Becoming a professional animator, like any other profession, is a gradual process. Not only does it require dedication and focus, but also a creative and eager to learn attitude. But once you get the hang of it, it’s a field that provides unlimited possibilities and opportunities for a

fruitful career; one that brings job satisfaction, and also pays well! Animation, especially

character animation, is a taxing and at times frustrating job, but it’s also one that is extremely

rewarding at all fronts of someone’s aspirations for success and creative potential.

This article will be about informing and guiding you on how to be an animator and everything

you will need to kickstart a career in animation.

Job of an animator

Animating means bringing inanimate objects through life. Almost as if magic, it is a tool to

add movement and action to things and characters, and also create new ones that might

exist in one’s fantasies and imagination. From bouncing a virtual ball to creating full fledged

monsters out of ancient myths, to playing out any and every possible fantasy that can be

conjured by human minds- animation does it all. And the animator, like a puppeteer working

his puppets, holds the strings to this magic.

Technical skills of an animator

Without the right skills, and having good knowledge and understanding of the softwares and

applications through which virtual objects are created and animated, an animator is as good

as a filmmaker without a camera and an editing system. While these applications can’t

create a good animation by themselves and need a keen and imaginative mind, it is through

them that an animator brings their vision into the material world. Animation softwares like

Maya and 3Ds Max are complex and require a lot of practice to gain proficiency.

Soft skills and Characteristic abilities

Animation is always tied up to expression. Be it a full feature film, or a small clip with few

objects- every animation tells a story from scratch. In order to be able to do that with finesse,

one of the most important skills required is the ability to observe.

Keen and accurate observation, where one can notice the nuances of an action, reaction,

emotion, movement and so on, is where the idea and its manifestation begin for an animator.

Learn to take mental notes when observing life happening around you. An animator finds

interesting perspectives in situations that might appear mundane to a layman, and also

possesses the ability to reproduce that interest in the audience through their creation.

Other than that, patience, and the ability to keep going back and rework a creation are

essential to the discipline of an animator.

Figuring out your area of interest

Animation is a wide field, with various pathways that intersect and dissect at various points

of creation. Knowing what your area of interest is, and which kind and field of animation you

want to specialize in, helps you create a personalized path for yourself that is focussed on

getting you to your goal. Different industries look for different kinds of animation, and within

those kinds of animations are various layers which overlap. Understanding these layers, and

choosing a path that would be best for you is something you need to do as you begin your

quest to becoming an animator.

 

That being said, it is important to begin with learning fundamentals of animation well, and

also try your hand at various kinds of productions, so that you can develop a portfolio with

diverse applications and strong specialization. It’s all about creating a balance.

Where to begin

The important thing with animation is to have strong basics and fundamental training.

Learning animation is a gradual, and patient process as it is also a complex field of creation

with many layers of learning and practicing. There are many courses available for beginning

your learning in animation, with focus on different areas depending upon who is providing

the course and which course you’re looking at. From certificate level courses to the

Bachelor’s and specializations- one can choose anything to start with. Various fields of study

in animation include:

● VFX

● 2D animation

● 3D animation

● Editing, mixing and post-production works

● CG arts

● Graphic Design

 

Portfolio

As you start learning animation through your area of interest, at the same time start thinking

about developing a portfolio. A portfolio is what any company, or even a reputed university,

will look at as the first assessment to your skill. AS you learn something, start fine-tuning it

and putting aside a particular creation which highlights that skill and is also compelling to

watch at the same time. Remember to get feedback from people around you, your peers,

and your teachers. A portfolio is the proof of what you can do as an animator, and is an

extremely important aspect of your career as an animator.