Must have skills for an animator

With the mushrooming of plenty  of colleges and institutes that offer amazing courses in the field of animation, pursuing a career in this field has never been more easy. Having a successful career as an animator was a distant dream for plenty of aspiring individuals due to lack of information and opportunities. However, merely by pursuing a degree course in this won’t ensure a successful career thereafter. In order to have a successful in the field of animation an individual needs to have the following skills:

1) Imagination and creativity
A pre-requisite for any individual to have a successful career in animation is to possess amazing imagination and creativity. These are the foundational requirements that will ensure long term success for any aspirant of this profession.

2) Ability to meet deadlines
Like many other fields of work, animation too is deadline oriented. The ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines is a highly desirable skill in professional animators.

3) Familiarity with advanced computer functions
Since this line of profession is technology oriented, an individual who is familiar with the know-how’s of the computer world has an edge over an individual who is relatively a novice in this context. Animation courses in India are designed in such a way that they lay abundant amount of emphasis on the latest computer technological advancements.

4) To be a team player
An individual who is a team player through and through stands greater chances at success in this profession as most work that he or she will do will be a group task. Seldom any work will be allocated that will involve no other person. Therefore, being a team player is an extremely desirable trait as it will also lead to plenty of learning opportunities.

If you think you have the above mentioned skills, then you are meant for a career in animation.
Among the abundant colleges and institutes that offer great courses in this field, AAFT School of Animation is one of the best. Take a look at their course before finalizing a college for yourself.

Career path for an animator

Gone are the days when the options to pursue a course in animation was considered to be a mere dream. With the giant advancements that have taken place in the field of technology over the period of time, this career path has become exceptionally lucrative and enticing. Furthermore, with the coming up of a number of new colleges and institutes that offer a variety of courses in the field of animation, the horizons for the all the aspiring animators have increased manifolds.

 A career in animation is filled with innovation and creativity. This choice of profession is a great option for individuals who have a penchant for creativity, artistic inclinations, drawing and designing. Pursuing this career will ensure that all these instincts that you possess get fulfilled along with great monetary rewards for your hard work.  There are various fields where your talent as an animator will ensure a fulfilling career. The following are the industries where after completing your degree you can hope for a successful career:

1) Software Publishing
2) Advertising
3) Specialized Design services
4) 2-D, 3-D animator
5) Image editor, lighting artist, special effects artist

Apart from the above mentioned job aspects, there are plenty of other options as well that are there for you to pursue and explore. With multitudes of job opportunities that are up for grabs, a talented animator after completing the animation course in India will never be out of options.

So if you are one of those talented individuals with creativity and imagination as the driving force followed with a grand passion to pursue a career in the field of animation, then there are quite a few options for you to choose from in terms of the college and institutes in order to pursue your dream course. While taking a look at the various institutes that offer courses in animation, do consider the degree course offered by the AAFT School of Animation.

Why Choose a Career as a Special Effects Artist?

The advancements in animation and technology, has changed drastically on how the media industry tells a story. From being restricted by not being able to create certain visuals and thus having to either travel to a selected place or create the sets by hand. The media industry now has the ability to create almost any type of visual effects from their computer only. Animators, special effects artists, texture artists and more are in high demand these days, as they allow a director to bring to life anything they imagine.

With the help of these artists, one can make anything come true, from mythical creatures, to unbelievable landscapes and more. A section of the animation industry houses the special effects department, which deals with creating illusions of various kinds from optical, mechanical and computer generated too. These illusions are then used in video games, movies and television shows.

In order to have a successful career in this field, it would be advised that one complete either a bachelors degree or at least a diploma course in from a reputed animation school. One can choose from many different subjects like animation, computer graphics and graphic design.

Being a highly creative field, one might think that a formal education is not necessary, and while it is not mandatory to get a degree, however it can work in favour of the student while applying for jobs. A career in animation is quite a popular area to work in, as it allows one to be both creative and versatile in their dealings.

And one is also not limited to just the media industry, special effects are being used in almost every sector such as schools, corporate and even in some cases the government. Thus, one will have a large playing field to explore from while looking for jobs.

Recognize Your True Talent

At times, it happens that we ourselves do not realize the talent we have. We either ignore them, or think that it is not a talent and something very ordinary. I made this mistake for a long time in my life, but realized before it was too late. I used to paint and draw; it was my hobby and I never took it seriously. I thought there are so many around me who could do better than me, so whenever I sketched, I kept them to myself. It was only when my parents noticed my knack of painting; they started to encourage me to take it up in the long run.

