Disclaimer-like Disney

Before I begin sharing some tips and advice to those who are looking to become or are interested in this field of fantasy and wonders. I must let you know that this article is purely based on what I've experienced and seen so far in my journey as a character animator for tv series. My journey in the animation industry is considered at it's teenage approx. 6 years.

These big companies always have to have certain disclaimers so they don't get into any trouble and that's what I'm doing.

Should I become an Animator?

First of all, you must understand that being a professional 3D animator wouldn't be your norm like other jobs of how you grow or even find a job in a company. You have to understand that being a 3D Animator takes years of dedication and passion for the art form. Constantly having self-awareness of your weaknesses & taking the initiative to improve. If you have the passion for animation, you will find out very quickly that animation is what you want to pursue, despite the frustrations, anger & difficulty you are going to face. Otherwise, this is not a career path for you. If you think that being an animator is fun & just requires you to have talent, you're wrong.

Talent is one thing, Attitude is another.

Let's say you've decided that 'Oooooo, Animation is my homey yo... I eat, sleep and breath cartoons'. Then I welcome you to this wonderful way of life & things you should do.

Step 1 : Get Certified (Diploma,Degree)

This is probably the best way to start your animation career. It is to start learning about the fundamentals of animation at a university. Even better, if it is an art institute.

During this time, you would be given the general aspects of all the elements of animation. Which would be life drawing, fine arts, art history, modeling, texturing, compositing, visual effects, animation & so on. Along your 3-4 years in the university, you get to try out all these courses/skills and you will find out that

I am good at this, but bad at that

When you've figured this out, let me tell you that 'It's okay'. Not everyone is born with the ability to hone all skills in the animation world. Soon, you would also find your specific passion that you want to focus on. Like me for example. I specialize in 'Character Animation'. There is a wide range of processes in the animation pipeline. My advice would be to find your strongest and most passionate skill that you want to master. And having a 'backup' skill to cover your ass.

I've seen many of my friends wasted 4 years of studying 3D animation and ended up going into other industries or doing something else. I hope this won't happen to you. If you've gotten bored of animation during your study years. My suggestion to you is to rethink whether you want to continue the few more years and graduate not doing it.

*Disclaimer Again : Not everyone who does animation comes from studying 'animation' in universities. Some come from various backgrounds such as IT.'

Step 2 : Build your Portfolio

It is indeed a little different from other career paths where they look at your resumes. When you step out into the working world for the first time, you need to have your portfolio featuring all your best work in a video to be sent to studios. And this is one of the main reasons why I advised you earlier on to stop studying animation if you have no passion for it. When you graduate, what you've done in the courses would be your first portfolio to kickstart your journey as an animator. So if it sucks, you probably go nowhere or end up in a bad studio.

Always ask the studio you're applying for, their clients and projects. Because the first few years into the animation world is crucial where

You MUST find the best opportunity to work on BIG TITLES.

At this stage, you must already be sure of what you're aiming for as a lifelong career. Give it a year or two to sort that out.

Make sure you are where you should be

Animators are needed in many aspects of the creative industries. If your studio is working on tv series, there is no way you would be working on game animations. So be sure to pick your paths right. Movies, games, tv series, advertising.

Disclaimer Again: If you do not have a proper portfolio, but still want to pursue this as your career. You have to work extra hard and most likely give in to studios that you may not like for the meantime.

Part 3 - Get Experience, Learn good communication skills

This is very very vital for building bridges with well-known people in the animation industry. If you are the type that says

I'm an animator, I only animate, I don't do networking, then you will stay there forever

in your little cocoon that is.

You should also know that in the animation industry, everything is a collaborative effort. You need to constantly work together with your teammates and members from other departments. You will need to know how to communicate your problems/issues to the rest.

The animation process is a team-effort

At the end of the day, you also want to gain as many varieties of experiences you need to advance in your career path. So getting to know other department's pipeline and how they work is actually not a bad idea.

After all this being said and done, I do wish you well in your journey to becoming a 3D Animator. One thing I would leave with you is that you

Level your expectations & exceed everyone else's

You may start slow. You may be getting shots you don't like to animate. Your audiences may not gawk over your animations but I can assure you that if you're consistent in what you do, being discipline in always learning. It will be worthwhile.

A cheers from your friendly neighbourhood animator, clinks