NMCM N201 Spring 2014 Class Blog: Animator

Animator

Animators have come a long way since before they started creating animated movies and TV shows. Some animators started their careers with flipbooks. Animation isn’t just a drawing; it’s giving that drawing life that creates the animation. I remember as a child being amazed as I made my own flipbook. The ability to start with a drawing in a book and draw on each page the same character with just one different movement made me realize at a young age how wonderful this art was. Once I put them all together they created an animated sequence as the character was walking through the pages! From there animators took that simple sequence and used it to develop characters on screen with even more detail and action giving the characters personality. With the technology we have today animators have gone from making pencil and paper animation sequences into computer graphic animation.

This may sound simple and easy, as I created a flipbook as a child, but to become an animator it requires special skill. You can’t be an amazing animator if you only know the basics; you must be able to combine old media with new media as some animation companies may require some old techniques. The traditional hand drawn animation is still used today and can be combined with other techniques that a great animator will use. Great animators also know how to use model, or stop frame animation such as that used in the movie “Chicken Run.” The ability to use clay figures and film them to make them look as if they are real is what makes stop animation so unique and an important skill for an animator. Now with the new technology being able to create 3-D animation using computer graphic technology is also in high demand. Now these aren’t the only skills required you must also be a good storyteller, have good timing and composition, and an understanding of motion, size, ratios and perspective. And with the ever changing world we have today animators should have skills in mathematics, physics, computer operating systems, software-specific computer scripting languages, and digital asset management. Continuing to educate yourself as our ever changing world continues changing is a must in this career as today’s new media may be not so new in five years. And of course with any other job there are also the necessary skills to succeed in almost any career; teamwork, an ability to take direction, the ability to work quickly, meet deadlines while keeping your work at a high standard, and interpersonal communication.

Some animators are known to work on their own, but with technology and the demand for more animated movies the emphasis on teamwork and multitasking is becoming a need especially for Fortune 500 companies such as The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Animators must be willing to work together as a team and to secure a job within Disney all of the skills I stated in the last paragraph are required and for The Walt Disney Company a familiarity with the characters is a must. I would love to secure a job working for the company, but it takes much dedication and is a very competitive career chose. A large team will be involved in various stages of production helping create the Disney movies we all know and love to watch. Animators don’t just create the characters and backgrounds they are also responsible for helping raise the finance for the original idea, to script the development, finding that perfect “voice” that will make that character come to life (We all know Mickey Mouse just by the sound of his voice), recording the soundtrack, checking the design, editing and sound mix, and once the final production is finished it must look like it was all created by one hand. Disney is known for using all three technologies of animation with Tim Burton’s help they have created some of the most beautiful and imaginative stop animation movies. An animator has many opportunities especially within a company as amazing and as well-known as The Walt Disney Company and I’d be happy to work for them, even if my major is marketing securing a job within their company is a huge milestone.