When you first think of the word ‘animation’, the first thing that comes to mind is cartoons, doesn’t it? That’s where animation was conceived, yes. From Disney, to the Akbar and Birbal stories on Pogo, to various Japanese animes that we watched growing up- our early understanding of animation is that of creations with characters and narratives made for a certain age group.

But today, as we look at the world around us, it’s impossible not to notice the presence of created graphics everywhere. And that’s what essentially animation is- created graphics. It begins with creating graphic images that can be put one after another to create an action. Today, animation and graphics are a part of not only almost every media industry, be it news or film or gaming, but also of many other production processes. The entire face of the advertising and marketing industry has changed to make space for more and more digital and graphic creations. Even in the education sector, animation and graphics are taking up more and more space as the technology advances everyday.

Hence, a career in animation and graphic designing is one that has an immeasurable amount of potential today, and will continue on the trajectory in the coming decades.

Here are the top 10 career opportunities available to those getting out from learning animation today:

1. Video Game Designing

Video games are one of the biggest industries today with a revenue that surpasses that of even some social media platforms. And with the increasing demand of

interactive, 3D and application based gaming, the requirement for animators and graphic designers is ever increasing.

2. VFX

Visual Effects are a part of everything today- from a post by a social media influencer, to social media app features like Instagram filters or TikTok videos, all the way to production houses both locally and internationally.

3. AR and VR content creation

AR and VR are rapidly gaining traction in the world of media. AR, Augmented Reality, and VR, Visual Reality, are two fields that cannot function without graphic designers and animators.

4. Advertising and Marketing

Almost every brand and industry today has moved its marketing strategies online. Social Media presence has become a currency, and the space for animators on these platforms is a very important and wide one. Even on television adverts, use of animation and graphics is becoming more and more common with every passing day.

5. Online and Print Media

Media industries too, adapting to the consumer shift to online, have set-up platforms that require animators and graphic designers to create compelling content. Visual Reality today has made media much more flexible and has also pushed the boundaries of expression and discourse.

6. E-learning

Education is no less touched by this wave of visual media than any other industry or field. From interactive and simulation based classes to providing the students with experiences of places and events that are otherwise inaccessible, animation and graphics have now become an extremely important part of E-learning.

7. Film and Television

Animation actually found its place in the mainstream through the film and television industry, and its place is no less imperative today than it was back when it all began; only more so. With the kind of visual narratives the audiences expect today, and the technological innovations that have made anything possible, there are very few films and TV content which is created with zero presence of graphic and animation.

8. Art Direction

Story-boarding and mood-boarding is a huge part of content creation. It comprises the pre-production process which is imperative for the product to actually be envisioned and brought into reality. These are usually done by animators and graphic designers as well.

9. 3D modelling

Be it the automobile industry, the food industry, or even the textile one- 3D modelling is one of the beginning steps of designing and pitching a new product. Animators are required at various levels to imagine the products as they might work and look in real life, and to assess their feasibility and projected demand.

10. Fashion Industry

An industry which runs on imagination, animation’s ability to materialize that imagination before the actual product is made not only helps in the making process, but also provides space for more and more innovation. Animation and graphics are thus a significant part of this billion dollar industry and its functioning.