Animation School: Your Path to Success

college-graduation

Computer animation is a growing field that has many career possibilities. If you are wondering how to become an animator, there are now many ways to get the training you need to succeed in this profession. An animation degree can give you the background necessary to work in this rapidly expanding industry.

The computer animator career possibilities are diverse and exciting. Movies, television, advertising, and video games all utilize computer animation. The demand for new and creative animation is growing with the advance of innovative technologies.

Popular Specialty Fields

Choosing a specialty will allow you to concentrate on one field of animation. The field you choose will determine the nature of your work—and in many cases the salary you can earn.

  • Game or Simulation Programming: This is a very popular field. There are many aspects to designing games, each requiring very specialized skills.
  • Animation for Movies and Television: This is a very exciting, though highly competitive, field, as the quality of animation is continually improving as new technologies emerge. This includes not only the production of animated films, but also special effects that are used in many movies and television shows.
  • Digital Media and Digital Arts: These programs are more general and can give you a solid background in the animation skills that are necessary for a variety of careers.

How do you decide on the right school or program?

You should first do some general research to find out what is being offered. It also depends on whether you want to attend school full time, part time, or online.

An online animation degree has the advantage of catering to your schedule, while it has the drawback of not having face-to-face contact with other students and faculty. If you want to attend a traditional school, you have to consider the location and reputation of the school.

Benefits of Earning Your Degree

Animation school can help you prepare for a corporate job or even a freelance career. There is so much being done with computer animation today that many people are making a good living by working for themselves. Of course, everything you create for your clients can become part of your resume, in case you want to apply for a job sometime in the future.

An animation degree can give you a foothold in a desirable and creative field. As people become used to watching video on their computers, cell phones, and mp3 players, the demand for new material will never stop. And for every type of content, whether film, TV show, or website, there is the need for advertising. In all of these areas, animation skills can play an important role.

Arguably most important is the fact that a bachelor’s degree provides you with a better starting salary than an associate’s degree or other certificate. Additionally, the curriculum associated with a bachelor’s degree develops a well-rounded skill set that will help you excel in many aspects of your career, not just the actual animation.

Today, animation programs are offered both online and in traditional educational settings. Additionally, you may be able to find an entry-level job that will train you in the more complex animation skills you need to develop.

Computer Animation Programs

If you desire to enter the exciting and quickly growing world of animation, there are several types of computer animation college programs to choose from. Depending on the computer animation college, there are numerous programs you can complete, such as:

  • Animation Art and Design
  • 2D and 3D Animation Applications and Sequences
  • Media Arts and Animation
  • Entertainment Design
  • Digital Media and Animation
  • Integration of Live Footage with 2D and 3D Animation
  • Design Solution Development
  • Use of Multi-Media, Software, and Hardware

Examples of Classes

There are several classes typically found within a computer animation program, with computer animation colleges generally designing the curriculum based on the degree program and the available resources within the school. Classes may include:

  • Animation Theory and Techniques
  • Writing for Film
  • Storyboard and Script Development
  • 2D and 3D Animation Production
  • Drawing and Design for Animation
  • Graphic Design and Art
  • General Computer Animation
  • Data Structuring
  • Movement through Graphic Images

Each class provides the skills necessary to enter the field with the appropriate knowledge of the various tools and resources to be used, as well as accepted processes and procedures.

Skills Learned

All colleges of graphic design and computer animation will provide you with the basic skills needed to perform the work you will take on within the profession. Whether you are attending a 3D animation school or a school that offers various other programs, there are several skills you will take with you upon graduation, including:

  • Computer drawing
  • Web design
  • 3D graphic design
  • Media production
  • Computer animation

All programs, even the most advanced 3D animation programs, will start with teaching you the paper and pencil aspect of beginning your work, leading to the compilation of animation and live action to create masterpieces within media outlets.

Computer animation is a wonderful industry—one that can provide a steady job despite a down economy. With the right education and a bit of talent, you can start your new animation career!