BFA(Bachelor in Fine Arts) in Animation & Graphics is a 3-year degree course where the program mainly concentrates on computer graphics and 3-D animation. Completed the graduation in Animation and Graphics, then next what? This is an eternal question in the mind of every student who is undergoing the course! Though they had great ideas before joining the course, one generally has a doubt somewhere down the line. This article should put all such minds at rest!
Animators’ Career Options
As a Fine Arts graduate in Animation and Graphics, animators normally work in a definitive medium. Most animators take the course for making animated movies & video games. Some others take it for their passion of creating special visual effects for films & TV. As per the skills of animators, there are boundless possibilities to have diverse careers in the following industry verticals:
- Cinema
- Computer Systems Design
- Advertising and Publishing
- Web Design and Related Services
- Specialized Design Services
However, according to a study conducted in the US, an astounding 57% of the animators did not go to work in a regular company or firm- they were self-employed & mostly worked from home! As besides being handsomely paid on the basis of hourly pay or projects undertaken, they have an edge of working in an extremely comfortable environment. The remaining worked in various sectors like film, animation studios, video games productions, advertising & publishing firms, cartoon networks, web design & related services companies, specialized design services industry & mobile technology companies with extremely good salaries ranging from minimum of 1.8 lakh per annum to more then 12 lakh per annum, depending upon the work experience & ingeniousness of the work.
Cinema
Undoubtedly, animators are in great demand in the movie industry and the world’s top movie animators are found in nondescript firms in Bangalore & Hyderabad! They usually help in creating and animating different characters in films. They often work hours on end to just fine tune the looks, hair, clothes and the movements of the characters.
Becoming an Art Director is the dream of many an animator. An art director is normally an experienced animator who manages the artistic people & also guides the progress of visual media ventures. Art directors oversee the planning, budgeting and development of all creative work in cinema and television production houses. They also take care of similar work in advertising companies and design firms. Their job also includes managing accounts, approving layouts & sets and to work closely with different clients for project development.
Earning Potential
Since animation is a vastly specialized field the packages animators take home are decent, to say the least. Initially, at the start of his career, one can expect a CTC of around 1.8 to 2.4 lakhs and look at regular, decent hikes. An experienced senior animator can expect around 8-12 lakhs per annum. Experts in the field can, however, look to earn much more.
Hierarchy in Movie Industry
Growth opportunities for an animator in Movie Industry are limitless, In a typical movie company the growth of an animator goes from a Studio Background Artist to the Director as shown below:
Studio Background Artist>Layout /Background Artist>Story Artist>Editorial Cartoonist>Photo Science Engineer>Production Background Head>Director of Photography>Technical Director>Director
There has been a rapid growth observed in the recent years in this industry. The industry faces a talent crunch, talented & trained creative people are the need of the hour for them. So if are you a person with lots of creativity then it is suggested to pursue an Animation degree and get an artistic career.
