Software
In the Animation industry, having experience and knowledge with various programs is a requirement.
Software and equipment required for this particular job includes the following:
*Adobe Programs-
-Photoshop
-Flash
-After Effects
-Premiere Pro
-Illustrator
-SoundBooth
-Dreamweaver
*Autodesk Programs-
-Maya
-Mudbox
-MatchMover
-Softimage
-3Ds Max
-Toxik
-Combustion
*Blender
*ZBrush
Equipment
Equipment depends on the type of animation like 3D needing a really high powered computer, 2D requiring sketch pads/pencils if a hand drawn style, a Graphics Tablet if drawing digitally on the computer and Stop Motion needed a highly quality camera to take each frame, armatures for rigging, clay for molding characters and materials for building the environments like wire, cardboard and paper. These will be provided especially the computers and render farms required for the high quality productions. You can use your own computer if possible but it will need to have the appropriate license and not a free one found on certain websites.
Skills
Having the necessary skills in these programs from Intermediate to Advanced is a huge advantage to getting employment. Also knowing fundamentals of animation and demonstrating the ability to animate a character properly either key framing or inbetweening is also an requirement.
Appropriate education in the area is highly important and there are a few institutions that offer it like Charles Sturt University offering the Bachelor of Arts Animation Degree. Having a degree will at most times get your foot in the door, but promoting yourself to employers is also highly recommended. Having a showreel which showcases your work starting with the best projects you have completed to the least best. Having a personal website featuring your showreel, CV and resume is another more preferred means of promoting you skills.
Employment Locations
The location of employment in regards to Animation is mainly in bigger cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia. America is where the more well known production houses are like Dreamworks, Pixar and Disney.
If your located a distance away like maybe five hours then you can still work long distance and able to take time to travel if required to, so you don't have to be living in the same city to be employed in animation as work progress can be sent via the internet.
Challenges
Working on an animated project is filled with challenges. It is a time consuming process filled long work hours that can even lead to pulling an all nighter. Even with proper time management, a production can be worked on to the very last minute. It is never easy but despite this is fun and rewarding to see a final edit that turned out as planned. The challenge starts form day one to the final moments of completing a production, for example developing a concept, getting that idea across to the concept artists, translating the 2D concept sketches over to 3D which is a challenge to get the aesthetics correct, building the rigs that can lead to many problems especially if controls or joints aren't grouped right, animating can also be very challenging if the rigs aren't animator friendly, renders failing or lighting not being correct which can be avoided if test renders were made prior and compositing all the elements and layers together.
Creative Control
In regards to creative control, it depends on your role. If you're a director, you have a lot of control since it's technically your idea. However if you are given the role of assets creation then you will have to model based on the concepts and designs.
The one time you do have creative control is if your freelance in some cases but if working for a client, then they will have more control than you. Also producing your own for a personal production that you want to submit in a festival, screening or assessment then you will have substantial amount of creative control. In a sense it all depends on your role and profession in the field.
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