PP3: Not Twerking, But Networking

It is beneficial to visit all kinds of festivals or meetings in order to develop a better understanding of your craft and create sturdy connections that will hail you future jobs and an array of opportunities. Considering that I am to be spending a substantial amount of time in Macedonia upon graduation. I felt it necessary to identify networking opportunities there as well as on an international level.

KLIK Animation Festival
Having discussed about this festival in the college's studios with my peers as well as tutors, I believe this to be a quintessential chance to establish networks after I would have already made my graduation film, which would be the strongest stamp in my portfolio. With my business cards already prepared, I would have an effective strategy contacting all the avant-garde animators that will feature their shorts there as well as the studios that would consider offering me a job abroad while I'm back home.

Annecy Animation Festival
Following from the previous festival, Annecy had proven to be a really inclusive festival with a myriad of meetings, workshops, and even parties that loosened the tongues of and sparked conversation between professionals and students in animation that resulted in establishing networks. With a LinkedIn profile now I am able to easily keep in touch with the people I would meet and would be more inclined to talk to.

Leeds Young Film Festival
It would be interesting to establish a network with young animators as well for you never know what one can learn from any individual, no matter their age, they might have more experience than me in numerous sub-fields of animation.

Animafest Zagreb
With my COP being all about Zagreb Film's Yugoslavian animation and the consequential evolution of their technique and audience, Animafest is a wonderful opportunity to establish connections that are closer to home. The people I would meet there might have some essential information about the animation industry in the Balkan, which is where I would be working for quite a while after graduation until time hails a better opportunity.

Manaki Brothers Film Festival
Situated in Skopje, this film festival features all kinds of films from the native scene. Lacking in animation, it might be a perfect opportunity to expose myself to filmmakers that might need some aspects of animation in their films, proposing collaboration.

Skopje Film Festival
More avant-garde, this film festival features independent films as well, proposing the same aforementioned but more along my caliber of underground films, for the time being.

2017 Shorty Shorts Film Festival - The Audience Awards
I have been offered to submit my animation "Breakfast Nightmare" to the 2017 Shorty Shorts Film Festival. This gives me a platform to expose my work to different types of audiences (since this is not an animation-strictly audience award). If it is to win it will be screened with my name displayed, which might catch the eye of filmmakers and animators alike to contact me for a business opportunity or a network development.

Animation World Network
A forum where I've seen animators share tips and tricks about animation. Perhaps it is a wonderful place to enhance my software skills, especially about Illustrator for it is a program that I have actively started using and want to know more about (as I've been designing posters and logos for a plethora of reasons, both personal and commercial).

John Vardar Screening by Lynx Animation Studio
The first feature-length Macedonian animation will be screened by Lynx Animation Studio - the same studio I did a presentation on last year and have already established a small network with the manager and art director for a future possibility of working there upon my graduation. The screening would be a great opportunity to meet up with some of the animators working in the studio, as well as the manager and art director, to discuss a possible position that I might fill.

Animation InsiderAn online website where animators interview each other. Efficient since I can ask about signature techniques of fellow animators about 2D or Stop-Motion, and even a little bit of 3D as well.

Stuttgart Festival of Animated Films
A festival where I would get the same exposure and inspiration like Annecy, except I would also be able to practice speaking German as I will set upon to finish this endeavor once I graduate.

Holland Animation Film FestivalA two-birds-with-one-stone festival where I would have a place to stay, as well. My cousin Oleg Voinovski is studying college in Utrecht, where the animation festival is held. It would be a great opportunity to network and visit my brother-like cousin during his studies hence he could not visit me (due to having to issue a visa).

PP3 Position: Online Presence

In order to solidify my future freelancing career I felt it necessary to establish a professional online profile. I now have these online accounts:

Behance - Since all of the commissioned (and paid) work that I've done ever since I've gotten into college has been illustrative or graphic design, I figured it would be useful to have an online portfolio of that if someone is to desire a poster being made. Furthermore, I find it quite satisfying working making posters for events and bands that I support, for it maximizes the experience for me as well, both professional and social.

https://www.behance.net/vladimirvo079e

Vimeo - I've had Vimeo for a bit, and it is the main link that I've been posting everywhere.

https://vimeo.com/vvoinovski

LinkedIn - Although I had created a LinkedIn account before the summer, I had not developed it to be a cogent profile. I've started making connections and adding people that I know to my social circles with the hopes of opening possible future work endeavors and opportunities. The next step would be to advance into getting endorsements for my skills as well as writing down all the substantial work experiences and volunteering work I've done throughout the years.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimir-voinovski-07b7a8150/

ISSUU - Created last year, here I will post all literary work I shall create if there are such opportunities in the future considering I adore writing and have gotten several such assignments of that nature before.

https://issuu.com/vvoinovski

PP3 Position: Business Cards

3rd of November: In order to facilitate my online artistic presence I require business cards. I've been thinking about this move since last year, and had designed some already, however, upon further consideration I've found that my initial designs did not reflect my artistry nor my contacts. Furthermore, it did not have a firm, solid logo. So I started my new designs, starting with a logo that is simple yet visceral. Based of an old picture of me, I vectorized my face and added the caligraphy logo that I was going to use for my ambient album (for which I have chosen a cover with my face logo but not the lettering one). It features my recent artistic pseudonym that I plan on using for all future art endeavors: Alvaldr - an old norse name that means "king of the world", which is the initial meaning of my real name Vladimir. Following one of my peers' recent conviction of printing out their own business cards gave me an inspiration to avoid stagnation and get this taken care of for it would be imperative for contacting practitioners and establishing networks, which is what this module is about. I've sent out an order to Vistaprint and am expecting them on the 10th of November

Simple business card designs

November 10th - The business cards have arrived with a complementary metal carrier case. I will start handing them out as soon as possible.