Animator
The animator is one of the animation studio roles responsible for creating movement and bringing characters to life through drawing or computer animation software. They must interpret the script and storyboard and translate them into a visual medium.
They work closely with other team members to ensure the final product is cohesive and meets the director’s vision. A 3D animator’s job description would include creating 3D models, rigging, and animating them.
Responsibilities & Skills
To become an animator at a 2D animation studio, several skills and qualifications are required. These include:
- Strong drawing skills and an understanding of anatomy and form.
- Proficiency in animation software such as Adobe Animate, Toon Boom, or Harmony.
- A strong understanding of timing, spacing, and motion.
- Communication and storytelling skills.
- Attention to detail.
In addition to these skills, animators should have a passion for storytelling and the ability to bring characters to life through movement and emotion. Continuous learning and staying updated with new software and techniques are also essential in this ever-evolving industry.
Career prospects
Most animators begin as studio runners and then progress to junior animation roles. In 2D animation, you may begin work as an ‘inbetweener’, then progress to the key framer.
As you gain experience and begin to develop your own creative voice as an animator, you will have the opportunity to either start working for a studio or company whose output matches your creative interests (perhaps in the film industry or the gaming industry), or you can start taking up a management position at a contracted studio.
With enough experience, you may be able to find work in a significant higher-up position as a lead animator or even a chief creative director in which you will steer the direction of significant projects. Particularly motivated and successful animators may even be able to start their own studios.
Salary
Entry salaries are in the region of £12,000 to £15,000. Salaries in computer game animation start higher at £18,000, rising quickly with experience.
Experienced animators can earn around £23,000 to £26,000.
Salaries for animators with at least ten years’ experience are around £36,000+.
Notes
- Animation is a global industry and many projects are for international clients. Most production companies have a list of animators they use, so maintaining regular contact will prevent you from slipping off their list.
- Look for opportunities at universities, regional film offices, and at the British Council. The British Council Arts Department may promote your films at festivals overseas
Look for job vacancies at:
Work experience
It’s acceptable practice to send showreels out speculatively, although it’s better to target particular projects. Take time to ensure your showreel is short and punchy, as companies are likely to be drawn in during the first five seconds and will probably have made a decision after one minute of film.
The UK is particularly renowned for stop-motion or stop-frame animation and children’s animation and has a thriving computer games industry. However, animation is global and you may have to move abroad if you wish to specialize in a particular type.
In terms of development, versatility is the key and if you can work with puppets, models and drawn and computer-generated animation, you may find more options open to you.
Storyboard Artist
A storyboard artist creates the initial visual representations of a story’s narrative. In collaboration with the director, storyboard artists visualize the story from a script or treatment. They then make visual decisions that develop how the story looks on a storyboard panel.
Storyboard artists are involved throughout both the live-action and animation processes. In the beginning stages of the production, these artists read and visualize the script along with the director.
What does a storyboard artist do?
- Liaising with writers, animators, and directors regarding the look, style, and level of detail required for the storyboard of each production
- Sequencing the scenes from a script into storyboard format using panels of images
- Including special effects in the storyboard frames
- Identifying lighting requirements and articulating circles of tension within each scene
- Including key dialogue or scene directions within each frame
- Briefing animators on key scenes within the storyboard
A storyboard artist must have:
- Drawing: have excellent drawing skills and be able to produce artwork in a range of styles
- Storytelling: be able to communicate a narrative well
- Knowledge of animation: be literate in animation with a good understanding of layout, composition, sequential drawing and editing as well as a strong understanding of framing
- Learning by watching and asking: observe what’s happening in your department and company, take initiative, ask questions at appropriate times
- Watching animations: have a passion for the medium and a love of the industry
Check out the initial storyboards that were created for Frozen, one of the best-animated movies.
After these initial panels and boards are drawn, the artist may also be asked to contribute to developing the animatics of the project. Oftentimes, these artists will clean up and add detail to their initial storyboards to create a more complete animatic. This can be character or background details that fill out the panels like in this animatic from Rick and Morty.
Notes： Film and game studios may look for the following skills in storyboard artists:
- Ability to collaborate effectively with concept artists, writers, directors, clients, etc to visualize the story
- Knowledge of various styles and genres
- Understanding of the principles of animation
- Knowledge of the principles of storytelling, ie: the hero’s Journey
- Ability to interpret the ideas of others into detailed drawings
- Strong layout and design skills
- Adaptability in working with different directors who will demand varying degrees of complexity from storyboards
- Skills in both hand drawing and computer drawing
- Solid knowledge of camera angles and cinematography techniques
Storyboard artists fall under the category of animator pay scales, earning an average salary ranging from £27K for entry-level jobs to £51K for senior animation positions.
Becoming a working artist requires both the knowledge of filmmaking principles such as different types of shots, camera angles, and camera movements.
Producer
Producers have overall responsibility for animation production. They manage the director and all the other departments to ensure a project is delivered on time, within budget and to the best creative brief.
They oversee the entire animation production pipeline, from pre-production to post-production, and coordinate with other departments such as art direction, sound design, voice acting, etc. to ensure that the final product meets all required standards. Animation producers also provide guidance to animators and other creative staff throughout the entire production process.
Responsibilities & Skills
- Leadership: manage all departments on a production, motivate and communicate well with everyone throughout the project, take the lead on decisions, create a good working atmosphere
- Organization: be on top of the whole project, prepare schedules and a production budget, negotiate salaries, and make room for creativity within this structure
- Business: negotiate with financial backers to get funding for projects, and cultivate good relationships
- Animation knowledge: have an excellent understanding of all the processes of making an animation be able to develop a concept
- Problem-solving: work methodically and logically, and find creative solutions, especially when things don’t go to plan
How do I become a producer?
Producers need to have a large amount of experience and understanding of the creative and business management sides of the animation industry. You have to understand the animation ‘pipeline’ (production process) of the kind of animation that you are working on, whether that be hand-drawn, stop-motion or 3D computer-generated (CG) animation.
One route to becoming a producer is to start as a writer, become established and then move to become a director, and then a producer. Alternatively, you could work as an animator and grow in seniority and experience within an animation studio until you can get work as a producer. Another route is to start as a runner and work your way up through the production department to become a production coordinator and then a production manager. You need to have and demonstrate a good capacity for organization, whatever route you may take.
Salary
The national average salary for an Animation producer is £47,513 in the United Kingdom. From GBP 37k – GBP 61K.