Animation is a method of manipulating still images to make them look like they are moving. When people think about animation, they often think of cartoons. However, animators work on a wide variety of content in many different industries. If you are still determining whether learning animation is right for you, consider reading on to learn more about the myriad uses of animation tools and techniques. Not only will learning animation open up several new career opportunities, but it also has a lot of potential personal uses.

What is Animation?

Animation is the process of photographing a still image—typically a drawing—then making slight modifications to the image while taking successive pictures. An animator will rapidly show these pictures to make it appear as if the image is moving. Animation skills are great to have in many different jobs. Animators don’t just create movies or television shows. They also create moving graphics for websites, video games, or visual effects. Most animators now use software to create the graphics, though some still use drawings and sketches to bring their imagination to life.

Read more about what animation is and why you should learn it. 

Professional Uses for Animation

People have been creating animation for more than one hundred and fifty years. It is used to entertain its audience and to communicate many different types of messages. Due to its versatility and universal appeal, animation has a variety of professional uses. Animators create cartoons for children, design video game content, create educational material, and work on animated typography. Some even create simulations for the military.

Produce Cartoons and Other Animated Content

Cartoons are often the first thing that comes to mind when people think about animators, and many animators do indeed create cartoons. The film and television industry has an ongoing need for new animated content–for both adults and children–and animators produce this content. According to recent news reports, there has been growing demand for more animated content on popular streaming platforms like Netflix. 

A Forbes writer notes, “Streaming platforms are spending more and more on producing animated series and movies, sometimes outspending the studios known for animation development.” Today, the majority of animation is computer-generated, so animators generally need to know how to work with animation applications such as After Effects, Adobe Animate, or Premiere Pro.

Design Video Game Content

Video game creators also have an ongoing need for animated content, and this is another popular career path for animators. According to the World Economic Forum, the video game industry is growing rapidly worldwide. It says, “The video game sector is booming–and it’s tipped to keep on growing.” Animators work on game content for both computer gaming systems and mobile apps. They can specialize in many types of content. For instance, some might focus on creating game characters, while others work on animated scenery. Animators also create animated promotional content, which has become increasingly common in many video games.

Create Educational Material

Animation can be a great way to get an audience’s attention, simplify complex ideas, and quickly communicate a large amount of information. According to LinkedIn, “There are so many useful things that students don’t find it interesting to learn because of the boring, dull, and unattractive way in which it is presented to them.” In contrast, the author says, “Animations present information in a visual medium that is more effective.” As a result, animated content is commonly used by educators. Animators can create various educational materials, including short videos for teachers, imagery for people who work in medical professions, and infographics for publishers. 

Work on Animated Typography

Animated typography–also called kinetic typography–is text that moves. It is used in a variety of media, including videos, websites, and digital marketing material. Animators use moving text to capture people’s attention. Research shows that most viewers have a very short attention span when looking at online content; some studies estimate only about eight seconds. Compared to static text, animated typography is more likely to catch and hold viewers’ attention before they move on to something else.

Craft Social Media Posts

Some animators work on creating posts for social media sites. Using social media has become an integral part of life for many people. The Pew Research Center reports that 72 percent of Americans use some type of social media. Many people spend hours a day on various social media sites. However, there is enormous competition among social media creators to capture the attention of all these users. Social Media Marketing is an entire profession devoted to this goal. Some animators craft animated content for social media posts that help these posts stand out from the hundreds of thousands of other options vying for viewer attention.

Create Simulations

While a lot of animation is used for entertainment or marketing, other types of situations require animation as well. Some businesses and organizations use animation to simulate real situations for training purposes. For example, the military uses simulations to help soldiers train for battle. Pilots also use animated simulations to practice different types of flight scenarios. One flight school explains, “Simulators give students the skills to manage emergencies with more proficiency and success. Plenty of risks can occur in a plane. Aircraft failures, such as encounters with icing or engine failures, can be life-threatening in real life. These can be recreated in a safe environment of a flight simulator.” Animators often create simulations for pilots, the military, and other types of training programs.

Other Uses for Animation

In addition to all these professional uses, animation has many personal uses. Many people find that animation is a fulfilling personal hobby and that being creative and learning new things actually improves their well-being. A significant number of people work on animations just for fun.

Design Animations as a Hobby

Not everyone gets paid for their animations. Some people find that working on animation is a fulfilling personal hobby. Animators use their imaginations to do all kinds of creative things, such as designing wacky characters, creating funny scenes, or telling crazy stories, all of which can be a lot of fun. Many animators say that before animation became a career, it was simply a hobby they spent time on because they found it enjoyable.

Improve Your Health and Happiness

Working on animation involves being creative and learning new things, and there is much evidence that both can improve a person’s well-being. As Harvard Health explains, “Learning new things doesn't have to lead to fame or fortune; learning also brings invaluable health benefits, such as more purpose in life, sharper thinking, and maybe even better brain health.” Many people echo this statement, saying that they often feel happier and better about themselves when they learn something new or do something creative.

Learn Animation Skills with Noble Desktop

Many experts agree that animation is much easier to learn when taken either in a live online class or in person. Noble Desktop provides animation classes in both formats. Class sizes are small, and instructors can give students plenty of attention and feedback. 

In just a few days, students can learn how to use Adobe After Effects in Noble Desktop's bootcamp. This class is ideal for people new to the field of animation and motion design. Those with more time can learn what it takes to become an Animator in Noble’s comprehensive Motion Graphics Certificate course. This class teaches animation with After Effects, video editing with Premiere Pro, and audio editing with Audition.

Key Takeaways

• There are many different ways to use animation skills, both professional and personal.
• Animators produce cartoons and other animated content for films and television shows.
• Video games contain a lot of animated content.
• Many educators utilize animation as a teaching tool.
• Animation can help social media posts stand out.
• Simulations used for military or other types of training often contain animated content.
• In addition to being a job, animating can be a fulfilling hobby and a way to improve health and mental well-being.
• Noble Desktop’s animation classes make this skill easy to learn. It offers comprehensive training to fit a variety of schedules, either in person or online.