What Is An Animator? Definition, Qualifications And Skills

For Those Who Enjoy Creating Magic, The Animation Industry Offers Limitless Opportunities. The Term "cartooning" Is Frequently Used To Refer To The Field Of Animation. Cartooning Is Simply The Drawing Of Caricatures Of Characters With Distinct Subtleties To Make The Character Elicit A Sense Of Comedy. On The Other Hand, Animation Is The Art Of Bringing These Characters To Life. Animation Is The Art Of Bringing Inanimate Objects To Life Using Various Modern Computer-based Sequencing Techniques.

What Abilities Do Animators Require?

Because Animation And Technology Go Hand In Hand, It's Probably Not Surprising That Technical Skills Are Required To Be Successful In This Field. But It Takes More Than Just Technical Knowledge To Succeed In The Design Field!

It Is Advised To Have A Strong Creative Process And Closely Study The Details Of The World Around You, In Addition To Knowing The Technical Side, Which Are Two Skills That Will Serve You Well In Animation Design.

Employers Are Looking For The Following Technical And Transferable Skills, According To Our Analysis Of Animator Job Postings:

Technical Skills

• Adobe Creative Suite
• Graphic Design
• Motion Graphics
• Interaction Design
• Maya
• UX Wireframes
• Prototyping
• User Interface (UI) Design
• Cinema 4D
• 3D Modelling

Transferable Abilities

• Creativity
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Editing
• Research
• Organisation
• Problem-solving
• Detail-oriented 
• Writing 
• Meeting Deadlines

Becoming An Animator

A Graduate Degree Or Diploma In Animation Is The Best Way To Start A Career In Animation. However, A Graduate Degree In Animation Is Not Widely Available In India, And Only A Few Institutes Currently Offer This Course.

A Variety Of Institutes, On The Other Hand, Offer Diploma Courses In Animation. A Bachelor Of Fine Arts (BFA) Degree Is Also Required To Enter The Field Of Animation. A Bachelor's Degree In Animation And A BFA Are Both Three-year Programmes, Whereas A Diploma In Animation Can Last Anywhere From Six Months To One And A Half Years. The Eligibility Criteria For Pursuing A Diploma Or Degree In Animation Include A 10+2 From A Recognised Board With At Least 45 Per Cent Marks.

Apart From BFA Course, There Are Many Courses Through Which You Can Start Your Career In The Field Of Animation:

Diploma Courses

• Diploma In Animation
• Diploma In Animation And Multimedia Technology

Degree Courses

• B.Sc Animation And Graphics
• B.Sc Animation
• BA Multimedia And Animation
• BA Visual Arts
• B. Des. Animation And VFX Design

Master’s Courses

• M.Des Animation Design
• MA In Multimedia And Animation
• M.Sc Graphics And Animation

Doctorate Courses

• PhD Animation Studies

Top Colleges

1. Loyola College, Chennai 
2. St. Xavier's College, Kolkata 
3. Symbiosis International University, Pune
4. PSGR Krishnammal College For Women, Coimbatore 
5. Fergusson College, Pune 
6. Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur

Begin Early

At This Level, No Special Subjects Are Required To Be Studied. However, Aptitude In Sketching And Drawing, As Well As A Strong Interest In Computers, Are Always Considered Necessary For Entry Into The Animation Industry. It Would Be Very Appropriate To Study Fine Arts At The College Level, And A Bachelor Of Fine Arts Is An Excellent Way To Jumpstart A Career In Animation. If, On The Other Hand, You Are Not Studying Fine Arts But Rather Another Field, You Can Still Pursue A Career In Animation. In Such A Situation, You Must Have A Positive Attitude And A Strong Desire To Succeed In Animation.

Prospects For Employment

Because Of The Boom In The Entertainment And Gaming Industries, Job Opportunities For Animators Are Expanding At A Rapid Pace. Because Of The Extensive Use Of Special Effects, Animation Has Gained A Stronghold In The Film, Television, And Advertising Industries Over Time. Full-length Animated Films Are In High Demand. A Single Animation Film May Require Up To 500 Animators, Implying A Large Number Of Job Opportunities. Animation Is A Tangible, Lucrative, And Demanding Career Option That Serves Both The Entertainment And Education (e-learning) Industries.

