Introduction of Animation
Who can forget the cute and brave arts obsessed Panda who learned us that self-belief can assist us scale huge heights or for that matter the ever beautiful and fascinating world of Narnia! Blockbuster movies like The Chronicles of Narnia, Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E, Up, Bolt, Coraline, Ice Age and Monsters vs. Aliens are astounding examples of the miracle that is animation. Animation field has boundless opportunity for those who like to create magic.
In spite of the latest global economic crises, animation field across the world has continued to enhance at a rapid pace. In India too, notwithstanding its late entry, the animation field is on the path of expansion and willing to experience a prolonged period of boom. What is much exciting is the fact that this field would give employment to 1000 of prospective 2-D and 3-D animators in each year. This boom is further went to be fuelled by the outsourcing of animation project job by Disney and other animation giants to India.
The stream of animation is sometimes misconceived with cartooning. Cartooning is simply drawing comic of characters with some distinct subtleties to create the character evoke a sense of comedy. On the other side, animation is the art of giving life into these characters. Animation is the art with which inert objects are brought to life with the help of different modern computer based sequencing techniques.
Various Roles, various Names
- Given below are the various roles of professionals in the animation field:
- In-between animator – This is a primary position in the animation field where you can learn almost all the fundamentals of animation.
- Modeller – A person having good knowledge of form, volume and anatomy. They create models for animation.
- Background artist – The work is to paint the background of the characters in the animation.
- Layout artist – Person who can decide the lighting and camera angles and draw the background design for the animation.
- Story Broad Artist – People with strong drawing talents are hired as storyboard artists and their work is to visualize a series of events from one animation frame to another animation frame.
- Clean- up Artist – Assistant to the animator, whose job is to trace the animator’s rough drawing and to verify the accuracy and consistency of a design.
- Scanner operator – work is to scan the cleanup artist’s drawings.
- Compositor – Job is to bring all the various characters and backgrounds in to one animation frame.
- Character animator – They bring life in the characters and usually have knowledge of stop-motion animation and traditional animation.
- Special effect artist – associate live-action footage with computer generated imagery.
- Digital ink and paint artist – Their job is to add colours to every frame.
- Key frame animator – Primary job is to draw the pictures of a movement’s beginning and end.
- Lighting artist – Create variations of colour intensity, shade, and shadows.
- Image Editor – Bring together the different audio-visual components of an animation film.
- Rendering artist – Combine models, animation, textures, lighting and to produce the right blend in the form of individual frames of animation.
- 2-D Animator – They make a very high volume of separate drawings that behold an animated sequence.
- Texture Artist – They build a surface to the 3-D modelled character, environment, or object.
- Rigging artist – pick the modelled, textured 3-D character or object and arrange it with a skeletal system or joints, this helps the 3-D character to talk or move fluidly and correctly.
- 3-D animator – pick the sculpted, textured and rigged 3-D model and give life into it. This can be done by putting in order the key frames in such a way that they seem to be lifelike and in motion.
Market Watch
The animation field, which was once dominated in the West, has found a fresh hub in India. With all the Asian countries, India has got the potential and the creating juices to manufacture world-class animations. Although, the animation field is a comparatively newcomer to India, this field is all set to experience a period of new boom.
Television, film and advertising field all have a finicky demand for animations and special effects. Further, India, steep in rich cultural heritage and mythology connect with the technology know-how, is willing to manufacture full-length animation films and short animation features.
However, this boom would not only be fastened to the animation field but also spill over to the mobile and computer gaming sectors. All this means lot of jobs for 2-D and 3-D animators and a rising international recognition of Indian animators.
International Focus
The Indian animation field is on the move. Western animation firms support India for outsourcing animation because of India’s wonderful foundation of communicating in the English language, cost benefits and high infrastructure of state-of-the-art studios.
Big names in animation such as Warner Brothers, Fun Bag Animation, Industrial Light and Magic and Disney are now explored the India to produce their animation movies on a co-production manner.
Positives/Negatives
+ives
• The global animation field is huge and as an animation artist, you have large
scope both in India and abroad.
• Animation as a profession is very profitable.
