Careers in Animation

If your mind is filled with imagination and creativity, express yourself to the whole world by pursuing a career in animation. Careers in animation can lead you to highly rewarding opportunities in jobs in variety of settings. A degree in this area of study prepares you to develop demos and promotions for businesses. You also learn to create animations for TV and movies and, create computer games and computer-based tutorials.

Animators translate their ideas into a visual medium in addition to the technical know-how that they obtain in animation programs. These creative professionals draw by hand as well as with computers. Their work includes editing and coloring the sketches, rendering them and presenting them in the form of special effects and animated sequences for different electronic media productions. To pursue a career in animation, students are required to pursue a degree program in this field.
Careers in computer animation entail a wide array of employment opportunities for graduates. They can work as sketch artists, cartoonists, illustrators or computer game developers. These professionals can also serve as web designers, multimedia designers or visual artists. The type of career that students should pursue in this line of work depends on their individual educational and professional goals.
Animators can work for web development and/or multimedia and film studios. Software publishers and computer system design firms also have opportunities for these professionals. The income of these creative artists varies by location, expertise and qualification. On average, animators can make between $58,000 and $99,000 a year.
Students with artistic aptitude or skilled in creating computer graphics can find the most rewarding opportunities in this field.

Requirements for Animators
Aspiring animators need to pursue a degree or certificate programs in animation or a related concentration to get the knowledge and skills to kick start their career in this field. They can pursue an associate, bachelor's or master’s degree that would help them enroll in courses in drawing, video editing, video effects, 3D programming and computer graphics. Other courses of study in these programs may include kinematics, story structure, digital animation, game design and modeling.
An associate degree in this field prepares students for entry-level jobs while a bachelor’s program provides in-depth training in animation, helping learners qualify for senior-level positions. The master’s degrees are also available in this field and can help students specialize in a particular area within this field.

Admissions Requirements
To pursue a program in animation, candidates must hold a high school or GED. They may also have to provide a personal statement, complete application forms and extend official transcripts. Other requirements for admissions may vary by school.

Online Animation Programs
You can pursue an online degree or certificate in animation in case you cannot enroll in a regular program in this field. The distance learning courses give you a chance to study remotely and complete a program at your own pace. This is why they make an ideal way to learn for those of you who want to spend more time with family or manage other commitments alongside their educational pursuits.