The enthralling world of animation offers a spectacular gamut of opportunities for the creative at heart. Animators are those professionals who design images with their bare hands and also by utilising state-of-the-art computer software. Such people are usually employed in advertising agencies, motion graphics companies, and game manufacturers.
They create breathtaking video games, captive commercials, enticing television shows, and blockbuster movies. The most significant characteristics of a successful animator are illustrated below in brief. Animation is expanding in terms of use, trends and categories nowadays, from wave animation, media animation; advertisement animation to business animation, it is becoming a prominent necessity for every marketer, developer and business head out there. So, if you are interested in this field, here are some of the skills that will set you apart from the rest.
Graphics design aptitude
A qualified animator must be acquainted with the nitty-gritty of how to draw the characters and use visual effects to make the animations natural and life-like.
Critical analysis abilities
A seasoned animator should pay close attention to minute details, such as how fast the character is to move, in which direction it is supposed to look at, et cetera for giving the character a more realistic and professional appearance. One of the pre-requisites to be a successful animator is to have an excellent observation power.
Drawing skills
A good animator is mandatory required to have extraordinary drawing skills for visually explain the overall concept to the client and/or the design team. The animator is also assigned with the task of story-boarding in occasional instances.
Timing and spacing
A veteran animator really needs to possess an excellent sense of spacing and timing for realistically replicating the actions, movements, and reactions of the character.
Colour theory
All professionally animators know how to express the wide and diverse array of human emotions with the help of colours. An in-depth study of the colour theory is a must for every individual aspiring to enter the exciting realm of today’s multi-million dollar animation industry.
Ingenuity and innovation
A good animator should never run short of creativity and originality. While it might take a while to prove one’s mettle, but every potential animator must devise own style and keep improvising the same to be successful.
Technical skills
All the top animators across the globe are known to come up with an ideal blend of practical skills and artistic abilities. One should be having impeccable drawing aptitude to help realise the ideas and concepts of the clientele. Technical skills include audio-video editing and an impressive mastery over cutting-edge software applications, such as After Effects, 3D Studio Max, and Adobe Flash, to name a few.
In addition to all the aforementioned abilities, one should be open to life-long learning as well. Lastly, the software Flash did make way for futuristic applications, such as, augmented reality, hologram, and virtual reality. If you plan to stay here for a considerably long amount of time, do upgrade yourself with the know-how of nifty tools, such as Unreal or Unity in the coming days.
