Animation is everywhere today—in film and advertising, games and social media, museum projects, and digital media. At the same time, the profession itself is undergoing another period of change: technologies are advancing faster than we can adapt to them, neural networks generate video in minutes, and emerging artists still need to find their own visual language, their audience, and their first commissions. So, is it worth pursuing animation today, and what can one expect from this profession?
We spoke with Evgeny Fadeev—an animated film director, illustrator, and instructor at the HSE Art and Design School. We discussed where to find initial clients, why young animators need festivals and social media, whether AI will replace artists, and what skills they should acquire before entering the industry.
Evgeny Fadeev. Snail’s Breakfast
In your view, how is the animator profession changing?
From my subjective viewpoint, it is still difficult to say exactly how the profession will change given the industry’s challenging state. The advancement of technology, funding difficulties, and the crisis of ideas are all factors. I hope to preserve the fundamental values of animation. And, as in the past, the animation industry needs to reinvent itself again and again. So, on one hand, everything is changing, yet on the other hand, everything remains the same.
What professional trajectories open up for graduates after completing their studies? Is it possible today to build a successful career as an independent filmmaker, or is the market still more geared toward commercial projects?
We have a strong tradition of auteur cinema, and those opportunities still exist. Everything, ultimately, depends on the individual and their need to voice themselves as an author. In a changing environment, trajectories are naturally unpredictable. A graduate might make a significant mark with a striking auteur work—one with an original concept, style, and narrative—and then, for instance, move into the commercial sphere while still returning to auteur projects. If there is a need for an original artistic statement, one cannot bypass the constant need for reinvention.
What determines a specialist’s income today, and which skills help reach a high level faster?
People watch and love cartoons. This means there are creators, and there is a need for them. But this environment is highly volatile, extremely diverse, and has always been so. Therefore, understand very clearly what you can offer, and then it will be clear where to go next.
Beyond professional skills, it is important today to know how to tell your story. What helps a young artist become visible: festivals, social media, collaborations, or personal projects?
Festivals have always been a crucial platform where a young author or specialist can present themselves to the professional community, and this remains true today. Social media offers a wider audience. It is important to cultivate this. However, the presentation format is equally critical to avoid getting lost in an unorganized environment—and not everyone achieves this. This also demands a tremendous amount of time; it is essential to reach the target audience in a timely manner. Therefore, if you lack the time or energy, at least maintain an organized profile page—a digital calling card—and update it periodically.
Evgeny Fadeev. Snail’s Breakfast
It is very important to attempt everything you have the capacity for—collaborations, competitions, and so on. But equally important is knowing when to decline things you lack the resources for. It’s tough, but it’s the right approach. It is better to see something through to completion and create something truly impactful in one area, rather than spreading yourself too thin across everything.
Neural networks allow for the creation of a massive amount of visual content in mere minutes. Some might think that animators are no longer needed and that years of training can be skipped. Or does this profession still have a future that AI cannot negate?
I don’t know what will happen. I’ll say it again: animation has always changed and has been at the forefront of industries undergoing technological shifts.
A neural network does not possess will. It is not a living tool. But we are alive—we are artists! And we have living audiences with emotions and the need to experience a particular complex journey. The neural network is a tool, and existing experience shows us that it is crucial to know what to request from it. Therefore, I know for certain: a good specialist will understand what prompt to give the neural network. They know what is beautiful versus what is cliché or derivative. They have experience—their own, as well as the experience of their teachers and predecessors. A skilled specialist is educated, and because of that, they will succeed—with or without the neural network.
What attracts you most to animation as a director and author? Why are you interested in pursuing this?
It’s simple and fundamental. The ability to create worlds, situations, and images. To make beauty. The chance to reflect on what I need. To live, feel, and experience a new experience. For me, this is artistic self-expression.
It was also an incredible environment for me—surrounded by people who were diverse and inspiring to me—people who create and those who appreciate. People who possess an inner harmony and the capacity to create beauty, to convey it to others, and who can gather together for that purpose—that is a marvel. This is the kind of place one wants to be. I see value in this: to create meaningful beauty simply so that someone else can see it. It is very difficult, but there aren’t many other motivations.
What inspires you most about teaching?
Sharing experience is rewarding and interesting. Moreover, participating in creative projects, even on a small scale, or simply observing them is valuable. Teaching also allows me the opportunity to discipline myself first and foremost. This is a crucial experience for me. To share something, one must make many internal decisions, and when that process succeeds, there is a reward—a source of joy.
Veronika Azbukina. Shark Sandwich // Nikita Kirichenko. Nyaono // Polina Andreeva. Video for the «Time to Help» Foundation
What is the primary focus of the animation curriculum at the School?
The School offers students the opportunity to cycle through the entire process of creating an animated film multiple times. This allows the student to repeatedly experience every stage while developing and refining their own unique approach to production—one that suits them perfectly.
The creative individual is rare, and achieving the success of cultivating not just a specialist in a narrow field, but a person who understands the entire structure of production, is exceptional.
Lyudmila Borkhonova, Alisa Luzina, Milana Lyubitskaya, Curator Evgeny Fadeyev. In a quiet cove
In your opinion, what capabilities of the School are particularly important for a future animator?
The Art and Design School is well-known, and its students frequently appear at festivals and in numerous projects. The School is constantly developing, hosting a multitude of competitions and various projects designed to help students build their portfolios.
Evgeny Fadeev. Herders of Clouds
