What type of skills, training, and experience are needed to become a computer animation professional?

One of the hottest job markets out there today is the field of computer animation. With technology getting simpler and its possible applications growing, the number of opportunities for you to become a computer animation professional is on the rise. It's not as easy as just saying you want to be a computer animator, though. Knowing what skills, training, and experience it takes to be a success is the first step in achieving it.

Computer animation is a unique field in that it requires you to be proficient in both the creative and the technical processes. Having just one of the strengths isn't enough; you need to be fluent in both the basics of art and the basics of computers.

A solid art foundation where you learn the fundamentals of drawing and color principle is the basis from which the rest of your creative education grows. From there, you can move into two- and three-dimensional illustration, and technical design. These are all important skills to have before actually venturing into digital media training.

With software packages becoming increasingly user-friendly, specific knowledge is no longer a prerequisite to gaining employment. It's more beneficial to master the core skills that translate from program to program, such as motion capture and texture mapping. By concentrating on being comfortable in the digital medium as a whole, you can widen your employ ability by not limiting yourself to a program that could very well be defunct in a year.

While having a solid background in art and computers is vital to your success, so is being an effective communicator. As with any production of this kind, there is a substantial amount of pre-production that takes place, requiring you to interface with clients and co-workers in order to determine the structure of the project. Sound interpersonal skills make the difference between an automaton and an artist.

More so than many other fields, computer animation is ideally mastered in an academic environment. It's possible to get the technical training on software packages at home, but not only does that require a lot of time and money, it also shortchanges you on the other skills that will make you a great employee. Having the tools is very different to knowing how best to use them.

Choose a school that will give you a well-rounded education. Because different colleges focus on different areas, deciding prior to selection what your career goal is will help you find the one that fits your needs. It should have trained and competent instructors, varied coursework, and a top-quality computer graphics lab. The latter will assist you in putting together a demo reel of your work, the most valuable asset in finding your first job.

Computer animation is a versatile industry, offering you a productive and exciting career. Whether your dream is to do the effects for the next Hollywood blockbuster or to design the next bestselling computer game, you can succeed as a computer animation professional if you enter it with the right tools and education.