Everything that you need to know if you want to be an animator

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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I keep seeing the same questions about the animation business. Accordingly, I thought I would post answers to most of the more pressing and common questions that I have seen. I should note that I am NOT in the animation business. I do, however, have a child who works on movies. This post is based on the experiences that they have had and from what was told to me from industry experts.

  1. What is it like to be an animator? First, understand, most jobs in animation are temp jobs. You will be a contractor at the beginning of your working career and probably through most of it. Yes, there are studio jobs where you won't need to move around, but these are hard to get! However, I will show you the best way to get those jobs later on. However, be prepared to be constantly moving around taking temp jobs.
  2. In order to get a job, what do I need to do? Certainly a good artistic/school background is helpful, but the key to getting jobs is your portfolio. It isn't the school that you attended, or your grades. Your portfolio is crucial! Did I say that enough? As important as the portfolio , however, is your networking skills. People hire people that they know and have dealt with. You constantly need to network and meet people by attending Siggraph meeting, animation society meetings and lunches etc. If you attend a good school and major in animation, definitely make friends with your professors especially those with connections to studios. It is generally the best way to get those dream studio jobs.
  3. Do I need a degree in animation? No, there are many online programs around and trade schools such as Gnoman, Animation Mentor etc. HOWEVER, with that said, I do recommend a college degree. You never know where life will take you. Having a college degree can open up a lot more doors. Also, you never know when animation jobs might start requiring degrees. In addition, many of the top instructors at known schools have connections that can help top students get jobs.Also, most college programs will give you great exposure to the animation pipeline that will be very beneficial to your career. Knowing what others must do and how they do it will be very beneficial to your career and to anyone that hires you.

4.I want to be an animator?So , what do I do? Wanting to work in animation is like wanting to be a doctor. Just like there are many types of doctors, there are many types of jobs in animation For example in all animated movies and games there are: character animators, ( which can be 2d and 3d) modelers, lighting artists, riggers, special effects artists (fire, water, hair and fur specialists),texture specialists, concept artists, environmental artists,render specialists, compositors,not to mention the programmers etc.MANY times people think that they want a particular field in animation but switch to a more desirable area. This is why you should get some broad based animation training first before you consider specializing.

  1. Do I need to go to the best ranked school to get a job? Remember what I said, your portfolio and networking skills will determine your job success and NOT THE SCHOOL that you attended or your grades! Please say that 10 times! However, going to the better schools may provide some better initial contacts with studios and other jobs usually in the area that the school is located in. Thus, if you want to work on the east coast, attending an east coast school might provide more contacts on the east coast than attending a west coast school. However, if you have a strong portfolio and good networking skills, the school attended won't matter. NOTE: I won't be getting into all of the great school both here and abroad. If you want to know about good animation programs, there are plenty of them posted online in many threads.
  2. How do I evaluate a school or program? First understand that all programs have their own culture and philosophy. You should ask whether they are primarily 2d or 3d oriented or both. You can inquire about equipment, placement, costs, and should definitely check out student work. Ask how many grads have recently won festivals or awards. Check out their work.
  3. I don't want contract jobs. How do I get in with a studio such as Pixar, Dreamworks, Blue Sky, Disney,game companies etc? Good luck. These usually take years for you to get known in the industry and make contact and get a good enough portfolio. HOWEVER, I have seen some students out of school less than 2 years get into some of these studios. The key is to make contacts while in school. Find out what professor might be currently working in these studios and make sure to take them even for independent study. ,Always find ways to try to improve your portfolio! Always be on the lookout for internships. Most big studios have them. If you can get an internship and impress them, you might be offered a job.

8.Can I get into the animation business without an undergraduate major in animation? Yes, if you didn’t major in animation as an undergrad, I would suggest that you then either get a grad degree in animation or computer art or go to a trade school such as Gnoman or attend a grad certificate program such as that found in Sheridan in Canada and others. You can even get an undergrad in animation and pursue graduate work with the intent to specialize in some particular area or areas. Don’t forget that many schools will allow for independent study in order to facilitate some specialization.

