Animation is a very exciting career especially if you love bringing ideas and images into life. This career path is wide and progressive. And all you need is talent and passion for a breakthrough. Being an animator allows you to work in a wide scope of fields. Some of them include healthcare, law firms, media, Gaming, consultancy among many other key sectors.
This brings us to the big question, what is an animator? This is a person who designs stop-motion animations. This includes 2D, 3D, visual effects among other creations. The list is endless. They can either use their hands or computer applications to design their animations.
So, perhaps you have a talent and you would like to try your hand in animation, how do you go about it? Just like any other artist, you need to sharpen your inborn skills and even acquire a new skill set. With that said, let’s dive right into the article and look at some of the ways you can become an animator.
7 Tips to Become an Animator
Here are some of the tips to help you achieve your goals as an animator. This article will also give you some insights on how to break into this exciting career and make mint money while at it!
1. Take a course or Animation Program
Going to school is the first step for learning everything. As mentioned earlier, the field is wide and progressive. What we didn’t mention is that there is stiff competition with high-stake qualifications. This means that you have to have everything that other animators have besides your talent. Enroll for a course or a degree program in animation. This will sharpen your skill sets and expose you to possible opportunities.
2. Put in the Work to Develop Your Skills
It has been said time and again that practice makes perfect. Dedicate yourself to sharpening and perfecting your skills. Even if you are in school. Your teachers, instructors, or tutors can only teach you how to become an artist. It is up to you to download that knowledge into your animation craft. Foundational skills are often overlooked but if taken seriously, they open you to a whole new world of creativity.
3. Create an Impressive Portfolio
An impressive portfolio is what will expose you to the marketplace and attract the best clients and employers. Art school is the best place to forge an outstanding portfolio. Make good use of your time while out there studying. There are many ways to position your portfolio. That includes hosting them online. Share your best work online. Also, showcase your reels and keep updating them.
4. Get Some Work Experience
There are endless ways you can get impressive work experience to add to your portfolio. Start by working as an unpaid intern, volunteering, and gradually start becoming a freelancer. This way, you will get excellent recommendations. That is if you deliver nothing but pure gold and demonstrate to those you are working with that you are innovative and promising.
5. Sharpen Your Soft Skills
This includes communication skills, time management skills among others. This is besides your animation skills, of course. As an animator, you need to have excellent communication skills. Then there is also the issue of time management. You need to be in control of your time to beat deadlines and deliver pure gold.
6. Have a Demo Reel
This is not far from having an outstanding portfolio. Create impressive demo reels for your potential clients and employers. But what is a demo reel? This is a short video that showcases the best sequence of your work. It could be as short as four minutes but straight to the point. Have as many demo reels as possible to accommodate different types of animation. Not every employer is looking for the same thing.
7. Refresh Your Skillset
Earlier in this article, we mentioned that animation is a very progressive career. It changes with time. Especially in this era where technology is taking over, you need to be on your toes. Know the current trends, news, and developments related to animation and use that to bring your skills up to date. It might mean taking a short course, attending workshops and conferences. Whatever it takes to stay relevant, go for it.
Can You Learn Animation Online?
There is almost nothing you can’t learn online these days. That includes animation. There are several online animation courses available. The courses are also very affordable. Some even go to the extent of offering the first few units for free. This gives you the chance to test the waters and decide on whether to take the course or animation is not your calling after all.
Where Can You Learn Animation Online?
There are several places or rather animation classes you can join online. Some of these online schools are run by people who have achieved the best in their careers. Besides that, online classes are easy and more affordable than taking physical classes. Here are some you should look into.
1. Skillshare
This is one of the most prestigious online schools you can attend as an artist. It has over 2,500 animation units alone! It also allows you to choose where you want to start from. You can start either from the beginner, intermediate, or advanced level. It all depends on what you already have and know.
2. Udemy
This is another well-known institution with animation as part of its prestigious courses. It has up to 5,000 units for the animation alone. The courses are in-depth and by the time you are done with your classes, you will be a pro. The school also makes it possible to create a focused study track. Besides that, you can navigate the available courses through apps and use filters to narrow your search.
In Conclusion
Without proper education, nothing comes easy these days. Not even when you are super talented. You need to have both the hard and the soft skills to break into the lucrative marketplace. Take a minute to optimize yourself to fit into what we’ve described above and you will be good to launch your animation career.