The portfolio is your chance to show your skills and creative abilities.
We are looking for applicants who are able to showcase a broad understanding of the relevant skills and who have a mindset for learning new ways of expressing themselves throughout their years of study.
When working with the categories, remember, that individuality and originality is something to strive for.
Please specify whether the design is an original creation or an adaptation of another’s work. If the character design is not your own, you must provide the name of the original designer and the TV series, film or comic from which the character originates.
Please refrain from having any gratuitous violent or sexual material in your portfolio.
Portfolio Requirements, Character Animation
1. Video introduction (max 3 minutes)
As a professional animator, you will be working as part of a team communicating stories and emotions to an audience. In order to do that, it is essential that you are able to articulate intentions and to give and receive feedback in a constructive and professional manner.
In this category, we are asking you to record a video introduction of yourself – an application letter in video form. Here are some suggestions for topics to cover (please don’t feel obligated to include all of them or to limit yourself to these):
- Why are you applying, what made you choose this specific programme, and how does that choice tie in with your ambitions for the future?
- How do you see your own strengths and weaknesses as a creative in terms of craft, vision, drive etc.? What are you especially hoping to improve in by studying at TAW?
- What or who inspire(s) you as a creative person? Consider naming some favourite creators or works (comics, films, games, books …) and talking about how and why they inspire you.
- Tell us about any relevant experience you may have in the form of work or study or other. Anything from paid work to passion projects applies.
- Formative experiences: Things you have done or that have happened to you, good or bad, that you think shaped you in terms of who you are now.
When reviewing the video, we will look at your ability to communicate succinctly and clearly about who you are and how you see yourself profiting from the course.
We will not be judging the video based on image or sound quality, editing or other technical aspects – as long as you are in the frame, and we can hear what you are saying. Feel free to record the video with your phone, a web camera or whatever else is easily accessible to you.
The video should be uploaded to an external site like YouTube or Vimeo. Mark it as “hidden” if you don’t want anyone but us to see it. Dropbox, Google Drive and similar file sharing services that require sign up to view the files may not be used for the video. Please place the link on the first page of your portfolio.
Remember to test that it works before submitting your application!
2. Life Drawings: Long studies (max. 2 drawings) and croquis (min. 4 and max. 10 drawings)
Drawings in this category should include formal life drawing with models and can include drawings of people in real-life situations. It may include drawings of animals as well.
We want to see sketches with movement in focus. Try using different materials that can show your range as an artist.
3. Drama and Acting (min. 8 and max. 15 different poses/expressions)
Drawings in this category should depict characters (either your own, original characters or existing characters) expressing a specific emotion or feeling. From reading the character’s body language, the viewer should be able to determine the character’s mood and feelings clearly.
We recommend you depict two characters relating to one another in a scene (this counts as two poses/expressions). Your characters should vary in personality, form, shape and colour.
Think about putting them in dynamic situations where you can explore interesting compositions and have varied poses for all characters.
We do not expect finished and polished drawings; we want to see movement, life and dynamic poses.
Think about how you construct your characters – make sure to ‘draw through’ your characters, so we can see that you understand the forms and shapes that your characters consist of.
1-2 of the drawings should be of the characters in perspective.
We are interested in seeing your process, so please add any thumbnails as well (maximum one thumbnail for each pose/expression).
4. Movement (min. 6 and max. 10 drawings)
Depicting characters that are in movement. You must think of proportions and dynamics, and how the characters would move if you put them in a specific situation.
1 or 2 of the total number of drawings must be of the characters in perspective.
There are two ways to count drawings:
- Example A - Separate movement: 1 or 2 character(s) doing one specific movement counts as one drawing.
- Example B - Connected movement: One single character shown in multiple poses (3-6) within a continuous movement (sequence) counts as one drawing.
You can choose one or mix the two ways, but make sure that your total number of drawings is between 6–10 drawings. If you draw two characters interacting in one specific movement, such as dancing, it counts as one drawing (Example A).
The characters can either be of your own design or existing characters.
You can use the same character in different poses or use multiple, different characters. Show us that you are aware of the different shapes that the characters consist of by ‘drawing through’ the characters. We need to see how you construct and build the characters.
We encourage you to be original with your drawings and ideas, and we are interested in seeing your process, so please add any thumbnails as well.
5. Storyboard (8-10 panels)
Create a visual sequence in the form of a storyboard with the theme “Midnight Heist”.
Please use 8-10 panels. The aim is to show your visual storytelling skills, so try to use diverse cinematic compositions (different kind of shots, angles, points of view, composition etc.)
We are interested in seeing your process, so please add any thumbnails and sketches as well.
6. Perspective (2-3 drawings)
Drawings in this category should consist of environments, buildings, constructed perspective of urban landscapes or landscapes that demonstrate an understanding of the principles of perspective.
We are interested in seeing both organic (natural landscapes) and non-organic (architecture/city) perspectives.
Minimum two of the drawings must be done without the use of 3D work as a tool (meaning not using 3D models to define the perspective).
Keep the construction lines in as many drawings as possible, including horizon lines, vanishing points and orthogonal lines.
We are interested in seeing your process, so please add any thumbnails and sketches as well.
7. Optional (maximum 5 pages excluding references)
This is your chance to show more of your personal work outside the categories.
Show us what you enjoy drawing when you have no restrictions or guidelines.
It could be illustrations, story ideas, sketchbook pieces or more stylized or graphical work.
You are welcome to include references and links to animations that you have made.
The portfolio requirements were updated in November 2024, and apply for applications in 2025 and forward.