'Striking Out' with Daniel Waterman
- Ethen Dent
- Oct 3, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 15, 2022
Introduction
Set up within the second year of their university degree, Daniel Waterman and Gary Carse established a partnership which grew into a fully working studio. Working on music videos like Warrior's dance by 'The Prodigy', CARSE & WATERMAN spoke with Escape about the journey he has been on since being a student.
[Daniel Waterman profile shot]
Working in Stoke?
Pros and Cons of working in Stoke
Pros | Cons |
Production costs are considerably cheaper compared to London. | Marketing is a challenge as Stoke is not well known for animation studios. |
Both Gary and Daniel studied at the Staffordshire University in Stoke. | Being outside of London lessens our brand image. |
"We are big fish in a small pond." | The challenge of geography (outside London). Clients don't flock to a studio in Stoke. |
There are regional benefits and business support. | Difficulties in attaining talent. Talent flocks to London as it is the UK's industry hub. |
Hyper local market and larger reach to an untapped market. | |
Our staff don't have an expensive, long commute. | |
2 bedroom houses are around £100,000. | |
Financial Incentives
"Hopefully the majority of the production takes place in Stoke as it is a cheaper alternative compared to London. However there are better tax incentives in Ireland and Canada."
How much does animation cost per minute?
"£6,000 - £12,000 per minute"
"In terms of funding, only 10% of the budget usually comes from the distributor. The rest is private equity investment, rebates and incentives."
[At CARSE & WATERMAN, the 'Mini Skirt' music video has now become an in-house joke due to client difficulties and lack of communication between studio and client.]
"Do you have any concerns with having the penguin mini skirt music video on your portfolio?"
In terms of your showreel, "it's great to put your best foot forward, but sometimes companies like to see how much work you have done over the years. Seeing an artist that has just done the bare minimum at university tells them the lack of ambition that the individual has. Be very forthcoming when it comes to your showreel. Make it the most accessible video on your platform. But have those other projects accessible on that same platform. A history of projects can show a client/recruiter how passionate you truly are." - Daniel Waterman, 2021
How to use social media?
"It doesn't have to be the one intense exchange of 'give me a job'. Just talk to useful contacts and remind them that you exist. A casual conversation can be just as beneficial." - Daniel Waterman, 2021
Reflection Segment
"One part of this 'Striking Out' session that I have found so valuable is Daniel's perspective of his portfolio. From the perspective of a recruiter/client, he mentions that it can be a positive to see a project history for both individual and a company. Seeing that history tells a story of progress and ambition and I agree with that statement."
"From Daniel's perspective, I made a decision to overhaul my website completely, bringing my portfolio from Weebly to Wix. This is because I wanted to have my portfolio directly linked to this blog. Not only that, I intend to go through my previous and lower-quality projects (e.g. 2nd year) and start displaying them on my portfolio page. As mentioned, my portfolio page will have all my work... my showreel will have the best of that. This is best illustrated on my 'Spirit Train' project. The train assignment back in first year was the first model I have ever made within Maya. Seeing both side-by-side emphasizes the progress that I have made at Escape. Looking at that does make me a little proud of myself."
"At the time of writing this, I'm making great progress on my website overhaul. All the content has been ported over. Just in the process of making it presentable on the website now. Receiving feedback at this stage has been so valuable as well."
Citations
The Prodigy, 2009. The Prodigy - Warrior's Dance Uncut (Official Video). [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/voBNpdXkLnU> [Accessed 15 June 2022].
Carse and Waterman Animation, 2022. 3D Animated Penguins - Music Video - Mini Skirt. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSlyGkEHzyw> [Accessed 15 June 2022].What I've been listening to:
Comments