Resume template · Updated October 2026
Animation artist resume template
Short answer
Leslie suits an animation artist: work experience prints straight after the summary, so productions, shot counts and the supervisors you delivered to come before the software list, under a single blue accent. The fictional sample is a Burbank character animator on a 3D streaming series, after two years animating a 2D cut-out preschool show in Toon Boom Harmony, with a shot-by-shot demo reel breakdown.
Download the animation artist sample
Mei is a fictional character animator. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Leslie suits an animation artist resume
Leslie prints experience ahead of skills, which suits animation, where an animation supervisor wants to see the productions you worked on and how many shots you finished before your software. Its centred blue header and short blue underlines add one touch of colour without competing with the reel you link at the top.
Second choice: Olivia. Olivia puts skills first under a bold blue header band; choose it if you are early in your career and your software and styles carry more than your credits.
What goes in each section, in Leslie's order
Leslie prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Professional Summary. Your animation type (3D character, 2D hand-drawn, cut-out, stop motion, games), the productions you have worked on by format and one strength a supervisor would name: acting, body mechanics, lip sync, creatures.
- Work Experience. Production type and your role, shots or seconds finished, characters animated and the review process you worked in (dailies, notes from the supervisor and director). Use production titles only once they are announced.
- Skills. Animation skills on Technical (acting, body mechanics, lip sync, polish), software on Tools (Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Blender, ShotGrid). Leslie prints labelled rows after experience, so keep them short.
- Education. Degree or diploma in animation with year. Online animation programs with mentors are worth naming here.
- Demo reel breakdown. A demo reel breakdown: one line per shot with what you did and what you did not (rig, model or lighting by others). It saves the reviewer from guessing which parts of each shot are yours.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Mei Tanaka
Character Animator, 3D and 2D Series
Burbank, CA | mei.tanaka@example.com | (818) 555-0124 | portfolio.example.com/mei-tanaka | linkedin.com/in/sample-mei-tanaka
Character animator with six years on animated series, now animating dialogue and action in Maya for a 3D series made for streaming. Earlier animated 2D cut-out characters in Toon Boom Harmony for a preschool show. Strongest in acting and lip sync; turns around dailies notes quickly.
Experience
Animator, Sunset Reel Animation, Burbank, CA (02/2022 to Present)
- Animate dialogue and action shots in Maya for a 3D comedy series, about 120 finished shots across two seasons.
- Key body and facial performance to match storyboards, layout and recorded dialogue for six main characters.
- Take notes from the animation supervisor and director in dailies, with most notes addressed by the next review.
- Built a pose library for the lead character that the animation team adopted.
Junior Animator, Pinecone Pictures, Glendale, CA (08/2019 to 01/2022)
- Animated 2D cut-out characters in Toon Boom Harmony for a preschool series, two to three scenes a week.
- Cleaned up and timed lip sync for about 40 episodes.
- Adjusted rigs and drawings with the build team when a pose broke.
Demo reel breakdown
- Shot 1: two-character dialogue, all animation by me; rigs, models and lighting by the studio
- Shot 2: personal piece, a fall and recovery; rig from a free character library
- Shot 3: 2D cut-out walk and talk in Harmony; character build by the production team
Education
BFA, Animation, Verdugo Hills College of the Arts (05/2019)
Skills
Character acting, Body mechanics, Lip sync and facial animation, Shot polish, 2D cut-out animation, Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Blender, ShotGrid, Taking notes in dailies, Working to episode schedules
How to make the sample yours
Lead with your format
Feature, series, games and commercials work at different speeds. Say which you have done and roughly how much animation you delivered per week or per episode.
Update the reel before the resume
Put your strongest shot first, keep the reel short, and change the breakdown list whenever the reel changes.
Show you take notes well
One bullet on turning around notes from dailies, or on shots approved without retakes, answers a question every supervisor has.
Name the rigs and pipeline
Studio rigs, ShotGrid, proprietary tools: knowing the pipeline shortens your start time, so mention the parts that transfer.
Switching between 2D and 3D
Lead with the principles that carry over (timing, spacing, acting) and a recent shot in the target medium.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- animation artist
- character animator
- 3D animation
- 2D animation
- Maya
- Toon Boom Harmony
- lip sync
- body mechanics
- acting for animation
- keyframe animation
- demo reel
- ShotGrid
- cut-out animation
- shot polish
Mistakes to avoid
- A reel with no breakdown, leaving the reviewer to guess what you did.
- Unreleased production footage on a public reel without permission.
- A long software list with no credits or shot counts.
- Calling yourself lead or supervising animator for a role you did not hold.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 5 of 5 | 7 of 7 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 5 of 5 | 7 of 7 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 5 of 5 | 7 of 7 |
Frequently asked questions
What should an animation demo reel include?
Your best few shots, strongest first, and a breakdown that says what you did in each. Short and strong beats long and uneven.
How do I list credits on an animation resume?
In each job: the production format (series, feature, game), your role and how much you animated. Add titles once they are publicly announced.
Should I list freelance or personal shots?
Yes, in the reel breakdown and, for freelance work, as a job entry with dates. Mark personal pieces clearly so they are not mistaken for studio work.
Do animation studios care about degrees?
The reel decides most hires. A degree or program helps early on and is worth one line; mentors and workshops count too.
How long should an animator resume be?
One page. The reel and its breakdown hold the detail.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Leslie PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 5 section headings and all 7 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
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