Job Roles in the ANIMATION Sector

Animation Media Sector

Out of all of these different sectors in the media industry, the sector that I would like to work in most would be Animation.

There are lots of different jobs in animation, from animating with models and 2D drawn animation, to 2D and 3D computer animation. These are the different departments inside that make up the animation sector. Personally I would most likely to work with Stop Motion, and there is lots of different jobs made up of that.

The head model maker

Being the head model maker, you are responsible for the creative running and overall management of the model making department. The work closely with the Director and the Production Designers to turn there visions into models or puppets that will work for the production with the model makers help.

To be a The Head of Model Making need certain skills;

• To have artistic talents and know a lot about all of the crafts skills that are needed
• To be able to make important creative decisions
• To be able to work as well as manage a team
• To really good management and leader skills
• To be good at problem solving
• To be able to finished by the deadline, whilst working calmly and good under pressure

Model Maker

The role of a Model Makers is to produce working models, props and/or puppets for stop motion animation.

To be a Model Maker you need certain skills

• Have a high level of different craft skills and artistic ability
• Have good communication skills, so you can keep supervisors or production managers informed about the progress or if there is any problems
• To be able to guide junior members of the team
• To be able to take direction, supervised and unsupervised and follow a brief
• Have good problem solving skills
• To be able to finished by the deadline, whilst working calmly and good under pressure

Animator

An animator is the person who moves (animates) the models or puppets frame by frame to create a performance and provide the action that is in the storyboard.

The skills that are needed to be an Animator are;

• Have good observation and timing skills
• To be able to work in a range of different stop motion skills, including excellent sculpting skills (if working with clay)
• To have good communication skills, such as listening to members from other departments, particularly model making.
• To be able to work well in a team
• To be able to clean up models and make replacements if needed
• To be able to operate animation and camera equipment
• Have to good understanding of the character development and storytelling
• To be able to take direction and accept constructive feedback
• To be able to finished by the deadline, whilst working calmly and good under pressure

Lighting Director

The Lighting Director makes sure that there is consistent in lighting, colour and the mood between the shots or in the scene. This is because adding lighting creates atmosphere, and adds tone, depth and realism to a scene.

The skills that are Lighting Director needs are;

• To know about colour theory, eg. Including through ask history knowledge
• To be able to follow design references and able to work in a wide range of styles
• To be able to light characters and sets, both interior and exterior, at different times of the day, ect.
• To have the ability to enhance mood by the different lighting choices
• Have good working knowledge of colour palettes
• Have good problem solving skills
• Have good communication skills
• To be able to work under pressure and to deadlines

Director

The Director is the one who provides the vision and creative leadership for the animation project. The are the ones who guide and determine the narrative content and visual style of the production, and they have the creative responsibility for the whole production team.

The skills the be a Director are;

• Be imaginative, creative and have artistic flair
• To be able to tell and explain story lines
• To have good leadership skills to direct and manage the different teams that make a production happen (the  design, layout, animation and technical teams)
• Have great communication and presentation skills
• Be able to work well under pressure and to stay within a budget
• To be able to meet deadlines

Hours and Salary

Salary for animators can vary quite a bit; there is not a set wage for the different jobs in animation. Most of the time entry salaries are in the around £12,000 - £15,000, the more experienced, the higher the salary. Experienced animators, model makers, directors, lighting directors can earn between £23,000 - £25,000 and animators with 10 years or more experience can earn for £26,000.

Animation is an office/ studio- based job, and working hours are regular office hours, for between 34-40 hours a week, but as deadlines approach and overtime might be needed, including weekends.