broadcast utilising Adobe flash, stop motion animation and motion graphics. Kim Emson and her studio crew have recently completed a project for their first major studio client New Balance and have since completed work for Company Pictures.
Read on as Kim shares some of her experiences....
This blog will follow and reflect my current experience as a freelancer, looking back to reflect how things have changed for me since I attended the freelance survival kit back in autumn of 2008(now being delivered as individual career advice sessions and workshops). I am going to be honest with you guys- hope this isn’t to my detriment!! I hope it’s insightful for some of you and maybe even amusing for those of you who can also look back and reflect on your early days.
Back in 2008, I already had experience up my sleeve (Bob the builder and wot not). I found out about the Freelance Survival Kit after attending a Media Career Doctor session. I was in a bit of a middle experienced career rut but I wasn’t too sure how the freelance survival kit could help me, but I also knew that I didn’t have any new clients or contacts either. I also had free time! (oh wait… I still have that sometimes now!)
I remember the first session was Health and safety run by 1st Option Consultancy, which was an all day session run on a Saturday. Perhaps I am being too honest here when the rest of the Vision and Media team read this- but I really didn’t want to go to the health and safety session!! It clashed with a vintage clothes fair that I really wanted to go to! However, I really wanted to show willing, as it was the first session of many- I think I told Simon Knight some porkies about how I might have to leave during lunch!
Also I was not convinced it was relevant to me as I am an animator- I was never to be involved with on location filming! Surely I would slot into any existing studio and their existing health and safety regime. This weighed up against some amazing vintage clothes – the winner was obvious to me!
Of course I was wrong! It was so interesting and such an enjoyable session and I stayed the whole day!! I also really misjudged the course and didn’t appreciate what position that I know I am now knowledgeable to. We got to see and hear about some very interesting but unfortunate filming incidents in the past, and I learnt so much, ready for when I might manage my own productions. However, I was still not convinced as to when I might need to use this…...
My naïve attitude is laughable now as the health and safety accreditation was required for my next long-term freelance contract, which was, for the first time with the BBC! Within 6 months of completing the survival kit, I was working for BBC Scotland on a great CBBC show called OOglies. So this saved me attending a course up in Glasgow, when I could use the time to carry on unpacking and getting settled in.
On reflection, even more laughably, I have recently been managing, producing and directing projects for myself, which definitely required me to have an aptitude and responsibility for risk assessment. Earlier this year my animation studio Kim Emson Animates, picked up our first major studio client New Balance. The trainers were charmingly animated in stop motion, at South Manchester Studios at the start of May. For the first time, I was in charge and I was responsible for employing a lighting cameraman and an art director whose welfare I was accountable for.
Don’t worry it was all happy endings as of course! I was not building up to a tragic ending!!! Turns out that the Health and Saftey workshop was a far bigger investment in my career than I could of ever imagined back in 2008 and of course was far more important than any vintage clothing no matter how beautiful the items might have been!!!
The workshops I attended included:
Tax and Book-keeping Tips for Freelancers
Networking Skills
Negotiation Skills
Convergent Media
60 Minute CV Makeover
I will cover more of these in future blogs coming soon!!!
