Animator

Animator job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

If you look beyond the self-employment route, organisations with vacancies include film production companies, major animation studios and computer games companies. Typical responsibilities of the job include:

• generating novel ideas
• working creatively to produce original and aesthetically pleasing designs/solutions
• problem solving
• using specialist computer generation software
• presenting designs to customers for evaluation
• promoting and running the business
• negotiating contracts
• liaising and working effectively with other design and production staff.

Typical employers of animators

• websites
• computer games companies
• film studios
• marketing companies

Over half of animators in the UK are self-employed, producing independent short films and gaining commissions from television/film production companies. Freelance can be the way to go, but it can take time and a lot of dedication to build up a reputation and get established.

It is vital to be proactive when seeking opportunities as vacancies are rarely advertised, so speculative applications, including direct approaches to companies by telephone, are essential. A ‘showreel' of animated work that can be used to demonstrate abilities to potential employers should be produced. For details, look in industry-specific publications like Imagine Magazine.

Qualifications and training required

An HND/degree in a relevant subject such as film, television, photography, illustration, 3D/graphic design or computer/computer-aided engineering is normally required for entry into the profession. It is beneficial, if not essential, for your qualification to include elements of 2D design. A postgraduate qualification in animation may be advantageous.

Key skills for animators

• aesthetic sense
• faithful storytelling
• positive attitude
• flexibility
• able to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.