The mere mention of the word animation makes us remember Donald Duck, fighting to keep his temper, WALL E, the garbage disposal robot falling head over heels in love with Eva, and of course, Superman saving the world. It is animation that has brought all these lovable characters to life and made our childhood so special.
The word animation is derived from the Latin word animātiō, which literally means, "the act of bringing to life." Animators put life into images and transform them into movies or video games. Animation is technically defined as linking a series of drawings and simulating their movements together. It is a rapid display of 2D or 3D images to create an illusion of motion. The technical definition may seem drab but we should agree that most of the famous animations have dazzled us, leaving an imprint that defines sweet memories of childhood.
Undergraduate programmes in animation vary from country to country. In India, it is offered as a subject under the Bachelor of Arts programme. The duration of the course is for 3 years after which, one can enrol in a specialised courses like 3D animation, clay modelling, traditional animation, stop-motion animation and so on. Hence, which ever form of drawing you are good at, we recommend you to find your niche area to pursue.
In US, the course may last up to 4 years. Reputed universities offer specialised courses in animation like Bachelor of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation or in Character Animation. California has a lot of universities which offer top notch animation programmes. Validly so, as Hollywood is considered the Mecca of all cinematic animators, be it Pixar or DreamWorks. Also, whether you want to study or simply indulge in partying, there are plenty of options to choose from.
In UK, animation is offered as a subject under an arts programme and can last for 3 or 4 years depending on the majors chosen. UK is better known for its post graduate courses in Animation, so we recommend you prioritise it accordingly for admission. However, if you love fish and chips and the English Premier League to an extent that you cannot live without these, catch the first flight to England!
McGill University in Canada is rated as one of the best place to study animation by many animators and industry experts. Admission is also competitive here. If you wish to get in there, we recommend you get good grades at high school and create a design portfolio (containing your sketches, drawings and various animated creations).
In Australia, undergraduate courses in animation last for a period of 3 years and it has many universities offering top rated courses. A lot of South East Asian countries like South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong offer high quality undergraduate programmes as well. South Korea is rated as an animator’s hub. Most of the work which appears on the TV channel Animax comes from South Korea.
Animation is a highly creative and diverse field. Students of animation are taught a plethora of subjects, some of them related to science like human anatomy and some, related to geometry like basic shapes. Depending on the university and the country, the following areas are taught:
- Fundamentals of drawing
- Basic Shapes
- Perspective study
- Human Anatomy, Life study
- Animal Anatomy
- Drawing for Animation
- Character Design
- Backgrounds and Layouts
- Outdoor sketching
- Principles of animation
- Walk/run Cycle
- Run Cycle
- Four legged walk/run
- Storyboarding
- Working in layers
- Final show reel project
Both 2D and 3D animation students get trained in the field of animation they choose. It’s important to know that technology goes hand in hand with animation. It might be a good idea to also develop your skills in software applications like Java or Corel Draw.
Animation is an ever growing industry and NASSCOM estimated that by the year 2010, it brought in revenues more than US$ 400 million worldwide. The opportunities are plenty both in India and abroad. Deals are signed between companies every day and the requirement for talented animators is always on the rise. Movie animation studios, game developers and many other organisations are always on the lookout for creative and talented animators who can create visual imagery to grasp the viewer’s thoughts.
Animation is applied in many areas like
- Entertainment channels like movies and television
- Business products
- Sales presentation
- Web designing
- Engineering
- Fashion
- Graphic design
- Advertising
- Computer games
Software programmes are getting simpler by the day and hence, specific knowledge is no longer a prerequisite for getting jobs. Mastery of the vital skills such as motion capture and texture mapping will increase the potential of securing your desired job quickly. Our advice - at this point, downloading software programmes will be of greater utility to you than the latest Green Day track.
After completing an animation course, an undergraduate student can work as:
- Illustrator
- 3D Animator
- Sketching Artist
- Modeller
- Animator
- Painter
- Technical Director (after gaining considerable work experience)
Job prospects are good when one finishes a course in animation. However, prospective employers hire only those candidates who are innovative, have unique ideas and know how to put technology to best use. Rack your brains and come up with an eye catchy animation. Who knows what cartoon figure you create which will eventually become a household name.
Animators find jobs in a variety of companies:
- Advertising agencies
- Major movie studios
- Television programmes
- Software and gaming companies
These are typical full time jobs and employees work on standard week days. Self employed animators freelance or visit various organisations to complete their work. Their work is seasonal and depends on the companies they freelance for.
Other animators have their own studios or share studio space with others. These people set up their own design and animation studios and become entrepreneurs. We recommend this option if you dislike others bossing over you.
One can either be a part of a firm or become an entrepreneur depending on their personal interests. Starting an individual business has its drawbacks as it may take time to set up practice and gather clientele. We recommend that you first gain experience for a few years and then branch out on your own. Being a part of a firm gives one the necessary exposure needed in the animation industry. Simple logic: You are likely to learn more from a group working together in a close knit environment than otherwise.
Being a niche industry, animation has good salaries to offer but the fat pay cheque only goes to the most innovative people. Graduates may start off with less pay but with experience and better imagination transformed into drawings, an animator’s salary touches the sky like the tree in Jack and the Beanstalk.
| Experience in Years | Compensation per annum |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 years | 1 lakh to 6 lakhs |
| 6 to 10 years | 4 to 9 lakhs |
| 11 to 15 years | 10 to 16 lakhs |
| 15 years | 15 lakhs and above |
Graduate level studies depend on the combination of subjects one takes up at high school level. This means that you can enrol yourself for a second bachelor’s course provided you have those subjects in your high school. A student without the subject biology in high school obviously cannot pursue medicine at the undergraduate level.
Animation is related to arts and drawing, if you study unrelated subjects like geology or archaeology, it would not help you gain any additional knowledge related to your field. However, there is nothing that you are denied to study after completing a course in animation. Medicine still remains out of bounds if you have not studied biology ever.
Advantages:
- Personal Expression: Very few fields offer the freedom to let you express your thoughts and transform them into works of art.
- Creative Freedom: You get full creative freedom to draw whatever you like.
- Most of the famous creative animation artists of all times have worked together at least once before starting their own studio or firm. These partnerships sometimes last a lifetime.
- If you are working on your own project, you are given the rare chance to set your time frame to finish it. Whether you want to work at the crack of dawn or burn the midnight oil, the choice is yours.
Disadvantages:
- The initial pay may be a little less compared to other fields since animation is a niche area and only through utmost creativity and ingenious ideas can one become the best.
- Not many options exist if you want to move out of this industry as there are very few avenues left for animators outside. As The Eagles summed it up in their song, Hotel California, the animation industry is programmed to receive, you can check-out any time you like, but you can never leave.
As it is an extremely creative and detail oriented field, one should have a free hand at drawings and the ability to transform ideas into real life animations. The following skills and personality traits are vital to being an animator:
- Innovative ideas
- Drawing
- Storytelling
- A good sense of timing and composition
- An understanding of motion, size, ratios and perspective
The animation industry relies heavily on technology making certain aspects of this discipline very technical. Consequently, certain other skills are becoming increasingly relevant. They are:
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Computer operating systems, (notably Linux/Unix as well as Windows and Mac OS)
- Software-specific computer scripting languages (e.g. MEL scripting for Maya)
- Digital asset management
If your dream is to create magic on the big screen or television, then animation is the sorcery which makes you a modern day Harry Potter.
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