A career in animation is an exciting path. It’s highly demanding yet equally rewarding. And, if you love to paint scenes with your creativity, then this blog is just for you.
In it, we’ll unveil the path to making an exciting career as an animator;
It includes:
- How to unleash your creative muscle?
- How to stand out in a saturated market of budding animators?
- What skills do you need to succeed in 2023?
- Top skills that will take you from an animator to an agency owner
- How and what of a winning portfolio
- How to land a job with zero experience?
- How to be among 1% of Pro animators?
And a whole lot more.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Know that to make this blog easy to navigate. I’ve divided it into seven tips. Each has an outline of what we cover. And an expanding note on the list of items of our content.
Tip 1: Take courses and Read blogs
In this section, you’ll learn the following:
- How to fill your mind with all the best ideas?
- How to pick courses that will 5x your learning?
- How to hone your animation game from the start?
Unleash your creative muscle
To begin, your goal is to fill your mind with all the best ideas.
Before doing that, it is so important to know if you really have a passion for animation. You might love the idea of animating. But the burning question is, do you actually love doing it?
That’s what you need to determine.
To do that, you’ll watch animations on YouTube. Follow creators and see how they’ve propelled forward. Keep an eye on their practice, tools, and techniques. Watch lots of tutorials. And start practicing.
Don’t try to be a perfectionist right from the start. Your goal should be to enjoy the creative process. So, practice as much as possible.
To unleash your creative muscle, we’ll advise you to read blogs and articles. This is gold for you, especially if you want to become a self-taught animator.
Yes, videos are cool. But, people from the industry also contribute to blogs and share their versatile experiences. They talk about how to build competence and strive hard to stay strong and ahead of the competition.
Plus, these blogs also gave you insight into what’s on the buzz in the animation niche.
So, consider reading animation blogs. Here’s a list of the top animation blogs to fill your mind with inspiration and start off with a bang.
Take courses
Next, you need to take professional courses. You can start from Udemy. Check out reviews, as these tell what the course is and if it is of any real help to professionals.
You can even check sample videos from courses and also the course content. Taking these professional courses will take you leaps ahead of what most people are doing in the industry.
Besides, you can check out courses at CGMA Academy. They have the top professionals and artists who have already made a name in the freelance world. So, learning from them will shorten your learning curve – equipping you with techniques that pro-level artists use.
So, taking courses can go a long way in improving your animation game.
Practice drawing
This is really important. You need to practice drawing as a routine. No need to be perfect. Just get your hand on a tablet or a paper, and improve that eye-hand coordination work.
Practicing will improve your productivity, presenting you as more competitive among other animators.
Tip 2: Enroll in a degree program
Reading on, you’ll discover:
- How to niche down to 10x your impact as an animator?
- How to get the most out of a degree program?
- How to stand out in a saturated market of good animators?
Pick a niche you love
Choosing one area of focus ensures that you’re on the right track. You can niche down and gain quality experience in a span of months.
Let’s look at some of the streams you’ve as an animator;
- Character animation
- Advertising
- Computer animation
- Mobile games
- Modeling
- Special Effects
- Fine arts
Right from the start, you should know which niche is suitable for you. If you have to spend four years in advertising, you’ll not just ace your game in the niche but also be able to step into senior-level positions.
Get a degree
As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers generally want animators who hold a degree in animation. Getting a degree opens doors to entry-level positions.
Taking on apprenticeships and internship roles during your degree will take you a leap ahead of other animators. That’s how you get the most of your degree.
More importantly, if you wish to stand out in a saturated market and excel in your growth, we would advise you to pursue a Master’s degree. As it’s really suitable when applying for senior-level positions;
- Character animator
- Creative director
- Stop motion animation
- Effects animator
Tip 3: Build skills that make you stand out
This Tip will help you learn precisely about the following:
- What a usual day looks like for an animator?
- What skills to build to level up your game?
- What animation software must you ace in 2023?
