3D animation has exploded as an artistic and commercial medium in recent years. If you’re looking for a career in the animation industry, there are steps you can take to become better at the craft. Read on to learn tips for becoming a successful 3D animator.
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Push Yourself To Develop Skills
The only way to get better as an animator is to spend as much time as possible working on your craft. Whenever you have free time, work on that animation you’ve only got half-finished. Take some classes and broaden your skills and the software you can use. You can also go outside of the box by taking improv and acting classes. These will help not only strengthen your collaboration skills, which is particularly important when working with an animation team and becoming more familiar with expressing emotion and body language. That can help you create characters that talk and move more realistically.
Gain Experience Wherever Possible
A terrific way to improve your resume and expertise is baptism by fire. Getting as much practical, real-world experience meeting deadlines, getting notes, and building your portfolio can make you a much more appealing candidate for jobs. There are other ways, too. When you’re just starting, apply to internships, volunteer your time, and take on freelance jobs to gain work experience and make connections that can lead to more lucrative opportunities.
Create a Focused Portfolio
It should be no surprise that one of the biggest tips for becoming a successful 3D animator is to create an eye-catching portfolio. Of course, that’s easier said than done. The key is to hook in potential employees and clients from the start. Find the animation you’re most excited about and constantly tweak and refine it. When you feel that it’s finished, let that be the centerpiece of your portfolio that makes people want to see more. Don’t be afraid to get weird. Imbue as much of your personality as you can into your work to make it unique.
Watch Animated Content
One of the easiest and most fun ways to expand your 3D animation knowledge is to watch as much animated content as possible. Pay special attention to the latest animation trends to help guide you in the right direction on what to include in your portfolio. The more movies, television shows, video games, and other content you watch or play, the more you’ll be prepared to discuss the contemporary medium and learn what you like and don’t like.
The more comfortable you become working with the latest software and building your portfolio, the more opportunities you will have for career advancement. So keep working at it, and eventually, you will find success.
