The secrets to a successful animation career!
Animation Tips and Inspiration for Animators
You may wonder about the secret sauce to becoming a successful animator. Although perseverance is key to an exceptional career, some animation tips are mentioned in this article to inspire you and help you excel. Check it out!
Animation Tips for Beginners
Whether you have taken inspiration and animation tips from watching Disney movies or simply believe that you have what it takes to become the best, you may feel lost in becoming an animator. Still, it’s okay to feel this way.
Essential Animation Tips
1. Preparation is a Foundation
You can enroll in the best online school, university, or academy and listen to animation tips on Youtube to become the best animator. However, no one else other than you will work on the different skill sets required to have a successful animation career.
An animator should possess both industry-related as well as soft skills. Some of the most traditional animation tips that are industry-related skills are:
- Mastering the animation software
- Collaboration & Communication skills
- Attention to detail
- Confidence
- Creativity
A combination of these skills will make sure your career skyrockets. You should work on one skill at a time and don’t forget to remain patient during the process. There’s no such thing as having “enough skills” for animators. Their job requires them to be super innovative, and therefore, you can work on other primary skills.
As animators bring a whole new idea to life, they should also master acting, storytelling, planning, researching, and previsualization skills.
You first need to properly plan the story to be conveyed to the audience effectively. Having a well-scripted or thought-out story allows you to create something magical.
Moreover, having acting skills helps you imagine and give relatability to how your animated character would act in a particular scene. Finally, using your animation skills will help you bring the “right” mood to inspire the audience.
2. Experience Matters
One of the essential animation tips for beginners is not to overlook the importance of experience. You may get a world-class degree from an institute. However, in the end, your knowledge and skill will help you gain recognition in the animation industry.
Of course, you don’t have to start big. Taking small steps will do the job, and who knows, one day, you may be working with the Disney animation team!
You can start as an independent freelancer or start working on TV commercials, Web Series, collaborate with small studios, etc.
Also, some animation tips are to look out for job opportunities on Gamasutra, LinkedIn, CGChannel, etc. You can also work in one of the indie studios to make your portfolio stand out among other candidates and work for well-known companies down the road.
If you cannot get a client or can’t seem to get hired by a studio, this shouldn’t stop you from getting experience in your industry.
The good news is that there are plenty of events (IRL or Online), such as the Game Developers Conference or FMX, that allow artists, business leaders, programmers, and game designers to get together, network, and share animation tips to educate each other.
3. Become an animation intern.
The learning pathway of an animator never ends. You need to continuously upscale your skills and grow as an animator in this modern digital world. It can be as simple as exploring a few of the related skills of your field like photography, sculpting, or sketching.
These skills will allow you to look at your work from a better and different perspective. This will ultimately help you in creating top-notch quality animations. Think of it more like getting out of your comfort zone, as this will help you grow as an animator.
4. Exposure
If you don’t showcase your skills and abilities, you won’t be able to work with well-renowned studios. Therefore, you need to participate in such events to help you achieve this. Now you must be wondering where to join such events.
Some animation tips to get you exposed are joining a group of animators on Discord, Reddit, Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn groups.
When you meet professionals in your field, share your work or portfolio website. They might give you some animation tips and advice, or they may even get inspired by your work and connect with you to work on a project.
Conclusion
There is no shortcut to success, especially if you want to be an excellent animator. All begins with hard work and preparation. Don't stop learning and continue to acquire skills that matter.
Even when you believe that you have become the best animator, remember that the grind never ends. You can learn a bunch of animation mentor tips and tricks at iAnimate to hone your skills right in the comfort of your home.
At iAnimate, we connect animators like you with highly-experienced animators who have worked with top studios worldwide like Pixar, Sony Pictures, and DreamWorks. You get live reviews, animation timing tips, etc. These sessions are also recorded for you to watch later.
Along with the animation tips mentioned in this article, this will help you achieve the heights of success in the animation industry, and with time, you will see well-known companies approaching you to work with them.
You can now apply for our upcoming workshops to help you get a head start on your career.
Artilce by Richard Arroyo & iAnimate Team