Modern professions of animators. How to become a professional animator

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

With the advent of the new millennium, the life of animators has changed for the better. If in the past their only craft was the creation of cartoons, today the range of their possibilities has become much wider. This has led to the fact that the professions of animators have become more diverse. And now every artist can find among them their own version of the ideal future.

Profession cartoonist: description

Animator is a person who creates animation. In some countries, the more common name for this profession is animator. At the same time, the second option is considered more accurate, since it originates from the English word animate, which means “revive” or “inspire.”

Probably it would be correct to say that the profession of an animator-animator is a special kind of art. After all, people working in this area create entireworlds filled with living characters and genuine emotions. Like film workers, they go through hundreds of different operations that ultimately come together in a complete picture.

What are the professions of cartoonists?

The world of modern animation is an incredibly complex mechanism that consists of many parts. So, some specialists are engaged in the preparation of scenes, others draw the image of the hero, others are working on special effects, and the fourth work only with computer graphics. With that in mind, let's talk about what multiplier professions exist today:

• Keyframe animator is a specialist whose main task is to draw the most complex and important scenes. To do this, the master must not only be able to use the brush well, but also have rich work experience.
• A 3D Animator is an artist who creates animated objects using various computer programs. At the moment, this is one of the most promising areas in this genre, as 3D animation is very popular.
• Character animator is a narrowly focused offshoot of this profession, the purpose of which is to master all the subtleties of working out the images of heroes. For comparison, imagine how different the skills of a landscape and portrait painter can be from each other.
• Background multiplier - everything is the same as in the previous paragraph, only in reverse. That is, the main task of the animator isdrawing locations, scenery, interiors and so on.
• A special effects animator is an artist who works with dynamic scenes. At the same time, his skills are used both in the creation of cartoons and on the sites of full-fledged films.

Naturally, these are not all the professions of multipliers, since it can take a good half of a day to list them. But looking at this list, one can easily understand that today there are no universal animators. Indeed, in order to perfectly study at least one of the areas, you will have to spend at least five years, and maybe even more.

How to become a multiplier?

So, the animator is a profession, the training of which requires a serious approach. That is, you cannot master only the basics and admire how good you are. The reality is that only those who are professionally skilled in creating animation projects earn money.

Now for where to get them. Today, there are three main ways of learning. Let's arrange them according to the relevance and quality of the knowledge gained:

1. Educate at one of the universities or colleges in the country. In this case, everything is very clear: live communication with teachers, high-quality base, annual practice and a prestigious diploma. In general, everything that is necessary for a quick start in this area.
2. Passing special courses or training programs. Again, one of the advantages is a direct dialogue with teachers, which will quickly deal with difficultmaterial. Among the minuses, the main one is the lack of a diploma, which at best is replaced by a certificate confirming the completion of the course.
3. Self-learning skills. Thanks to the World Wide Web, many animators have mastered their craft from the comfort of their homes. But after that, you will have to work on your reputation for a long time, so that your name begins to attract profitable customers or producers.

The main quality of a multiplier is…

Many mistakenly believe that the main thing for a multiplier is the ability to draw. This is partly true, but it is much more important that the animator have phenomenal patience. After all, this is a very painstaking work. So, sometimes it can take a master a whole month to create one three-minute video, which becomes a real test for the nervous system.

How to earn a living?

Naturally, at first it will be difficult to find a worthy place in one of the country's animation studios. But the modern world offers these professionals a different reality - freelancing. That is, remote work at home, capable of fully providing the artist with a decent income.

Who needs multipliers? Yes, by and large to everyone: marketing agencies, social projects, multimedia studios, gaming channels, and so on. But most importantly, they are all willing to pay good money for a well-crafted product.