How to Begin a Career in Animation?

A successful animation career continues to remain a mystery to many in India. But it may not be as difficult to discover, after all. The key to a successful career in animation can be found in Three Ps - Practice, Perseverance and Personality. The Three P’s must be developed in order to become successful in the animation industry. Besides the Three Ps there are 3 essential steps, which would guide you on how to begin your career in animation.

Step 1: Research - Getting the Right Information

1. Identify your interest and skills. Analyse if you are interested in developing your creative skills. If yes, what kind of creative activity gives you the most satisfaction?

2. Research about the top animation institutes and schools, their courses, curriculum, faculty, student works & awards, and the kind of job placement assistance they provide to their students. 

3. Understand the kind of jobs available in the animation industry and what skills are required to get recruited. Map the type of job that is the best match for your skill, talent, and interest.

Step 2: Essential Skills

The skills which differentiate an average from a good animator help you to climb the ladder of success in this industry.

• Original, innovative ideas and quality work
• An eye for detail or good observation skills
• Creative and artistic skills
• Technically sound in your area of work
• Troubleshooting abilities
• Good communication skills to convey your ideas to others
• Self-disciplined and motivated 
• A team player with leadership qualities

An animator in-making has a blend of all the above mentioned qualities that aid his/her progress in the animation industry.

Step 3: Identify Your Animation Field

Animation has become an integral part of many industries and created job avenues for many animators. As per your skill, talent and interest, some of the avenues are:

• Animation & visual effects in movies, gaming, television & advertising
• 3D visualization for medical animation, 3D architectural walkthroughs & product visualization 
• Animated e-learning content 
• Online animated content for websites & portals
• Games for mobiles, consoles and PC

Most of these jobs require both creative and technical understanding. But some are exclusively looking for creative artists. It is up to you to find the requirement and whether it matches your interest and skill-sets or not.

If the animation industry calls you, you must join the best animation institute out there, get trained and get hired.