Women in Animation’s (WIA) latest step in its 50/50 by 2025 gender equality campaign is the WIA Talent Database. According to a press release, the new system is “designed to be an ever-growing resource available for studios to balance the diversity of their hiring for each and every production moving forward.” The database currently has over 5,000 candidates from the animation industry.
WIA prez Marge Dean, database creator Liz Luu, website developer Mickey Kyle, and database manager Kate Menz teamed up on the project, envisioning and building a searchable tool that pools international talent from throughout the animation profession, including women, trans, and non-binary individuals. Potential employers can easily view candidates’ verified work experience and contact info via the database.
“The WIA Talent Database has been designed to fill in gaps left by other résumé and credit-listing websites as advised by a committee of studio recruiters, development executives, and production management across the animation industry,” the press release details. “The robust WIA system allows potential employers to filter talent searches based on a number of animation-specific hiring factors such as feature vs series experience, years of work in a particular animation role, CG pipeline knowledge, and more.”
“Candidates within the database self-report their credits and our database team then verifies the information supplied before it is made accessible to employer searches, which has proven valuable to the integrity of a talent search,” Luu explained. “Another unique feature of the system is the gallery view which can be used to compare candidate art styles side by side, recreating the simultaneous portfolio review experience that best matches candidates with a production’s visual development goals.”
Dean added, “While studios around the world have heard our call for balance and pledged to champion diversity, the reality is that most animation hires are influenced by word of mouth and proximity to the hiring parties. Increasing the visibility and accessibility of women will make it harder to deny our existence. In other words, the statement, ‘I’d love to hire women, but I don’t know where to find them’ will no longer be acceptable.”
Earlier this year, WIA announced its 2021 Spring Mentorship Program would focus on advancing the careers of women of color. Also part of the 50/50 by 2025 initiative, the program marks a collaboration with Black N’Animated, LatinX in Animation, and Rise Up Animation.
Candidates interested in being added to the WIA Talent database or studios wishing to have access for hiring purposes can find out more at WIA’s website or email database@womeninanimation.org.
