Animation is a fast-emerging high-paying career option. To become an animator, you need intensive training in 2D or 3D animation. Professional diploma programs in animation and multimedia are available for higher study. You can specialize in creating animation characters, creating two- and/or three-dimensional shapes, special visual effects, video game programming, game art and so on. The basic requirement is that you must have excellent creative and artistic abilities such as flair for drawing, sketching or caricaturing.
On the employment front, opportunities are many. Cartoon animation, film animation, digital post-production, advertising, gaming, special effects are only some of the avenues that open up once you complete formal training
Animation application areas include many avenues in the following:
- Entertainment (movies and television)
- Business (product promotions and marketing demos)
- Sales (presentations)
- Education (Computer Based Tutorials/Web Based Tutorials)
- Publishing (graphics and printing)
- Virtual reality in Defense
- Web designing
- Engineering
- Advertising (commercials and print ads)
- Fashion designing and interior designing
- Development of computer games/mobile games
- Medical, legal and insurance industry (presentations and models)
- Studios and training institutes
Eligibility
You do not need to have excellent academic credentials to become an animator. You just need a creative bent of mind and an artistic inclination. The courses you do help you bring out your creativity.
- The eligibility for a course in animation is a 10+2, but the actual criterion for admission is creativity. You may need to take test in drawing, acting, clay modeling, and visualization
- Knowledge of programming (C++, Java) and a general interest in creativity can help you
- For a diploma and for a Bachelors Degree in animation one needs to have passed 12th standard from any recognized board. For Post Graduate program one should have a Bachelors Degree in any discipline, preferably Arts
- GD Arts/ BFA (commercial, painting, sculpture, textile), B Arch, MFA, or other equivalent degree or Diploma in Fine Arts
- Some of the institutes like Industrial Design Center (IDC), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Design (NID) have a strict eligibility criterion-only graduates of architecture, technology and engineering, fine arts can apply for this course
Note : Experienced persons with demonstrated professional accomplishments in relevant disciplines in Fine Arts, but not having above mentioned qualifications may also apply
Courses
There are various diploma and degree programs in animation and multimedia. These courses focus on teaching and equipping a person in various styles and techniques of animation, which may include :
- Traditional animation
- Stop-motion animation
- Rotoscoping
- Computer generated 3D and 2Danimation
- Clay-mation
- Photoshop
- Human anatomy
- Drawing
Institutions
There are a number of institutes that offer educational courses in animation. Most of these institutes provide placements and help their students to secure employment through tie-ups with various animation companies
Private Institutions
- Tekno Point Multimedia
- Maya Academy Of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC)
- Arena Multimedia
- Academy of Animation and Gaming (AAG)
- Zee Institute Of Creative Arts (ZICA)
- National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT)
- The Toonz-Webel Academy
- Whistling Woods International
- Escotoonz Animation
- Hearts Animation Academy
- The JJ School Of Arts
Government or autonomous institutions
- The National Institute of Design (NID), Paldi, Ahmedabad, offers courses in graphic design, animation film design, film and video communications and so on
- Undergraduate Course: If you have scored brilliantly in plus two then you can join the four-year graduate diploma programs in design and opt for specialisation. Admission is through a written test and an interview.
- Number of seats: 60.
- Postgraduate diploma program: You can also opt for PG Diploma in design, with Communication Design as one of the specialisation areas. Communication Design consists of Graphic Design, Animation Film Design, and Film and Video Communication. Selection is based on an all-India-level entrance test and interview
- The Birla Institute of Technology (deemed university), Mesra, Ranchi offers a B.Sc. animation and multimedia course at its Jaipur and Noida Centres
- The Film and Television Institute of India, Pune conducts a year-and-a-half certificate course in animation and computer graphics. Fine Arts diploma holders are given preference
- The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Mumbai and Guwahati offers Master of Design (Animation) programs for meritorious B.Tech holders
- The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) centers in Pune and Mohali also provide training facilities in animation. C-DAC, Mohali offers Post Graduate diploma courses in animation and multimedia for graduates in any discipline
Specialisation
One can specialise as a 3D or 2D modeler, special FX Creator, Animator, Character Designer, Games Designer, and Interaction Designer.
Career Prospects
The Indian animation industry is currently at US $500 million and is expected to reach US $1.5 billion by the year 2009. Yet, statistics reveal not even half of the manpower requirement in the animation industry is being fulfilled in India. With international companies such as Walt Disney, Warner Brothers and Fun Bag Animation looking at India for sourcing content as well as doing projects in collaboration with the Indian animation companies, there has been a growing demand for animators in the country.
NASSCOM says that India's gaming industry (computer games and mobile games) is expected to generate $424 million by the 2010. NASSCOM has projected a creation of an additional 300,000 jobs in this sector in next few years.
In the animation industry you can work as:
- Modeler
- Layout artist
- Clean-up artist
- Scanner operator
- Digital ink and paint artist
- Compositor
- Key frame animator
- Background artist
- In-between animator
Average Salary
After completing the on job training in some leading animation production studio, you can earn around Rs. 12000 to 15000 as a junior animator. A senior animator with an experience of 3 to 5 years can take home a sum of Rs.30000 to Rs.40000. If you have a portfolio of some outstanding animation work you can expect to earn more than Rs.50000 to Rs.60000.
Study Abroad
You can also explore study options in animation abroad. Some of the preferred locations for training in animation are New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the US and UK. Click animation to explore various study abroad options in animation.
