Animator

What is an animator?

In a nutshell, an animator is someone who works in animation.

Animation is the transformation that takes place when the normally static is given the illusion of life through movement. This includes illustrated characters in both 2D and 3D, environmental design visualisation, product visualisation, medical or forensic simulation and interface design. Today, animated content can be found in film, television, videogames, the internet, mobile phones and MP3 players.

You could be working in one of two main areas in the industry:

• Interactive animation
  This is the type of animation that depends upon the interaction of a user to effect change, and typically is used for video games and interface designs.
• Broadcast animation
  Generally more a passive form of animation – normally used for film, television or advertising – that tells a story or communicates a narrative. Broadcast animation doesn’t depend upon a user but it does require a captivated audience.

Within these two areas of animation there are at least five main types of animation production:

• digital 3D (computer generated, using Maya, 3DS max etc)
• digital 2D (computer generated, using flash, toon boom studio etc)
• digital Compositing (combining live action and CG graphics, using After Effects, Final Cut, Smoke etc)
• dnalogue 2D (hand drawn, frame by frame, using pencils, paper and a lot of hard work)
• analogue stop motion (using plasticine, puppets and a lot of patience).

What will I be doing?

It’s impossible to quantify exactly, but the activities listed below will form part of what you could be doing:

• designing concept art for characters and environments
• producing storyboards to communicate the way in which a camera will be used to tell a story
• developing 2D concept art into 3D computer models
• creating rich drawn or photographed textures and applying them to 3D models
• rigging character meshes for animation, and adding internal skeletons that can be animated to move complex character meshes
• animating characters’ body movement, emotions and facial movements
• lip-synching characters to recorded dialogue
• lighting modelled environments
• animating special effects
• compositing and editing to combine all necessary elements to complete animated films
• establishing production schedules and monitoring the progress of teams of animators
• pitching ideas to investors and clients.

What skills do I need?

• ability to tell a story, or develop a narrative
• be able to draw well, in as wide a variety of media as possible
• confident use of IT, including familiarity with: Maya; 3D Studio Max; Photoshop; and Premiere or After Effects
• creativity and imagination; it’s not enough to merely be able to copy well
• patience, stamina and attention to detail
• work well as part of a team and independently.

If you’re a creative person, with a good sense of timing and are willing to work hard, a career in animation could be for you.