please provide feedback: what it's like to be an animator.

#1

Hello CGI Talk Community

I would like to start this post off by apologizing if (need be) as I am not sure if this should be posted here or somewhere else. If it is posted in the wrong spot I hope that a moderator can move it and inform me so that I do not make the same mistake twice.

The reason I am posting is as follows:

I am currently looking to change careers and after having a good talk with a career councilor my choices have been limited due to numerous reasons. One thing that seemed to come up is my love for art and I was asked if it is a field I would like to explore, I responded that it would be and from there she said it would be best that I gather more information on the field and then balance out my options once again to see if it’s something that I would be truly happy in. So here I am looking for some guidance on what its like to work in the animation field.

The brief amount of knowledge that I do have is that it mainly constitutes long hours at a medium to low salary, in work places that are often stress full due to deadlines encroaching, sudden changes to certain parts of the project. I also realize that these days most animators don’t really do 2D anymore as the market seems to be growing for 3D animation.

With that I am open to all comments. Do not be shy.

If you feel that you would like to contact me in private you may either send me a Private message or send your message to my email: Kevin.Rodrigue[at]bell.net

#2

Hey Kevin,

Working in character animation (which is what I assume you are asking about) is a lot like working any other job. It has it’s positives and negatives and those will probably be classified differently by each individual.

It can be extremely rewarding and also extremely frustrating. Animation takes a lot of practice, observation, self discipline, and patience. Among other things, it needs an understanding of the mechanics of motion, exaggeration, and acting. If it’s 2d animation, you need to be able to draw. If it’s 3d animation you need to be able to handle the 3d tool (doesn’t hurt to know how to draw either). Understanding cinematography and composition are also useful.

But your question mainly seems to address the animator’s work environment and that varies widely. Depending on the size of the studio, the project management, your attitude, deadlines, etc. etc. In this way, animation is like any other career, sometimes you find yourself in a nice place to work, other times in not so nice a place.

Also, in regard to animation in general, unless you are working on your own project, you have to realize that as an animator you are a tool for the client (be they a freelance client or studio director, animation supervisor or what have you). As such you will be asked to animate and re-animate shots over and over again. That’s a lot of throw away work (or can seem that way). That can get frustrating… in fact sometimes your animation is never ever seen by anyone. If you look at it as stepping stones to getting better (which is what practice is) then it’s not as bad. But I mention it because some people can’t handle their creations being thrown away.

The other aspect of the animation field is actually getting a job as an animator. Due to the amount of training material, online and offline schools for animation, there is currently, I believe, a glut of animators. There are also a limited number of animation jobs. So getting the job can end up not being very easy. Animation jobs can be found in all sorts of places including animation for feature film, games, web content and so on… but still, more often than not you need to know what you are doing before you actually get a job - most animation job openings assume you already know how to animate. So it will take you some time to get up to speed in order to be competitive in the job market.

The bottom line? I suggest that you pick animation as a career because you love to animate and the only way to know if you love it is to try it. Try animating a simple ball bounce, then give it a bit of character… Read up on the 12 principles of animation and apply these things to your ball bounce… see if this is something you love to do. If it is, then you are well on your way…

Anyway, my 2 pence.

#3

Thank You Lostpencil

You have pretty much answered my question as I was indeed talking about animation in general. I try to graps a concept of how the market works, the tasks assigned and the environment etc… once I have a better understanding of that then I decide whether or not it would be something that interest me on the long term.

Though like you said, the only way I will know is if I truly go out and simply try it out first hand. I have a tablet and will search through the forum for additional resources (applications etc…) and see where it leads me though on another note, you did make me think a lot when I read:

The other aspect of the animation field is actually getting a job as an animator. Due to the amount of training material, online and offline schools for animation, there is currently, I believe, a glut of animators. There are also a limited number of animation jobs.

I feel that this plays a large part in deciding if it is something I will go through once again. I am saying “once again” because I currently work as a computer tech, I completed my schooling and did my training for CCNA as well as other Microsoft certifications. In my mind I thought my odds where good, though upon completing my course I found to find out that the industry is already saturated and that I was more in a “beggars can’t be choosers” situation with little to no experience in the feel. Even now with five years of experience I personally feel that advancement is minimal to none with those big corporations ultimately deciding who and where the jobs will go (lost my employment three times due to outsourcing).

… Though I digress (ranting for a moment) …

I will certainly take your words into consideration and if I find joy in animating then I guess it doesn’t hurt to have more hobbies :slight_smile:

#4

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