When one of the most successful animators of all time makes a statement like this, he clears the ground that to be successful in the field of animation one needs to be creative as well as express what they truly feel.
Who is an animator?
An animator is a person or an artist who creates animation through a series of successive images.
What is animation?
Animation can said to be an illusion where the animator creates several images which when moved sequentially at high speed create a movement. The multiple images that an animator is expected to create are usually called frames or key frames. In order to make an animation effective and complete, several animators usually work together. Of course a single animator can do the same, but it would get too hectic and troublesome for the same.
There are quite a few different approaches of creating images and frames, which entirely depends on the creativity of the animator as well as their styles and field. There is couple of specializations available in the field of animation such as character animators and special effects animators. The character animators are responsible for the movement of characters, acting, the dialogue delivery etc. While the special effects animators are those who are responsible for all other effects and animations apart from characters. For instance: the special effects animators take care of the vehicles, natural phenomenon, machinery etc.
Career as an Animator
The requirement of animators is in a lot of fields such as movies, television, internet and video game. There are other artists whose role is extremely important in animation but they are not considered as animators. For example: storyboard artists, layout artists, voice actors, musicians etc. When it comes to large scale, the animators are usually supported by assistants who are also called as “inbetweeners” or “clean-up artists”. Once the main drawings are done by the animators, these people help the animators with redrawing or do the in between drawings.
Why is animation used?
Animation has been used for variety of reasons for a long time now. One can use animation for entertainment, spreading of message, imparting education etc. The usage of animation also requires lots of creativity, as animators keep exploring new fields to utilize their Inherent Talents. The fact that animation works wonderfully with the audience acts as very good motivation and inspiration for the animators.
Animation is fast becoming one of the most popular courses not only in India but in other countries as well. It provides candidates with wonderful opportunity to express their talent and creativity. The following is a list of Animation Courses that one can pursue:
(1.) B Sc Animation and Design
(2.) Advance Diploma in 3D Animation
(3.) Advance Diploma in Game Art
(4.) Bachelor of Art in Digital Media
(5.) Diploma in Animation Arts
(6.) Diploma in Fusion Animation
(7.) Diploma in VFX and Animation
(8.) Bachelor in Design ( Animation)
Interestingly like any other creative career, there are successful people in the field of Animation also who do not have any formal qualification. However it is always better to have formal qualification to do well in Animation as a career. Once can undergo either a diploma course or a degree course in animation. The basic eligibility criteria for any animation course is that candidates need to have completed their intermediate (10+2). Candidates, who have already graduated preferably from arts background, can apply for the Post Graduation in animation courses. However some renowned institutes allow only graduates from Architecture, Technology and Engineering background or Fine Arts to go ahead with the PG courses. Having an artistic side to a person always is desired as a base skill for becoming an animator along with the basic computer skills.
One can go for short term courses which range from 6 months to one year or the diploma courses that range from 2 to 3 years. There are lots of institutes which provide with animation course but most of them require candidates to undergo an entrance test. Some of the entrance examinations meant for Animation Career are as follows:
(1.) National School of Design Animation Entrance Exam
(2.) IIT Bomaby Design Entrance CEED and UCEED
The Animation Course fee usually differs and varies from institute to institute. However, in general, the fees varies from Rs.50,000/- to Rs.3,00,000/- for the course duration.
NID charges a Tution fee Fee of Rs 1,20,000 per year and tota fee is Rs 2 lakhs a year. BIT Mesra Noida Campus take s a tution fee of Rs 65,000 per semester.
Some of the best animation institutes in India include:
(1.) National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad – Set up in the year 1961, this is one of the most premier institutes of the country when it comes to animation courses. It provides undergraduate course Animation Film Design and is of four years. It also provides a Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Animation and Film Design which is of one to two years.
(2.) Industrial Design Center – Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IDC – IIT) – IIT Bombay is without any doubts one of the premier most institutes of the nation and the courses provided by them are surely one of the best. IIT Bombay offers M Design course ( Admission is on the basis of CEED) and is going to start B Design course ( Visual Communication / Animation Design ) from year 2015. The admissions will be based on UCEED . The course deals with all the aspects of animation such as theory, drawings, anatomy, sound, visual scripting etc.