  1. What area of animation provides the best job access? It all depends on your interests. Character animation has the most jobs; however, it also has , by far, the most competition for those jobs. It is also a VERY specialized field and requires a LOT of dedicated training. Many of the other areas of the pipeline aren't as competitive but are still needed.
  2. If I can get into a studio, would you recommend a small studio or a big studio? Generally big studios pigeon hole you into a particular area. The smaller studios usually want generalists who can decently perform in many parts of the animation pipeline.However, the bigger studios usually pay much more for their workers than the smaller studios. They also tend to have more steady work, but this too differs. Dreamworks fired half of their staff. Disney also has had layoffs.Also, don't forget to consider the government. Many government agencies do hire animators for movies, motion projects etc.
  3. What is being a student in animation like? It is VERY intensive. Good programs require a LOT of work and many all nighters. If you are not willing to work very hard, they won't be for you. You will need a lot of dedication and a good focus on minute detail of drawings and good "eye."
  4. What is pay like? For contractors, the pay is $300 a day for a 8-10 hour day for a junior and $500 a day for a senior with a lot of experience. They also usually cover hotel costs No benefits are given to contractors. If you work in a studio, it depends on the size of the studio.Smaller studios and agencies pay about 45K to start. Larger studios pay about $70,000-80,000 to start. Once you establish yourself as an experienced expert,which could take 8 years or so, you can earn $125,000 a year or more plus benefits.

Hopefully, this post will address most of your questions. PLEASE don’t ask for school recommendations. Honestly, any good program would be sufficient. Your success will be dependent on your skill level and quality of your portfolio and , of course, your ability to network.

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I forgot to mention one more thing: animation is a combination of computer science and art. You need a good
familiarity with computers and with computer applications. You don’t need to be a good programmer but knowing some programming won’t hurt especially if you want to develop tools using the existing computer applications that might enhance and simplify your job. Also, note that all numbers regarding pay are based on 2015 numbers and on east coast cities.

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Shameless bump

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Thanks for posting this @taxguy! I’ll be sure to go over all these points with D2 who is planning an animation major.

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@taxguy,
Thanks for sharing your wisdom and knowledge!!

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@YoHoYoHo I’m going to PM you about decision times at Fullerton and SJSU . . .

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What I didn’t discuss was, “what is it like being in the animation business?”

Frankly, you aren’t going to like what I am going to say. I would estimate that a major number of animation grads end up doing some contract work. The pay is normally about 300 per day for a 10 hour day unless you are an experienced senior. If you are very experienced, you might get as much as $500 a day. There are NO BENEFITS. Also, MANY animators can only get a few gigs per year and have lot of off time. This doesn’t pay for their rent or food or insurance insurance. You need to be well connected, be very good at networking, be willing to travel to jobs and be very competent at what you do. It is sad that so many talented people are underemployed. Believe me there are MANY people in this category.

The majority of those who do get a lot of work, if lucky, are well connected, are always traveling,which means no life, and have strong marketing skills… and this is if you are lucky!

A few, ( which I estimate at about 1-3%) of the total jobs are with studios both big and small. These tend to pay better and are more stable and provide benefits. You do need, however, to have a sterling porfolio and , even more important, have some good connections to get in to these places. Moreover, even these places don’t necessarily provide stable employment. Disney and Dreamworks have had huge layoffs! Those people who are laid off, have to find jobs, usually take contractor positions and compete with the new grads,which makes it even harder for relatively inexperienced people to get the jobs. If you think you will be the lucky ones to get jobs with Pixar or Dreamworks, good luck. They usually don’t have a large number of openings in any one year, and you will be competing with thousands of experienced professionals who are sick and tired of being contractors.

Also note, since animators work on computers, the work has been outsourced due to much cheaper labor. This is not a good omen for the profession.

If you are lucky enough to get with a studio, you can earn between $45K-80 K per year ( depending on the size of the studio)unless you get to be a senior associate,which can take 8 years or more. If so, you can earn up to 125K.

Bottom line: Being in the animation business is very tough. I really don’t recommend it to anyone.It might sound really cool to design games or movies and be in the credits, but the low pay and itinerant lifestyle make the occupation dismal I am sorry to say.

Forewarned is forearmed.

