If being an animator is a career that sparks your interest, I highly recommend that you read this article. In this article, I will cover everything you need to know about the job of an animator and what is it like. You will learn about what the job consists of, the training, the salary, workplace opportunities, and other interesting information.
Being an animator is a job that will require a lot of your time and energy. There will be many challenges along the way, but if you have the passion and determination, it will still be enjoyable for you.
Animators create motion-based art that communicates a message. They draw images that are arranged in a way that makes the illusion of them being in motion. Animators have to work in a team, and each member is assigned a to specific task. For example, certain characters, scenes, sequences, lighting, assembling, etc.
Before the beginning of a project, they might be required have a meeting with the production team to discuss storyboards and concept art. Concept art is sketches meant to define the look of characters, objects, etc. After defining the elements, an animator will be set on a certain task to do. It can be either working on a certain scene or with a certain character, for example. They will spend most of their day working on it for weeks, and maybe even months depending on the complexity. Most animators work full-time hours, so when a deadline comes around, they may need to work overtime or weekend hours to ensure that their work is completed on time.
They work in animation studios, or large companies, typically in an office. However, some work from home or occasionally work from home. This is especially true for self-employed animators, but it could be the case for animators working at established studios as well.
No formal education or training is required to be an animator. Even without any degree, If you have the skills and the talent, it is still possible for you to find a job. However, having a degree in graphic design or another degree related to the job will obviously boost your chances of getting interviews and having your portfolio reviewed.
In general, the yearly salary is around $68 000, or $35 an hour. The salary can vary depending on the skills and experience.
They need to be patient and able to carry out sometimes repetitive assignments. They also need to have the capacity to adapt the design of new artistic concepts as well as the employment of older animation and art concepts. Having a great attention to details and a good organization can be really helpful there. They will also have to learn all the soft wares required to do the job.
There are no "dangers", but rather downsides to the job. Your work will be constantly checked and evaluated by creative supervisors, so you will most likely have to make changes a lot of times, which could get very nerve-wracking. If you are an animator, you must be able to take criticism well and learn from the mistakes you make. You will also work for many hours, which could potentially lead to burnouts in the worst cases.
There are very little chances of animations being replaces by robots because they will never (at least not so soon) be able to manually control all the work of being an animator. Animating requires a lot of programs, but there must be someone behind it to control them, and an artificial intelligence could never compare to a human.
Most animators are around 40 years old. They usually retire at 60 years old.
Next year, I will be studying in visual arts. Then hopefully, after I'm done with that, I will go specialize in 3D animation in university. However, I am waiting to see how visual arts goes to figure out my preferences and if animation is really all I want to focus on.
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: research journal
Date: recently published
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited
Rationale: to inform or educate
Authority: research journal
Date: recently published
Accuracy: probably true
Relevance: relevant for this document
Sources: no sources cited