(3.) Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology , Bangalore – The institute provides a four year professional diploma in design ( Animation and Visual Effects ). The admissions are through an aptitude test.
(4.) St Xaviers College Kolkatta – The institute provides a 5 year integrated M sc Multimedia with Specialization in Animation with exit option at 3 years with B Sc Hons Degree.
(5.) Fergusson College Pune ( NAAC A grade ) offers B Vocational Digital Art and Animation ( 50 seats) and B Sc Animation Self Finance (160 seats).
(6.) Manipal University, Bangalore – The institute provides a three year Degree course and comprehensive training in Animation which includes several components such as Hands-On Workshop, Holistic Personality Enhancement, Support Skills, Traditional Skills etc.
(7.) Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra – One of the most renowned institutes of the country, BIT Mesra Offers B Sc Hons Animation and Multimedia and Master in Animation Design at Ranchi, NOIDA, Jaipur campuses. The admission is through Aptitude test conducted by BIT.
(8.) Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune – Standing for over 50 years, the institute has been providing students with diploma and certificate courses in the field of animation.
(9.) AJK Mass Communication Research Centre,Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University, New Delhi Offers MA visual effects and animation.
(10.) St. Joseph’s College Bangalore ( Autonomous ) offers B Voc Animation and Digital Media. The admission is through an entrance test.
The salary of an animator depends on lots of factors such as their experience and the field of work. A beginner can earn anything between Rs. 1.2 lakhs per year to Rs.4 lacs per annum, which may or may not include bonus of up to Rs.1,00,000/- on a yearly basis. With a few years of experience in their bags, animators can earn very high indeed.
India is comparatively new to the animation industry, but that does not stop the possibilities for animators. As India is moving forward in the direction of animation, lots of companies and firms are showing great deal of interest in animators. Animators can become part of the film industry as well. This exciting field provides with lots of career opportunities. Infact these days, a lot of Film Production houses of Hollwood, outsource the animation work to people in India.
The role of an animator calls for a completely innovative and creative head who can think out of the box. World has witnessed several such personalities who dedicated their entire life to animation.
R K Laxman was one of the famous cartoonist’s of India. He was the creator of ” Common Man ” that used to appear in Times of India for decades. Sudhir Dar is another famous cartoonist of India.
Walt Disney is one of the most renowned animators of the world. He, along with his brother Roy O. Disney, have had immense influence on the world of animation. Walt Disney would be always remembered for his immensely popular character of Mickey Mouse.
Akio Watanabe is a Japanese animator, animation director and character designer who is famous by the name Poyoyon Rock. He has provided Japan with some of its most memorable animated characters.
Aaron Augenblick is a well known animator from the United States of America who is widely recognized for his animated films “The Midnight Carnival” and “The Wire”. He is currently involved with a project by the name “Ugly Americans”.
Another personality who has earned lots of respect for himself over the years is William Denby Hanna. He is an American animator known worldwide for lots of animated television series.
A typical day in the life of an animator largely depends on their specialization and where they are working. The following is the schedule followed by a lead animator at a leading game studio.
08:00 – 10:00 am: Arrive at the studio, check mails and catch up with the team. 10:00 – 10:30 am: Meeting with leads from different disciplines and project director to decide on the goals and tasks to be performed during the week.
10:30 – 11:00 am: Stand up meeting with animation team. 11:00 – 12:00 pm: Open game engine and packages and either continue with previous day’s work or implement the new tasks. Play and test the games for improvement and to see how the same looks.
12:00 – 01:00 pm: Lunch time 01:00 – 02:00 pm: Go around and oversee the work others are doing, advice any changes desired and try to influence them to make a better game and even better story.
02:00 – 02:15 pm: Afternoon coffee break 02:15 – 04:00 pm: Group meeting in a dark room with projector to watch the animations. Group critique is carried out where everyone learns different aspects.
04:00 – 05:00 pm: Meeting with designers and programmers to work on a new game plan or iterate an existing one or make necessary changes in the same.
05:00 – 06:00 pm: Go to desk and continue with animation or the technical tasks. It can be anything from gestures to a final moment in the game.
06:00 – 06:30 pm: Play the game, admire the animations and work done on it and make notes and use the same to inspire others. 06:30 – 07:00 pm: Done with the day’s work, time for home.
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