Daily tasks you’ll do
It can be hard to be precise about the daily tasks you will be doing as an animator since your role would vary from industry to industry. Or project to project.
But there are certain tasks that you’ll be doing as you progress through in your journey.
- Creating frames
- You’ll be designing characters
- You’ll be asked to sketch out storyboards and develop models
- Use computer software to animate and render
- You’ll join meetings with clients and address their needs
- Copy motion photos to animate a character in 3D or 2D
- Designing an animated world that has objects, backgrounds, and set
- Timing motion in your work so that it syncs with music and script
- Collaborating with a team of actors, artists, and designers
In addition to the above, if you aspire to make it big in the animation industry, you must have in-depth knowledge of how the animation pipeline works. The tasks mentioned above cover almost everything in a 3D animation pipeline.
You may not be asked to do all of that since, of course, you’ll be collaborating with a team. But it’s always great to have knowledge of the entire workflow.
Not only does it show that you’re an avid learner, but also someone who takes ownership of their team’s work and can step up as a leader when required.
Skills to Level up your game
Animators with the following skill set are the most sought-after by employers
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Cinema 4D
- Maya
- Motion graphics
- Social media design
- Typesetting
- UX wireframing
- 3D modeling
- Interactive design
Software skills to master
These are some software that you must master;
- Adobe Animate
- Adobe Character Animator
- Maya
- Cinema 4D
- Pencil 2D
- Procreate
- Adobe Creative Cloud Express
- CelAction 2D
Tip 4: Build on your soft skills
Your network is your net worth. Networking is the best way to shorten your learning curve and multiply the impact on your career.
That said:
You, as an animator, can’t go about the job with just an attitude toward producing work. You need to connect with real people and invite their insight into your work.
Feedback is key, but so is developing soft skills by engaging with people.
But what are those skills?
Let’s find out.
Soft skills to propel as an animator
- Group discussions
- Ability to express ideas in drawings
- Love for art and ability to decode messaging
- Attention to detail
- Color sense
- Strong sense of imagination
- Creativity
- Team building
- Communication skills
- Adaptability
- Time management
These are just some essential ones. As you work your way up the team hierarchy, you may need to advance leadership and management skills. And even figure out project management on your own.
Know that you can develop these soft skills by working internships or taking roles in apprenticeship programs at a creative studio.
Tip 5: How to build a winning portfolio?
Your portfolio speaks volumes about your skill and the creative spark you bring as an animator to the table.
Reading on, you’ll discover:
- How to find inspiration for your work?
- What to include in your portfolio to stand out?
- How to create a sensational showreel?
And, most importantly, how to get people buzzing about your work before you even start pitching to clients or companies.
So, let’s dive right in!
How to find inspiration as an animator?
For inspiration, you can check out YouTube channels and Reddit threads. Start watching films and anime, and enjoy watching animated feature films. These will not only educate you about the techniques and tech.
But you’ll gain inspiration from the stories that are being told. You’ll figure out how to elicit a moment of awe. And create something that is beautiful and truly addictive for the audience.
If you want to find more inspiration, check out Motiongrapher.com. It features some incredible animation work that has been curated by top people in the industry.
Behance.com is a showcase site built by Adobe to help animators and designers from around the world to be seen sharing their best work. It’s more like a community space where animators can be approached for freelance gigs too.
And, talk about inspiration, you can connect with fellow animators and graphic designers. You can marvel at their portfolio and some of the finest works. It’s a space where everyone unleashes their creativity. So, lots to learn.
Portfolio that outshines
While everyone would build a basic portfolio showing a demo reel and some animations, you can go one step further.
Eye for experts in your niche. Take a close look at their work. And figure out how they did it. If you can replicate or build something like that on your own, you leap ahead of beginners.
Because now you’ve worked on what pros and experts have been able to do with years of hustle. So, that would be some valuable experience under your belt.
It will make your portfolio outshine others when you apply for a job.
Create a sensational showreel
You want to make sure that your showreel is featured on Vimeo.