-ives
• employing for long hours is one of the stressful context an animator has to face most of the time during their careers.
Step-by-Step
The best way to follow a career in animation is by earning a graduate degree or diploma in animation. But a graduate degree in animation is not very important in India yet and only very few institutes provide this course at present. On the other side, a host of institutes is providing diploma courses in animation. A Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFA) is also a very central course to step in the animation stage. A bachelor’s degree in animation and the BFA are 3-year courses whereas the diploma course in animation change in the range of 6-months to 1- and-a-half-years.
Perform a diploma or degree in animation, the qualification criteria includes a 10+2 from a recognized board with minimum 45% marks.
Start Early
There are no special subjects that are wanted to be studied at this level. But interest in sketching, drawing and deep interest in computers is always considered vital to gain entry into the animation field.
It would be very appropriate to learn fine arts at the college level and Bachelor in Fine Arts is an ideological way to give career in animation a great push. If, however, you are not following fine arts but are instead following some other stream, there are still scope to chalk out a career in animation. In such a context, you must have an interest and passion to excel in animation.
Is it the Right Career?
If you have plenty of creativity, then yes, this is the correct career option for you. For being an excellent animator you need to possess a big deal of zeal and imagination. You must be excellent at drawing and sketching. An understanding of human, animal and bird expressions and movement is very vital part of animation as it will help you demonstrate the characters you create in the most inappropriate way.
Furthermore, you must have good visualization skills and ability for using colours. Hard work, Patience, and dedication towards your work are also compulsory for this job profile. Animation is a multitasking work so for that you want to work as a team, therefore, you need to have wonderful communication skills. So if you have the above talents and a keen desire to explore this creative art, this is the right career for you.
Pay Packet
Animation is a satisfying and profitable profession and is attracting youngsters in drove towards it. Professionals new to this field generally work in the ability of junior animators in animation studios and in the production houses. The beginning pay package of these animators can be in the range Rs.10,000 to Rs.15,000 per month.
Within a span of 3 to 5 years you can become a senior animator and demand a monthly salary as much as Rs.30,000 to Rs.40,000. If you are excellent creative and have been a part of some innovative projects you can demand a pay cheque in excess of Rs.55,000.
What would it Cost Me?
Based upon the institution and the course you choose the fee can cost you anything in the range Rs.50,000 to Rs.2,00,000.
Funding/Scholarship
A boom in the animation field in India has boosted the career opportunities and has encouraged a lot of institutions to offer scholarships to skilled individuals. Aptech Arena enfold the Kala Srishti Scholarship program to its meritorious candidates. The UD School of Animation at Hyderabad, provides the DiiA (Diversity in India Animation) Scholarship program, which supports and to favour the women to take a career as animation.
Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) offer scholarships to meritorious candidates annually on the basis of a creativity test that is conducted by an interview.
Job Prospects
Job prospects for animators are increasing at a very fast pace thanks to the boom in the entertainment and gaming field. Animation with time has earned a good hold over movies, television and advertising fields due to the enormous use of special effects. Full length animation films are in great demand. A single animation movie needs as many as 500 animators, which means that huge employment opportunities. Animation is one of the concrete, profitable and demanding career choice which serves both entertainment and education (e-learning) fields alike.
Demand and Supply
Animation is one of the fastest enhancing career options in our country nowadays. They want for a lot of skilled animators has brought about an increase in job opportunities and ascended the demand for animation as a profitable career option. The demand has unlimited the supply as the animation field requires more than 30,000 professionals in each year.
Tips for Getting Hired
- A professional course in the stream is a must.
- Get a high-end computer with a developed graphic card and some development tools; make a demo presenting all the practical talents that the employers seek.
- Preparing a strong portfolio of job is very essential to get an employment in Animation.
- Apply to as many firms as possible.
Top Companies
Given below is the list of top firms in the field of Animation:
| Pentamedia Graphics | UTV Toonz |
| Jadoo Works | Nipuna Services Ltd |
| Heart Entertainment | Toonz Animation India |
| Silvertoon Studio, Mumbai | Crest Communications |
| Maya Entertainment | Padmalaya Telefilms |
