Countless Job Opportunities to Choose from in Animation & VFx Let’s take a look at some of the roles an animation team comprises of… Animation Director An animation director isn’t just responsible for the quality of an animation; they’re responsible for keeping it on brief and for delivering consistent performances by assigning, or casting, the appropriate Animators. Their first task is to liaise with clients and interpret what it is that they want. Following that, they must supervise and review the work created by the animators all whilst making sure the project is delivered on time and on budget. It’s not surprising, then, that an animation director has to be a brilliant communicator. Copywriter First things first, we need to address a common misconception: a copywriter has nothing to do with copyright. Instead of dealing with legal exclusivity, a copywriter is in charge of producing written content. This writing is primarily used for the purpose of advertising and marketing. A day’s work might consist of creating anything from an SEO-rich blog post to a commercial script. Illustrator An illustrator is an artist who combines 2D art, design and digital dexterity to develop an idea and eventually produce original content for an animation. An illustrator has to be flexible with their designs, and be able to adapt their work to the feedback a client gives them. Consequently, an illustrator needs to have good communication skills in order to get a feel for what a client wants during a particular job. Motion Graphics Designer Motion Graphics Designers put together content that contains graphic design, animations and visual effects. Logos, typography, illustration and shapes all come alive and interact in a way that tells a compelling story. Like a graphic designer, there is a lot of thought that goes into the font choices, positioning and iconography. A graphic designer may also be assigned the task of creating initial storyboards to animate from. Sound Designer A sound designer provides the sound to accompany the screen action. Depending on your budget, the requirements of a sound designer may change. In a cheaper production, the sound designer typically will manipulate previously composed or recorded audio to create a desired mood or effect. In a more expensive project, a sound designer will actually source and record the audio/sound effects themselves. Traditional Animator A traditional animator uses a classic animation technique wherein each frame is drawn by hand. It’s a time consuming way to work. The days of actually drawing each frame on celluloid have now been replaced by computer & tablet but the technique is the same. There’s something beautifully crafted about traditional animation; just think of Disney’s 1937 version of Snow White. Visual Effects Artists The world of visual effects (VFX) is diverse. As a visual effects artist, you’ll be responsible for creating what is either impractical or impossible to film. One day you might be creating an explosion through special effects; the next you might be doing visual clean-up and removing a car number plate from a video. 3D Character Designer A 3D character designer needs to be proficient at both computer graphics and 3D modelling in order to bring their character to life. This is a job for someone with an eye for small detail, as this is what makes an animation come alive. The character designer plays a pivotal role in the creation of an animation because it’s the characters that drive the story, no matter if it’s corporate or creative. 3D Designer 3D designers may find themselves in a variety of places such as; animation studios, film & tv companies, medical companies or architectural companies. Using computer and film technology to create still or moving 3D creations, a 3D artist may work in media production to create elements for video games or 3D movies or work in the growing field of medical illustration, creating 3D images of anatomy for research and diagnostics. Also in the architectural industry 3D is used extensively to create 3D visualisations of future real estate projects. 3D artists often work in teams, dividing project workloads according to strengths. Artists are often consulted on the development of storyboards that are used for creating an overview of a project's final form. Artists must also be present for concept pitches with new clients in order to sell their abilities and demonstrate their talent to potential employers.