Paige Powell Revis

I attribute my success to having mentors who were willing to invest their time in my education. If I didn't find the right mentors early on in my education, my career would look a lot different. I didn't know what direction to take to get on the right path for animation, so that direction and knowledge from professionals was not only inspiring, but pivotal to my successes.

The best career advice I've received is twofold. First, get to know everybody in the room - networking is how you get your next job and it's super important to find a crew. Second, never give up. The only reason why I'm still creating is because I haven't given up, and there are so many opportunities to just quit because it's too hard, too expensive, or doesn't seem worth it. But you can't build something bigger if you quit. An animation professional told me that you're at the top of the pyramid because you didn't quit, and that's a really important quality to have in such a competitive and difficult industry.

In addition to "networking is key" and "never give up," some of the best advice I can give is to stay true to yourself and know your worth. People appreciate authenticity and they hire people that they like. So don't be fake, be kind and don't be afraid to be genuine. You should absolutely also know your worth and know what the industry standard is for payment. Don't let anyone take advantage of you. Artists work are often undervalued, so learn to stand up for yourself early, ask for raises and make sure you get paid on time.

Challenges ARE opportunities. The studio system has changed completely. Studios are not investing in original ideas, and creatives are losing work and/or being replaced by AI. However, we are also seeing a rise in the creator economy. AI is being used as a tool by people who have never animated, but still want to tell their own stories and audiences are turning to Youtube for fresh ideas in entertainment. Not to say all of the content, especially that made with AI, is quality entertainment. It's far from it, but it can be used as a tool by talented indie artists to speed up the process on a minimal crew and minimal budget. The rise of so many independent studios is really encouraging to see - people are doing their own thing and not letting the gatekeepers get in the way anymore.03

I love creating stories that inspire people to have empathy for others. There's so much discourse in the world that I think sending messages about unity is really important, whether that be through having diverse characters and authentic cultural storytelling, or characters that educate you about mental health. It's all really important, especially for children's content and preteens, for those messages about unity to be put out there and learned at a younger age. It's so easy to judge people based on somebody else's opinion, so it's good for kids to see something positive and form that opinion for themselves.