How to Become an Animator

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in animation, you may not be certain how to reach this goal. This article will briefly explore some key steps you can take to become an Animator, the tools you’ll need when you’re getting started, and various career paths to explore.

What is an Animator?

Animators bring characters, objects, and scenes to life by placing images in a sequence that suggests movement. They may use hand-drawn or computer-generated images or a combination of both. Animators are often involved in the full scope of a project, from developing new concepts to designing characters and backgrounds and outlining the animation sequence in storyboards. They begin an animation sequence by creating keyframes, the main points of movement, and then develop the in-between frames that ensure smooth motion. 

Animators usually report to a Creative Director or Animation Director and might also work closely with writers, other artists, and technical staff. On larger projects, Animators may be part of a team assigned specific roles, such as Character Animation, Background Animation, or Special Effects Animator. Animation is often used in movies, television shows, video games, websites, and other media. In the games industry, animators are known as Computer Graphics (CG) or 3D Animators and may collaborate with programmers and artists. In the animation industry, Animators work from a brief provided by the Director or Animation Director and a storyboard developed by the Storyboard Artist. A Special Effects Supervisor, known as an SFX Supervisor, is usually in charge of the special effects team on a film or television production.

The working environment for Animators can vary greatly, depending on their place of employment and current project. Some Animators work in studios as part of a larger team and collaborate closely with other artists and designers. The team-based environment can be fast-paced, with many brainstorming sessions and group meetings. Freelance Animators work more independently and manage their own schedules and client communications. Being an Animator requires a mix of creativity, technical skills, and attention to detail. Animators need to keep up with the latest animation software and techniques, and they must be able to adapt their style to fit different projects. 

What Tools Do I Need To Get Started?

If you’re just beginning your journey in animation, you may wonder which tools are the most essential to learn. The following sections will take a closer look at four of the most popular animation tools currently available: Adobe Animate, Cinema 4D, Blender, and Autodesk Maya, as well as the benefits of learning each.

Adobe Animate

Adobe Animate is a popular type of 2D animation software that’s used to create traditional cartoons. This tool helps users work with many techniques, including puppet, hand-drawn, and frame-by-frame animation. Animate users can also import a character from another illustrator and work with it in Animate. This platform is used by everyone, from animation novices to professionals. Animate is included as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud (CC). Those interested in working with this tool can download Adobe Animate directly from the provider. It is available for Mac OS and Windows as part of a monthly subscription.

Blender

Those interested in exploring a free animation tool can work with Blender. This open-source application is available to anyone interested in creating animations and doesn’t require any financial investment to use. Blender has animation, casting, modeling, video production, composing, and video game creation applications. Blender provides users with a useful toolkit and Cycles, which is a built-in route tracing engine. Cycles helps users create lifelike images and scenes. This tool is popular among Animators because it provides a relatively straightforward user experience. It provides 3D drawing and painting tools, as well as a text editor.

Autodesk Maya

Another widely used animation tool is Autodesk Maya. This 3D animation tool has applications for modeling and motion graphics, creating realistic characters, using simulation to render lifelike effects, and creating data visualizations. Autodesk Maya is a go-to for creating bigger effects, including battle scenes and sweeping landscapes. In addition to helping with these large-scale tasks, this software also allows Animators to focus on minute details, including how to create fabric, water, and realistic hair. This app has a range of plugins that can be used to create displays and projects. It also includes a screenshot editor. It is regularly updated to include new tools and features. Major animation studios like Disney use Autodesk Maya, as do novice Animators who are just starting. This tool works on Linux, Mac OS, and Widows. A free trial is available, and after that, users can purchase a monthly subscription, which will be slightly more costly than other animation tools.

Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D is a popular 3D animation software used for texturing, modeling, animating, lighting, and visual effects. This tool is used by beginners and professionals alike because of its customizable layout and accessible, intuitive interface. Cinema 4D has applications for animating 3D objects within live-action footage and making 3D images appear 2D. This platform can be explored with a trial download, and then requires a monthly subscription to continue using. It is available for Mac OS and Windows.

Steps to Become an Animator

A career in animation can be an exciting professional path to explore, presenting new avenues for creativity with every project. If you’re just getting started working with animation and wonder what steps you should take to pursue this career path, there are several staples along the way that most aspiring Animators will find useful to break into this career. A good starting point is conducting some preliminary research into the animation industry. Animators can pursue many types of careers, including work with video games, TV, or film. While these often overlap, it’s good to decide what route you’re most interested in and what your creative and personal goals are. 

The next step most Animators will need to do is to develop their technical and artistic skills. Visual storytelling is a creative process that involves well-developed artistic skills and a knack for illustration. Some learners will benefit from enrolling in a class to acquire this training, whereas others may prefer to self-teach with asynchronous content like YouTube videos and on-demand coursework. Some of the core technical tools that are important for most Animators to be familiar with are Adobe Animate and Cinema 4D. 

Developing a professional portfolio is another crucial component to becoming an Animator. An impressive portfolio can open many professional doors. Most portfolios include more than just animated clips; they also offer a context that posits the creative decisions that were made and illustrates the process that led to these pieces. Portfolios may include storyboards for this reason. When constructing a professional portfolio, it’s a good rule to focus on quality rather than quantity and select pieces that showcase a range of artistic techniques and styles. One popular tool for creating an animation portfolio is to work with Adobe Portfolio, which is part of Adobe CC and helps users create a full website they can share with prospective employers.

