Animation is bringing inanimate objects and images to life for the purpose of providing wholesome entertainment. The global animation and VFX industry is estimated to reach 55.9 billion by 2015*. This means that people are beginning to appreciate the efforts put in by animators and production houses to create entertaining movies. Production houses like Walt Disney Productions, Pixar Ltd, Warner Bros and DreamWorks Animation, etc have pumped in millions to make these movies as they see a potential in the market.
Movies like Gravity, Troy, World War Z, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter series etc and television series like Games of Thrones, Walking Dead and many others have made effective use of VFX to make believable scenes and characters, resulting in awards and accolades. This emphasises the importance of technology to make a successful product.
So what does the combination the animation and VFX industry provide enthusiasts and aspiring animators? The answers are somewhat simple and yet hidden from vision as most people go in for the obvious one. Let’s take a look at the reasons why people should choose a career in this industry.
Fame & glamour
No doubt this is a powerful force to lure people to take up a career in the media industry. With the whole scheme of blistering lights and paparazzi emulating the celluloid life, who wouldn’t want to be a part of this industry!
Monetary rewards
Money flowing in is huge. With production houses spending money to create a magical experience for viewers, no stone is left unturned. That’s where animators are given the investment required to get the job done and hence, hefty salary packages and bonuses.
Creativity nurturing
Everybody is creative in one way or another. This industry makes sure that creativity is nurtured at every point possible. It gives animators the opportunity to flex their ideas and spread their wings.
Specialisation
2D & 3D animation, character modelling, VFX, lighting, rendering, technical animation, art direction, production control etc work together to get one final product. It provides animators a chance to choose their field of expertise and specialise in it and grow in that field professionally. Specialisation helps the animator to plan their career and move up the ladder.
Start anytime
As mentioned before, every person is creative in one way or another. Even though life dominates majority of our decisions; getting started in an animation & VFX career does not have an age limit. One can start anytime they want. Learning never stops and so does not getting a career in animation with a creative mind.
Gaming industry
The gaming industry is growing by leaps and bounds. This has increased the demand for animators with expertise so as to make video games more life-like. The gaming industry places emphasis on characters, storyline, colouring, graphics, movements, performance etc. On the whole, animation in video games is extremely important and provide job opportunities with handsome monetary package.
Mobile industry
With the smartphone market booming; there is demand for application developers. Most of the skills acquired as an animator is helpful in getting a career in the mobile industry.
Rewards & recognition
The industry has various guilds and associations that promote and motive animators, developers and employees to work hard and achieve the pinnacle of success. They are publicly recognised for their efforts and inputs provided in making an animated movie, designing a video game and even developing an application for mobile phones and computers. This appreciation encourages people to work better.
Contact builders
With the widespread involvement of people on a global scale it becomes easier to socialise and build good contacts. This helps you to create chances to move further up the career ladder. Networking has always worked to ensure that right people get selected for the right job.
Freelance: With the industry looking for animators and developers to get more expertise in their project, you can always work as a freelancer and choose to have your own freedom of expression and yet conform to the rule of the project.
Just for fun
Last but not the least, people should join the media industry for their passion. If you do not have the drive, then nothing can help you succeed. Advancement in technology, the process of movie making, the glitz and blitz of award ceremonies, raking the moolah; these are all the by-products of your work. There is nothing better than doing what you love.
The animation & VFX industry works round the clock as per the demand of the projects. With the audience maturing; there is a need for specialised animators and developers for each project. With so much freedom given to exercise your creativity, you have fun while working. With the industry expected to grow by billions; there is no doubt that one should aspire to be an animator if the opportunity knocks.
*Source: KPMG analysis & industry interviews