Animation - an exciting career option The animation industry has grown multifold in recent years. Animated movies and movies using VFX and graphic designs extensively have become the latest trend in cinema. Along with Animation and VFX, Gaming has also gained immense popularity and importance. Gone are the days when a touch of special effects would amuse the crowd. With the advent of high-tech graphics, people have learnt to appreciate and criticise the quality of visual effects. The year 2013 saw many animation blockbusters – Planes, Turbo, Epic, Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2, and Frozen. An additional three landed in the top ten highest grossing films of 2013, with The Croods at the 9th place, Monsters University at 4th, and the mega-hit movie Despicable me 2 which slid in at #2 at the box office, falling just behind Iron Man 3.India’s very own Dhoom 3 saw extensive use of VFX. Thus, with the onset of new technologies, the requirement for the animation industry has surged tremendously all over the world. Skilled technicians are not only valued but are also highly paid. For instance, California, one of the animation hubs in the world, consists of approximately 12 per cent of all animators working in the US and they are highly paid, earning up to $76,000 per annum. It is estimated that the demand for animators would surge by 14 per cent by the end of 2018. In India itself, there is an estimate of 40,000 jobs being created in the next four years. As a result of the popularity of the industry, new schools are developing all over the world encouraging more participation and ample scope for individuals who aspire to pursue a career in the field of animation. A lot of animation schools provide state-of-the-art software and technologies to their students in order to take animation training a notch higher. Thus, for individuals who are creative and who aspire to invent and contribute innovative techniques to the world of animation, the field presents lucrative career options. Although animation in the Indian film industry is in its infancy, compared to the global scene, it has, nevertheless, made steady progress over the years. Movies such as Hanuman and Roadside Romeo, along with visual effects in Ra One and Krrish have proven the merit and potential of our indigenous animation industry. Nowadays, most of the movie directors hire animators in order to enhance the quality of various elements in a film. In the year 2009, it was estimated with a CAGR of 30%, the Indian animation industry is pegged to reach US $1.4 billion by the end of 2015. An interesting update is that Chetan Desmukh, one of the most accomplished Indian animators, recently moved his base from US to Pune. He has worked as one of the chief animators in Hollywood for movies like Chicago and Shanghai Knights. It is reassuring to know that a veteran like him sees potential in the Indian animation industry. The scope of animation recruitments extends beyond movies into the gaming industry, education industry, TV commercials, print, advertising and media and mobile, console and web designing. Its demand is seeing promising growth with the film industry hiring animators enthusiastically. Individuals with an imaginative mind are sure to reach heights of accomplishment and fame in this industry. Most animation schools offer courses on Graphic design, Animation film making, Audio visual editing, 2D and 3D Animation and also Web designing. Students are encouraged to apply their creative ideas and evolve in the process. However, not all schools are affiliated to a reputed university. A student must check the following parameters before deciding on an animation school: The infrastructure offered by the school. The ambience of an animation school speaks volumes about the creative liberty it provides to its students. The depth of syllabi of the various courses. The courses must focus on providing a strong foundation in the subjects and deep knowledge of the specialisation with good hands-on experience. The faculty should not only be qualified and possess good communication skills but should also be competent. Do ensure to meet the faculty members and have a discussion with them. A well networked college will provide good placements, internships and project opportunities with the best studios and design houses in the city. The university affiliation plays a very important role when you are looking to do a degree or diploma programme. Do remember to check the university affiliation of the college you choose. Student support facilities such as accommodation for students from a different town/city/country are also a criteria for selection. Animators are required at newspaper companies, new channels, advertisement companies and various other establishments. VFX and gaming technicians are hired all over the world for several purposes depending on the nature of the companies that are hiring them. Their career options are certainly lucrative and enjoyable.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 03:55:00 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015