One thing you want to follow religiously has got to do with the length of the showreel. Anything between 45 and 85 seconds is highly desirable. It is so since viewers don’t have much time to review your portfolio.
Unless you want them to skip through the best part of your showreel, creating one that is well-timed and shorter in length is advisable.
And, if you really want to find out how cool your work is, don’t worry about reaching out to top artists. Or studios or peers on Linkedln. You can simply land in a Reddit thread and ask them to share a few words on your art.
Besides, know that music is something that is very personal to everyone. So, you might want to hold back from including heavy metal music.
Tip 6: How to land a job with no experience?
Landing a job is not easy. But it doesn’t really have to be stressful too. In fact, we’ll share some great tips for you to not only build confidence but also pose yourself as an authority and a committed pro in your niche.
That said:
You don’t need tons of experience or years of work history to land a good job. We’ll just share this unique method to advance your growth without working several jobs.
So, let’s jump right in!
Perform studio outreach
You can also call it cold outreach. Though time-consuming, it’s an effective process. And starting off as a junior animator, you must reach out to as many studios as possible.
Don’t just swing for the big leagues. Give more time to apply at small studios.
It is not to discourage you in any way. But know that big studios receive thousands of applications each day. So, reverting back might be a business expense for them. They would rather process them into data.
And go through that when they’ve openings for similar positions. See, cold pitching is not a waste of time.
Now, to pitch well, make sure you’ve written a professional email that links to your animation portfolio. It can be a website or even a link to your Behance space. Make sure to enclose your resume too.
Apply for junior roles
The pay may be meager at the start, but as someone aspiring to make a name in the industry, you should apply without any hesitation. Here are some platforms and sites to check out:
- Behance Premium job board
- Facebook group’ Animation studio jobs and freelance works’
- Reddit Group r/animationcareers
- Animatedjobs.com (Global website for animation jobs)
- Linkedln job postings and recruiters
And, if you’re done with all of that, you can tap studios on their site. Find the ‘Careers’ section and apply directly.
Tip 7: Pro tips to be among 1% of the best
In this final section, we’ll share golden nuggets from the pros in the animation industry.
Also, if you’re not much into reading, or finding it hard to wrap your head around what has already been covered, don’t fret. Most people learn better when they watch a video and read a comprehensive guide.
So, you can check out this funny video tutorial. It’s animated and covers pretty much everything you need to know to embark on a successful career in animation.
So, let’s hear from the pros:
Follow your passion
Most experts say that animation is not a job. It’s a passion. The emotional drive to paint something magical would make you stay up late at night in the first place and work on renders and graphics tirelessly.
Being passionate about your profession will take you a long way in your animation career.
It would be best for you to engage with experts on forums like Reddit, Linkedln, and YouTube. Follow behind-the-scenes channels and connect with creators.
Find out what inspires them to create something original and engaging. How can you relate to them? What art style suits you? Finding your own style.
Watch feature films and anime to fill your mind with all kinds of mind-blowing stuff.
Persistence is key
Keep trying. You may not land a job just after graduating from animation school. Don’t fret. Instead, be persistent in your efforts.
What you can do is email a thousand animation studios or potential clients. Speak to top animators or try to become an active member of their community. You can even try improving your portfolio by inviting feedback from experts.
Ask them to share insight on your work, portfolio, and resume. Landing interviews may be hard. But don’t shy away from trying hard.
If you have got the time, go for personal projects or what we call creative specs to decorate your portfolio. Alongside, you can grab low-paying freelance projects. Ones that don’t require much experience and welcome applications from newbies.
Bid your way up to the top. Remember, the goal is not to make a good handful of cash. But it’s your time to improve your skillset and build on your client-dealing skills.
Persistence is key if you want to move forward in the process. No doubt success will follow your footsteps if you’ve completed the process.
What else do you want us to cover?
We have given you a comprehensive guide to making a successful career in animation. Let us know if you want us to cover anything else.
Hope you got a nugget or two from this one.
Enjoy the hustle and paint stories with your creativity!
Author Bio: Jane Collen