Because animation techniques constantly evolve to reflect new technology and best practices, it’s essential for Animators to stay current on new animation applications and the new features or updates provided to existing tools. The animation industry is fluid and always changing, so Animators must be ready and willing to adapt to these changes.

Animator Career Path

Pursuing a career in animation can be an exciting and creative outlet for artistic-minded individuals. Animation is a core component of film and TV and is also used in many other places, such as in advertisements, on social media, and on websites. Animation provides a way to inform, entertain, or convey information to a target audience. Animators are hired to work in-house in places like film studios, advertising agencies, and gaming companies. These individuals often work as part of a team and use software tools like Blender and Adobe Animate to tell compelling visual stories. 

While no two animation careers are the same, most Animators follow a basic video creation process in which they bring their ideas to life. This starts with brainstorming concepts. Once an idea can be briefly described, they then write a verbal script to add to the animation. Animators then create style frames, which are drawing that showcase the styles the animation will take. Next is the storyboarding phase, where the narrative and action that will take place is fleshed out. Voice-over and music are then added, and the storyboards are combined with the audio elements so the Animator can decide how long the shots will take. A complete draft of the sequences is then undertaken in the rough animation form. This is fine-tuned in the fine animation phase until the project begins to take on the shape it will in its final form. All the sound elements are then put together during sound mixing. Finally, the animated final project is ready to be shared with the client.

In addition to in-house animation jobs, freelance animation jobs are another excellent option to consider. Unlike in-house jobs, where an employer regularly assigns projects and monitors their progress, freelance jobs allow the individual to be their own boss, select their own projects and pay rates, and set aside the necessary time to complete them. Those interested in freelance jobs should be self-motivated and autonomous workers able to balance their animation work alongside business considerations, including securing healthcare, budgeting for time off, and continuously applying for new work. This career path provides more creative freedom, allowing the Animator to choose the project they wish to complete and not waste time completing random, less appealing projects. The effort required for most individuals to pursue freelance animation jobs is significantly more than that typically required to land an entry-level studio job. It requires establishing initial clients, networking, and managing administrative tasks like bookkeeping and handling taxable income.

Before you pursue a career as an Animator, you may wonder if you need a degree to work in this field. While some employers seek candidates with college degrees in media arts or computer animation, this is not required for all professional roles. Career-focused skills programs, including those provided by Noble Desktop, can provide the hands-on training needed to become an Animator and teach the tools and skills you’ll use in this field. These programs typically take much less time to complete and cost significantly less than four-year college study, which makes them an appealing alternative to university coursework. Graduates can put their training to use immediately upon graduation rather than waiting four or more years to do so. Additionally, comprehensive programs like certificates often provide professional development incentives like career counseling, portfolio development, or private mentoring along with tuition, which are excellent resources for career-minded individuals. 

Why Become an Animator?

If you’re an artistic individual with a flair for creating visually engaging stories, becoming an Animator is an excellent career path. Animation skills are useful in many professional roles that extend well beyond film and TV. These professionals also exercise their creative muscles in roles like Game Developers, VFX Artists, Medical Animators, or Mathematical Animators, where they create 3D moving images. Those with a background in animation can work as Multimedia Animators, which involves using various types of software to design and animate images, as well as how the objects they create should move and how their surrounding environment should change. They may also wish to pursue a career in 3D design in fields like engineering or architecture, where they have the opportunity to transform basic images into colorful 3D designs with lifelike characteristics such as depth. Animation skills are also useful for careers in motion graphics design, which combines 2D and 3D animation skills with graphic design principles.

Animation-related career paths provide an excellent platform for individuals to use their creative license daily. This diverse field presents many opportunities for creative people to pursue a range of artistic projects and endeavors, none of which are the same. Because many professions and industries seek out those with a background in animation, those who know how to work with computer animation tools like After Effects and Premiere Pro have a good amount of job flexibility regarding the types of projects they can explore. Animators may opt for traditional animated entertainment projects, video game design, digital advertising, or VR design. This range of opportunities ensures that Animators with the proper training can always find job opportunities.

Learn the Skills to Become an Animator at Noble Desktop

If you want to learn animation, Noble Desktop has several exciting educational opportunities available for individuals at all proficiency levels. In Noble’s Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate, participants receive comprehensive hands-on training intended to prepare them to pursue a career in motion graphics or video editing. Instruction is provided on core Adobe apps like Cinema 4D Lite, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Audition. All participants in this program create a professional demo reel that can be shared with prospective employers. This certificate program includes eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions. Financing options are available.

Those who want to take their motion graphics skills to the next level can do so in Noble’s Motion Graphics Certificate. This intensive program teaches students how to create visual effects and motion graphics using Adobe After Effects. Participants study how to make 3D animations using Cinema 4D Lite. They also explore how to edit videos with Adobe Premiere Pro. This certificate program teaches students how to develop a project from concept into design and ultimately to fully animated graphics. Graduates of this program leave with a demo reel of motion graphics projects that can be shared with future employers to highlight their skills. Five 1-on-1 mentoring sessions are provided as part of this program.

For those who want to focus their training on a specific Adobe application, Noble offers After Effects Bootcamp. This hands-on program takes students from the basics of animation, such as navigating the workplace, up to advanced techniques, including green screen removal and motion tracking. An expert instructor with real-world animation experience teaches this project-based course. Tuition includes a bonus 1-on-1 mentoring session that can be used to drill down on difficult bootcamp concepts or for professional development purposes.

All Noble courses include a free course retake for up to one year. Instruction is provided in person in New York City and live online.