Career Paths in Different Types of Animation

Career Paths in Different Types of Animation

This article is for someone who is passionate about animation, gaining paid work in the field can be something of a dream come true. The only downside is getting your foot through the door in the first place, mainly given that the industry much like any creative profession is saturated with competition.

1.  Stop Motion Animator

Stop motion animators are a unique bunch. They use puppets, models,  or clay to create animated films, branded entertainment, television commercials, and more. Stop motion animation is also called stop frame, puppet animation, model animation, and clay animation.

Stop motion animators combine the art of photography, and the ability to manipulate lighting and calculate angles to create stop motion animation. The animator creates pictures of characters, objects, or scenes that show them in different positions. When the pictures run together, it appears that the object is moving on its own. This creates one of the unique forms of animation, which is neither cartoon-like nor similar to computer-generated animations.

Stop motion animator’s work for animation studios, game design, film studios, advertising agencies and development companies.

2. 3D Modeler

The 3D modelers build 3D characters and environments that are based on the concept art. To create the model's surfaces or skins, they paint and wrap 2D textures on the digital frame. Modelers also create character skeletons, which animators then control it. Modeling is performed using a variety of programs such as 3DS Max, Pixar's RenderMan, Maya, POV-Ray, and many others.

3D modelers create characters and environments for games and 3D movies as well as images and modeling for the websites, graphic designs, animation, broadcast design, special effects, film effects, simulations, characters and props for film, television effects, CD-Rom design, and location-based entertainment. 

3. Flash Animator

Flash animators create animation for web sites, advertising and marketing, games, videos, education materials, and more. Flash animators coordinate with creative directors to assure that the animation compliments the design and works in harmony with the technology used to make the finished product.

Flash animators create the animation to enhance everything from banners to web sites. They collaborate with a variety of software such as Adobe Flash, Macromedia Flash, Creative Suite, and Dreamweaver, 3DS Max, and After Effects.

Flash animators work in educational publishing, the motion picture and video industries, advertising and public relations, software publishing, game design and development, web design firms, graphic design firms industry and more. 

4. Compositing Artist

A compositing artist is responsible for helping create the final finished animation or film project by developing compositing strategies and detecting errors, which results in an overall balanced look. Compositing artists use compositing software such as Adobe After Effects, Flame 3D Visual Effects.

Compositing artists work with the lighting directors and FX artists to help create the final finished product. The compositing artist corrects errors that not have been anticipated by other departments. Compositing artists work primarily in the film and video industries, but they also find work in the game design and development industry or advertising.

5. Forensic Animation

Forensic animation is one of a unique specialization in the animation industry. Forensic animators recreate crime scenes or accidents to help investigators produce evidence and solve crimes.

Forensic animators use full-motion computer graphics to recreate events such as accidents, robberies, assaults, and other crimes. They create the 3D terrains, model CG environments using advanced techniques for photo matching, and rendering, animated characters, composite animations, capture video, use video tracking and matching techniques, develop DVDs of final animations, design graphics, and court exhibits.

Forensic animators use many software programs to create animated renditions including Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe Flash, After Effects,  3DS Max, AutoCAD, Adobe Premiere, and Anark Core.

Forensic animators work for law enforcement agencies, government agencies, investigative firms, attorneys, and science and medical labs.