Your Career As An Animator

How do you go about having a career as an animator

? A far cry from the days when "animator" was synonymous with "Disney cartoon", today's animators can be found in a wide variety of fields. Today's animator is an artist who fabricates multiple images that give the illusion of movement when rapidly displayed to the viewer. Because of the complexity of animation as it is used today, these artists work in teams to create the finished product. Animators are needed to give life to film, television, video games, and the internet, to name a few-and with our world becoming more dependent on multimedia as the main way to communicate ideas, they are more in demand every day.

What does it take to become an animator? Certainly it helps to have an artistic aptitude and the ability to visualize ideas. Once the ideas are in mind, an animator needs to be able to develop and draw animated characters and backgrounds, with an eye to how motion is accomplished. It also helps to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as you are usually part of a creative team working with clients.

A background in technology is an added benefit to someone seeking a career as an animator-most animators are well-versed in 3D computer applications and programs such as Adobe Flash, Maya, Photoshop, and StudioMax. Keep in mind that your job as an animator requires that you bring to life the concepts, stories and visual ideas of your employers.

If you have the basic talent, it's a good idea to take some courses to hone your skills and become up-to-date on the latest technology. Several schools offer training in animation, some of them online. If you prefer to attain a degree, there are many good two-year colleges that can help make that available to you. Schools of Art and Design are specifically focused on the visual arts, and may offer a greater array of automation and computer-design courses. Courses available provide education in storyboarding, characterization, modeling, and animation---and also in digital video and audio.

Many of them also connect graduates with possible future employers, giving them an edge in today's market. Educational institutions provide a rich environment of networking as well, and many instructors have successful backgrounds as animators. In addition, any good prospective animator needs a portfolio. This critical asset allows you to display to prospective employers your best original work, whether created solo or in a group; many schools can give you the tools to create an effective portfolio.

Although animators are needed in many different fields, the highest-paying animation jobs can be found in California, specifically in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. These locales boast the largest concentration of film and video game production firms, which pay the best salaries for animators. As our society demands more realism in its entertainment, animators will be called on in greater numbers to bring concepts and stories to life. A career as an animator might just be your ticket to a fascinating and innovative-and possibly well-paying-- realm.

by: Susan Bean

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