Gaming Industry Growth Needs Talented Newcomers Into The Field
The legendary animation director Chuck Jones, best known as the co-creator of Bugs Bunny and sole creator of the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote, once described his profession as “acting with pencil”. It makes one wonder what he would think of his profession nowadays, considering how much the animation industry has exploded since the great artist passed away.
These days, animators are a high demand profession, primarily thanks to two key developments. First and foremost was the advent of the computer. The other reason was the incredible expansion of video games in large part thanks again to the computer. The video game industry brought in $21.4 billion in 2008, and 26% of its 80,000 employees are a new kind of animator, one who specializes in gaming. They aren’t just coming in without some good educational background, however, and those who are interested should begin with some online course research into how to make plans for entry.
At his or her core, a gaming animator has to have the same basic skill set as his or her TV/film comrade. These days they must be as equally skilled at a desktop as with a paintbrush. All must have excellent visual story telling skills, as well as the visual acuity of a professional painter. Knowledge of the most popular animation software is also standard.
In fact, these days it’s also common for any respectable college-level art school to ask their applicants to not only provide a presentation portfolio, but also a demo reel or disk. They have to display how much about the production process they know.
What makes gaming animation different from others is what the animators work on. In traditional animation, the viewer is passive and just follows whatever is on the screen. A gamer is the extreme opposite, actively participating in the game’s story through manipulating the lead character. Thus, the game animator has to create a scene for whatever the gamer can do with his console. This means a ton of repetition for each scene.
Financial aid for animators is pretty much on the same track as for any other art student, only with a number of studios like Disney, Sony and Dreamworks adding their revenues to the pot. It’s not uncommon for Disney to lock up a particularly promising student with a full scholarship to Cal Arts (a school they founded). For those less blessed, there are the usual routes for grants, other scholarships and loans out there. The best thing to do is consult with a financial aid advisor and research online course options on your own to see what fits your individual situation.
What does work in an animator’s favor though is it’s a very small field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics believes there are about 20,000 as of 2009, half them employed in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Salaries can go up to $80,000, depending heavily on where one works. California, the heart of America’s entertainment industry, pays higher than any other city. From there, one can move on to a director or producer’s job.
Since computers are such a large part of this field, earning a degree for this field through online education will be no surprise as a great choice. Scholarships and grants for college online are a large incentive for those who are talented to get into a secure and interesting field.
July 23, 2011 | Posted by Michelle Conner
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