I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation by Natalie Nourigat

Much more than a How-To guide. This is a story of transition: a career change, a city departure and arrival, a climate change (weather and cultural). Natalie Nourigat leaves her design job in Portland, a city undergoing its own evolution, and moves to Los Angeles to enter the animation business. Filled with anecdotes of personal discovery and great advice for would-be artists, I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation is a graphic novel that can be read by anyone looking to take that scary first step towards a new start.

Nourigat includes all the steps of the journey. Cataloging the pros and cons of the move to the check-list of requirements in procuring a new job, and the emotional toll of moving to a new city alone, especially one as spread out and expensive as Los Angeles. I appreciated the number of other voices she includes at the end of the book. She gets insight from several over authors about their experiences in the industry.

I found the artwork to be fun and very witty. Her voice is one of honesty and transparency, and very attuned to her audience. A conversational tone is important in this type of work and I feel as if she is speaking directly to the reader throughout the book. It’s also imperative that many times Nourigat cuts through the BS in regards to money and time. Two vital factors in anyone’s life. As I said, Los Angeles is expensive, and it can take a long time applying and finishing the required story tests. But this is not to say that the book is full of gloom and doom. It is very balanced and realistic.

I Moved to Los Angeles to Work in Animation is a graphic novel that I would recommend to someone trying to enter the industry, and really anyone who is looking to make that leap to a new career. It is informative and inspiring.