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@taxguy - Everything you say about animation also seems to apply to those in the film industry, especially those “below-the-line” jobs (the gazillions you see in the credits at the end of a movie):

  1. Temp jobs - They last from one week to six months, but until you get established and people seek you out, you'll spend a lot of your time looking for your next job.
  2. Portfolio/networking - Ditto for film. You'll need a strong reel and networking skills are absolutely essential.
  3. Degree? - Not necessary, but school is where all of your initial contacts will come from.
  4. Job types - There are many, many specialties in the industry (just watch the credits at the end of a film). You may go into school thinking you want to be one thing, but fall in love with another skill. Get as much different kinds of experiences as you can.
  5. What school? - Same with film. It doesn't matter, especially after a few jobs. Good schools may give you additional contacts, but after a short while, it does not matter.
  6. Programs? Same applies. If you want film production, make sure to go where you can begin making films even as a freshman. Make sure you understand the various names given to "film" programs: Film, Media Arts, Film Studies, etc, etc.
  7. Don't want contract jobs? You're in the wrong industry. But you are right on about internships. Very good experience if you can nab a gig, even for low pay. My son's first internship paid only $10 and hour, but that was the jump-start for his career.
  8. Undergrad/grad - Similar in film; if you have an undergrad degree, there's probably no reason to go for a grad degree in film.
  9. Jobs/Access - Same with film; "below-the-line" jobs (production/technical) are much, much easier to get than "above-the-line" jobs (director, producer, actor, screenwriter).
  10. Studio - Absolutely true in film; a large studio will have you in a smaller area than at a smaller one, where you will be expected to provide expertise in more areas
  11. Being a film student - Ditto here as well, INTENSE work to succeed, but in this case, it will be work you are passionate about and WANT to be doing.
  12. Pay? - At the beginning, could be almost zero, just to get experience, but the pay will grow over time. Be aware that at the beginning of your career, you'll have lots of unpaid time between jobs. My son, who graduated from film school six years ago, is doing VERY well, but he is working a lot of 12-16 hour days at times.

Finally, the comment about computers: Absolutely true for many, many jobs.

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I also want to add that because of the slow ramp-up time for financial stability, college loans will be an unbelievable drag. Try to avoid at all cost.

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Digmedia, It doesn’t surprise me that the same principles apply to the film industry; after all, animated films are still films!

I completely agree that incurring student loan debt should be avoided in this area as much as possible. It could totally derail a person’s ability to take those low or no paying jobs/internships because of the debt. I have said this for many years with very few people heeding my advice.

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San Jose state university has a great animation program for instate cost of attendance of $25 k per year (but takes 5 years) And guessing 35k per year out of state cost of attendance.

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$35 - $37 k OOS COA for the CSU schools. Be sure to look into how impaction would affect your chances for admission.

University of Central FL is another public school option with a highly-ranked program. $22 / $37 k COA depending on resident status.

Expect to budget for five years at these places (I think FL might have a summer residency requirement as well). A private art college might be higher per year but will get you out of there more quickly if you stay in touch with your advisors.

And then, obviously, merit and need-based aid are a mighty important consideration, given that you won’t be making an accounting or engineering salary when you graduate. Pretty much what @taxguy and @digmedia are saying.

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So, would it be fair to say that Graphic Design offers better prospects of regular FT employment? My daughter wants to go to art school, but I simply won’t pay or borrow to produce another BFA working at Starbucks.

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BasicOhioParent, don’t read into my post. I don’t know what the job options are for graphic design. It could be better or worse than I described for animation.

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@BasicOhioParent, you will want to send your daughter to a school that has a good placement rate in her creative field within six months or nine months or whatever the relevant metric is. That’s the question to ask the school when you visit. One thing I noticed is that some schools specifically put the student on a four year professional development plan or include professional development as part of their foundation program (requiring an internship for graduation, etc.). SCAD assigns a career advisor to the student from Day One (along with the academic and faculty advisors) and we were told that the student’s relationship with this advisor can many times lead to an internship (while it’s not the career counselor’s job to get the student a job, they do oftentimes have leads with things like internships and other opportunities).

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that professional and financial success in a creative field is going to depend as much on the goals and initiative of the individual student as it does on placement stats. There are a lot of “wanna be” graphic designers and animators out there (the tools are easy to purchase). If the art school grad doesn’t bring some “value added” to the employer then there is no point in getting the BFA in the first place.

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Great post! My DS is interested in animation and I will share this information with him. I learned about a new app for iPhone called Real Talk which has job/career information which I have also shared with him but I don’t believe there was any information on animation. Your details come in quite handy.