There was a point in each of our lives when animation was the most amazing thing we had ever seen. Be it watching a cartoon film as a kid, or watching a movie in 3-D as an adult, there was something thoroughly entertaining about watching fictional characters act and talk like real people. In this digital era, animation can do so much more than entertain people. In fact, the animation industry in India is expected to grow at a much faster frequency than the IT industry. This is why the number of animation jobs in India is progressing tremendously.
The job of an animator is often misunderstood with a cartoonist. As a cartoonist, you sketch out caricatures of different characters with distinct features that make them funny and comical. But because of an animator, those cartoons come to life.
Check Also: Building the best PC for 3D Animation [2021 Guide]
Table of Contents
Laying the foundation in animation
To create the foundation of your animation career, you need a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts (BFA) or a Diploma in Animation. The Bachelor’s course will last for about three years while Diploma courses last somewhere between six months to one year.
In the early years of your course, there are no specific subjects that need extra attention. However, creating an aptitude in sketching and drawing, as well as a keen interest in computers is essential to get entry-level animation jobs.
Skills to adapt
This is a career that requires ample creativity, innovation as well as lots of imagination. Working as an animator for a big agency means you will need to collaborate with a team. Therefore, great interpersonal and communication skills are a must. Apart from this, proficiency in computer software like Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Autodesk3ds Max, etc is needed. As an animator, you need to be able to communicate your thoughts through your sketches. Hence, you need to possess good visualization skills.
Check Also: HOW ANIMATION CHANGED THE WAY OF LEARNING?
Types of jobs in the Animation Industry
The opportunities for animation jobs exist in both, private and public sectors. These career options for animators are usually concentrated in the following sectors:
- Advertising and public relations
- Motion pictures and video
- Online and print news media
- Theatre
- Video Gaming
- E-learning
- Computer systems design
- Television and others
But there is more to the animation industry than being an animator. In fact, there are plenty of opportunities in this creative industry. Let’s take a look at all the career options:
3D Modeller
As the name suggests, a 3D Modeller builds 3D characters and art. Essentially they create a model’s surface and then wrap 2D textures around the digital frame. These models or character skeletons are then used by animators.
Flash Animator
There are degrees to one of the most popular animation jobs, i.e. the profession of an animator. For example, an animator creates animations and visual effects from illustrations. Flash animators, on the other hand, create animations for videos, websites, flash games, advertising, educational purposes, etc.
Check Also: Top Animation Trends for Mobile Apps in 2020
Stop Motion Animator
Stop motion animators use puppets or models to create animations for commercials or films. People in this job combine their skills of photography and direction, as well as utilize their narrative skills to create stop motion animations without manipulating anything digitally.
Animation Director
Animation Director is the person making all the production and direction decisions while making an animated film or tv commercial. They communicate briefs to the entire team as well as look into the team recruitments as well. They are responsible for coordinating and managing the entire animations team.
Video Game Designer
Video game designers use a plethora of arts and skills to create realistic video games. They combine science, technology, art, design as well as animation skills and use it to develop their projects. They design user interface as well as characters followed by their storyline and role-playing mechanics.
Character Animator
A character animator works on designing and creating characters with the help of animation software, 2D animations, as well as 3D modeling. These characters are focused on narrating a story which basically means they are created for films, video games, TV, etc.
Check Also: Explained: How to Choose Best Animation Services
Character Rigger
Character Riggers shape the geometry of the characters concerning their surroundings and backgrounds. This task is achieved by understanding the anatomy of the characters as well as the physics behind their movement. Character Riggers need to develop tools for animation production and collaborations. Moreover, they need to come up with techniques to solve challenges associated with character production and development.
Cartoonist
Cartoonists are responsible for imagining, creating and developing characters, environments, as well as objects. They also develop color patterns and create background scenes. Cartoonists draw either manually or through computer software. Sometimes, they can draw with a combination of both i.e. partly manually and partly on computer.
Effects Animator
Effects Animators work closely with the art department. They create visuals based on concept art and design briefs. Such animators utilize 3D lighting and composition tools to get the desired results. Effects animators also work closely with VFX supervisors, technical directors, and designers to create realistic effects for their work.
Career Outlook
The possible job openings in the animation industry are rising at a very fast pace, thanks to the development in the entertainment industry. Animation plays a primary role in movies, advertisements, videos, etc mainly because of the high usage of special effects. Full-length animation films are high in demand. And every single animation film demands almost five hundred animators each. As a result, job opportunities are immense in this industry. It is a sector that serves both, entertainment as well as the education industry.
A career in animation is challenging, creative and very lucrative. Especially in India, the animation industry is on the path to rapid growth and development. Thanks to India’s solid foundation, cost benefits. and command over the English language, many western companies outsource their animation work to Indian animation agencies.
The animation industry is thriving globally. As a result, the Indian animation artists have scope not only in India but in Western countries as well. Creating a strong portfolio can also be beneficial for landing a great job role. Besides, as long as you keep working on your skills and giving your best, there is no stopping to the heights you can achieve.
Check Also: How to Successfully Use Animations in Your Mobile App
About the Author:
Washija is a content specialist at Receptix. She has an MBA in Tourism and a passion for creating web content. She is an avid reader, a traveler, and a versatile writer. She has been writing on the topics of education, career advice, and related areas for the past 3 years.
