Animator Training Requirements
- According to an article on MSN.com, video game revenues have "contributed about $3.8 billion to the nation's gross domestic product in 2006." At the time the article was written in 2008, 25,000 people were employed in the video game industry, and, judging from the number of colleges and universities offering animation and video game production curricula, the number of jobs seems likely to stay the same if not increase.
For aspiring animators, this is good news. It not only means future jobs, but also that there are programs available to train them for a career in animation. - To determine what kind of program might be right for them, animators should ask themselves what sort of skill sets are required to do the job today. In an interview for the book, "The Secrets of Digital Animation," artist and filmmaker David B. Levy gives a general overview of the skills required of an animator working in the industry. His recommendations include suggestions that an animator acquire the traditional art foundation skills of drawing, painting, sculpture and design. He also suggests that animators learn something about acting, storytelling and writing. Finally, an animator should learn animation programs like Adobe Flash, After Effects, Maya and others.
However, he also states that on-the-job learning might be the best preparation for a new animator, because the work environment encourages learning at an accelerated rate, plus it forces animators to come up to solutions to problems they're not likely to see in the classroom. - These days, many university programs exist that train animators and illustrators. Some of the most well known ones are the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Art Institute Online and the Academy of Art University. However, game design and animation programs are not limited to only these schools; many colleges and universities offer either animation and game design degrees or offer classes that train future animators in all of the areas that Levy recommends.
- The animation industry is constantly evolving, not only in terms of technological breakthroughs, but also employment opportunities. Many animators, like Boise based Jesse Cordtz, a former professor of animation at Boise State University and Operations Manager of HieroGraphics Entertainment, are independent filmmakers and animators working in the industry.
Cordtz opted to forgo the traditional education route and opted instead to teach himself animation. He says that he's lucky, because with the Internet he has access to the best animators in the industry. He explains his choice by saying, "If you have access to that (a training program in animation) that's great. But for someone in Boise, that's not always possible. I just bought books and watched videos of these pros doing their jobs."
Cordtz's example shows that just because he and many other self-taught animators don't have degrees in animation doesn't mean they are not trained in the art; they just took a different route to get to the same place that university trained animators get to.
Additionally, artists of this caliber have unknowingly followed Levy's advice: Sometimes the best animation training is on the job. - Finally, it's important to keep in mind that while the video game industry provides a number of jobs to students graduating from degree programs in animation and game design, they are not the only employers of animators. According to an article on Chiff.com, today's animators "put their skills to work in the fields of aerospace, forensics, architecture, health care, medicine and home design and construction."
Animation is above all else is a tool for communication, which requires critical thinking as well as drawing and rendering skills. With so many openings in the industry, young artists who can combine these abilities with the required technical know-how stand the best chance of working. A good training program plus practical experience is the best way for an aspiring animator to acquire this expertise.
