The rapid advancement of technology has made computer animation
available to the masses and the animation industry is one of the fastest
growing industries across the world. The size of the global animation
industry was about US$244 billion in 2015. The major animation markets
include the United States, Canada, Japan, China, France, Britain, Korea and
Germany, India.
With data getting cheap, consumption of content has increased multifold and hence the demand of content has increased too
The demand for animated entertainment has expanded with the increase
in broadcasting hours by cable and satellite TV along with the growing
popularity of the Internet. In the past, animation series were aimed at
children aged nine and below. In recent years however, TV stations have
been producing animation series for teenagers, adults and the whole
family. Animation series like The Simpsons and King of the Hill have been
successfully aired on primetime TV.
As a fairly new artistic career path, animation is filled with opportunity and
promises a career packed with continuous learning opportunities creating
special effects or animation across various media. As an animator, you will
find your skills in demand for across advertising, movies and video game
industries. For instance, animators play integral, behind-the-scenes roles
in action-packed blockbusters like Transformers, high-octane video games
like Halo, trendy television commercials, motion graphics, special effects,
medical explanations and much more.
Video Game Animator
If you’ve spent countless hours playing video games and watching animation
films, you can truly appreciate the intricate artistic detail and creativity that
goes into producing the visuals for a video game.
As an animator in the games industry, you will be responsible for the
portrayal of movement and behavior.
From the skills that you will have developed , as well as personal practice, you will be able to give life to game characters and creatures, but sometimes you will also create other elements such as objects, scenery, vegetation and environmental effect
Video game animation is a specialty within the computer animation field
that focuses on game design and interactive aspects of animation uniquely
associated with video gaming. As a video game animator, you will be required
to combine art and technology to create interactive animated images and
environments for video games. In addition to traditional computer animation
techniques, you will also employ storytelling skills in your game designs, as
well as movie production skills, such as lighting, texture and movement. If
you decide to pursue the career path of a video game animator, you will
often work long weeks, including nights and weekends, especially when
deadlines loom.
CAREER OPTIONS
Art Director
As an art director, you must be a leader; someone who inspires and guides
the vision of the design team. You have to be able to recognize the talent
in those around you and learn how best to get the best from your team.
While many industries – from publishing to marketing – employ art directors
for any project or campaign that requires heavy visual elements, the role is
even more prominent in animation.
An art director holds a very high position on any animation team, and most
creative staff involved on a project report directly to him or her. As an art
director, you will not only have the final say on what footage or stills are to be
included in the final cut (as well as helping to coordinate and shape the entire
project), but may also be required to train junior staff and manage budgets.
3D Modeler
If you’re interested in the realism, special effects and dimensional aspects
of animation, you may consider a career as a 3D modeler
The 3D world is a new yet exciting and rapidly growing industry. As a 3D
Artist , you may work in media production to create elements for video
games or 3D movies. You will also have the option to work in the growing
field of medical illustration, creating 3D images of anatomy for research
and diagnostics.
While this may sound like a fairly specialized job, as a skilled 3D modeler,
you can find work not just in film and video games but also in engineering,
advertising, manufacturing, architecture and many other fields.
Stop Motion Animator
As a stop motion animator, you will be part of a unique bunch. You will use
models, puppets, or clay to create animated films, television commercials,
branded entertainment, and more. Just a few of the best stop motion movies
ever made include The Nightmare before Christmas, Wallace & amp; Gromit: The
Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Chicken Run, Fantastic Mr. Fox, James and the
Giant Peach, and Little Otik.
As a stop motion animator, you will require a high degree of discipline as
it takes an incredible amount of skill, attention to detail and, above all,
patience. What will set you apart from traditional 2D or 3D animators is that
you must also set up physical rigs, usually to specification, in which to work
with the models and camera equipment before using specialist software to
bring it all to life in the editing suite.
Storyboard Artist
If you’re a great story teller and you can combine that with stunning visual
art and drawing skills, this may be the career option for you.
As a storyboard artist, you will usually work hand in hand with animation
and/or filmmaking teams to help map out a story from start to finish long
before work starts. You will be required to take input from writers and
directors. It will be your job as a storyboard artist to produce conceptual
artwork from stills from which the production team can work. Given that
a skilled artist can save everyone else an exceptional amount of time
(and, ergo, money), they’re highly sought after on film shoots, traditional
animation, music videos and commercials.
Flash Animator
As a flash animator, you will create animation for web sites, videos,
advertising and marketing, games, education materials, and more. You will
coordinate with creative directors to ensure that the animation compliments
the design and works in harmony with the technology used to drive the
finished product.
Predominantly working with the Adobe suite of animation tools, you will
combine skills in illustration, graphic design and composition to create
compelling 2D and 3D animation in Adobe Flash. Given the prevalence
of the format in modern usage, Flash specialists are employed in just
about every area in which animation is required but particularly in web
applications and advertising.
Creativity
Your job as an animator is to bring a graphic element to life. It’s also your
job to know the best way to do this. You may be working with very little
information from a client and the idea may not be clear. This is where
creativity comes into play. You must be able to take a simple idea and turn
it into a complex and appealing motion design piece.
Traditional Art Skills
Having knowledge of traditional art is very helpful during your design
process and can give you an eye for the best way to communicate your
motion design to the audience. During most motion graphics pieces, it’s
always easier to sketch out your ideas on paper than it is to build it in
the computer only to find out that it’s not working. Sketches can be done
much faster, allowing you to quickly brainstorm different ideas, ultimately
speeding up your workflow. You also won’t feel as bad if you have to toss
an idea since you didn’t have to spend much time on it.
Software
You should be proficient in the leading animation software, such as Autodesk
Maya, Mari, and a variety of programs from Adobe’s Creative Suite (notably
Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator and After Effects). As an animator, you should
wield cutting-edge digital animation techniques, such as motion capture,
character rigging, 3D modeling and texture development, to make your
on-screen creations come to life. You will also benefit from a working
knowledge of physics and anatomy, as a deeper understanding of how and
why things move will help you develop the most realistic animations.