Demand

These Days, Animation Is One Of The Fastest-growing Career Options In Our Country. The Increasing Demand For Skilled Animators Has Resulted In An Increase In Job Opportunities And A Rise In The Demand For Animation As A Lucrative Career Option. The Animation Industry Requires More Than 30,000 Professionals Each Year, So Demand Has Outstripped Supply.

Market Surveillance

The Once-dominant Western Animation Industry Has Found A New Home In India. India, More Than Any Other Asian Country, Has The Potential And Creative Juices To Produce World-class Animations. Although The Animation Industry Is Still In Its Infancy In India, It Is Poised For A Period Of Unprecedented Growth. Animations And Special Effects Are In High Demand In The Television, Film, And Advertising Industries. Furthermore, India, With Its Rich Cultural Heritage And Mythology, As Well As Its Technological Know-how, Is Ready To Produce Full-length Animation Films And Short Animation Features. This Boom, However, Would Not Be Limited To The Animation Industry, But Would Also Affect The Mobile And Computer Gaming Industries. All Of This Means More Jobs For 2-D And 3-D Animators, As Well As Increased International Recognition For Indian Animators.

International Perspective

The Indian Animation Industry Is Growing. Western Animation Companies Support India For Outsourcing Animation Because Of The Country's Strong Foundation In English Communication, Low Costs, And Excellent Infrastructure Of State-of-the-art Studios. Big Names In Animation, Such As Fun Bag Animation, Warner Brothers, Industrial Light And Magic, And Disney, Are Now Looking Into Co-producing Animation Films In India.

Career Options 

The Following Are The Various Roles Of Professionals In The Animation Industry:

• In-between Animator – This Is A Position For Beginners In The Animation Industry Where You Can Learn Almost All Of The Fundamentals Of Animation.
• A Modeller Is Someone Well-versed In Form, Volume, And Anatomy. They Create Animation Models.
• Background Artist – This Person Is Responsible For Painting The Backgrounds Of The Characters In The Project.
• Layout Artist – The Person Who Decides On The Lighting And Camera Angles For The Animation And Sketches The Background Design.
• Storyboard Artist – Storyboard Artists Are People With Strong Drawing Skills Whose Job Is To Visualise A Series Of Events From One Animation Frame To The Next.
• Clean-up Artist – An Animator's Assistant Whose Job Is To Trace The Animator's Rough Drawing And Ensure The Accuracy And Consistency Of A Design.
• Scanner Operator – This Position Is Responsible For Scanning The Clean-up Artist's Drawings.
• Compositor – The Job Of A Compositor Is To Combine All Of The Different Characters And Backgrounds Into A Single Animation Frame.
• Character Animators Bring Characters To Life And Are Generally Familiar With Traditional Animation And Stop-motion Animation.
• Combine Live-action Footage With Computer-generated Imagery As A Special Effects Artist.
• Artists Who Work With Digital Ink And Paint – Their Job Is To Add Colour To Each Frame.
• Keyframe Animator – The Primary Job Of A Keyframe Animator Is To Draw Images Of The Beginning And End Of A Movement.
• Lighting Artist – Alter The Shade, Colour Intensity, And Shadows.
• Image Editor – Assemble The Various Audio-visual Elements Of An Animation Film.
• Rendering Artist – Combine Models, Textures, Animation, Lighting, And Other Elements To Create The Correct Blend In The Form Of Individual Animation Frames.
• 2-D Animator – They Produce A Large Number Of Individual Drawings That Define An Animated Sequence.
• Texture Artists Add A Surface To A 3-D Modelled Character, Object, Or Environment.
• Rigging Artist – Takes A Modelled, Textured 3-D Character Or Object And Attaches It To A Skeletal System Or Joints, Allowing The 3-D Character To Speak Or Move Fluidly And Correctly.
• 3-D Animator – Bring The Sculpted, Textured, And Rigged 3-D Model To Life. This Is Accomplished By Arranging The Keyframes In Such A Way That 

Salary

Animation Is A Lucrative And Rewarding Career That Is Attracting A Large Number Of Young People. Professionals Who Are New To The Industry Typically Work As Junior Animators In Animation Studios And Production Houses. These Animators' Starting Pay Packages Can Range From Rs.10,000 To Rs.15,000 Per Month. Within Three To Five Years, You Can Advance To The Position Of Senior Animator, Commanding A Monthly Salary Of Rs.30,000 To Rs.40,000. If You Are Extremely Creative And Have Been A Part Of Some Innovative Projects, You Can Earn More Than Rs.55,000.