I would always remember the day when my dad accidently found out my sketchbook and expressed his wonder about the sketches I had made. To me, they were roughly done and I had no intentions of showing to anyone. But my dad showed it around to my relatives and friends, and much to my surprise, they all loved it! They were just as surprised as I was! I would be forever indebted to my family who soon supported me to take up art as a graduation subject, and I excelled at it, as I loved doing it! By the time I graduated, I was determined to go for animation and I started looking for the best multimedia courses offered in and around my city.

After my graduation I was pretty confident about the career field I wanted to go to. I joined the best. Arena Animation changed my life and gave a direction to my skill, not only I came to know about the intricacies of animation, I mastered the animation techniques, in which my knowledge of art was a bonus! Now I am a distinguished designer and animator and I must say, I am amongst the very few people who can proudly say they love their job! 

Animated Feature Films’ Tryst with the Oscars

The archetypical Gen Y kid –such as I- has grown up on animation. While the likes of Mickey Mouse had been around for a long time, the 1990s were a real brewing ground for animated films and television series. And yet, it was not until 2001 that the ‘Academy Award for Best Animated Feature’ came into contention at the Academy Awards. Surprising, isn’t it? 

 

The Academy’s rationale for the late entry of animated films into the Oscars was that the genre just didn’t offer enough until that point. However, let’s not discredit the Academy for having conferred special Oscars to outstanding animated feature films prior to 2001. These included the likes of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Toy Story. The highlight of the animation industry at the Oscars until 2001 however, was that Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (1991), received a nomination for ‘Best Picture’!

But if the 90s held little scope for your dream of winning an Oscar, then the 21st century is yours for the taking! Sign up for Animation Courses In India and enter the wondrous world of global animation… You just might have a shot at an Oscar!

But remember, while the 90s scarcely produced many animated films, the industry is now rapidly growing. Catching an animated flick was a rare occurrence back in the day, but today, they’re filling up the cinemas! Coupled with the technological advancements the world has witnessed since then, the animation industry is a pool of opportunity these days. Creativity, story-telling abilities, skill, technique and an animation mentor are all you need to break into the wonderful world of animation. And who knows, following the likes of Shrek, Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Brave, and Frozen, amongst many others –you could perhaps stand the chance to win an Academy Award one day, and bring the tryst with the Oscars right to our motherland!

THE IMPORTANCE OF TIMING IN ANIMATION

Animation is all about filling life into the character, and while you’re filling life you have to make sure that their actions are perfectly timed. If our favorite Jerry is one microsecond late in jumping over the fence, Tom would catch it, and how dreadful that would be!

The animation institute apart from teaching tools and techniques of animation, puts a lot of focus on the timings of the animated characters. Whether it’s a 25 seconds animated ad or a 3 hours long animated movie, timing is what helps a project tell a story. Here’s a list of some of the methods and tips of how to obtain a perfect timing for a neat performance.

•    Stopwatch: A stopwatch can be very helpful to attain a match. Quite a hard work I know- but the hard work is sure to pay you off!

•    Go slow: There is no scope of mismatch in an animated game or an animated film. The animation studios go as slow as they can to match with the one hundredth part of the second and it surely requires a lot of patience! Move your character slowly to practice the timing. Slow and steady will undoubtedly win the race.

•    Frame by frame: Use multiple frames to denote multiple acts. Do not try to limit your drawings. Instead use as many frames as you can to highlight even the smallest of change in the expression of your character.

•    Trial and error: Timing is a crucial thing to play with. Since it requires personal experimentation to achieve an expertise in timing, keep trying the things out. No matter how many replays does it take, make error and try again. Finally, you will find the acts in sync with the sound and dialogues.

So make your animated ads, films and games and time your characters, because timing is what gives meaning to animation!

MOVIE ANIMATION VS. GAMING ANIMATION

Childhood days were the days of Tom and Jerry and the Popeye Show. Such was the impact of these animated shows that we never used to miss an episode! Animation has been catching attention since a long era and I love the fact how animation has the ability to fill life in a character. Animation tools and techniques are used in movies, games, cartoons and what not!

The use of animation in all the things that we see around is the reason why an animation career is becoming so popular among the people. To a layman, all kinds of animation may look similar. But it is only in the animation schools that you to get know the techniques of animation used is different in different kind of work.

AAFT Animation School prepares students for taking up animation jobs in various industries of entertainment. Let’s look at the differences between an animation used in movies and animation used in gaming.

•    Angle: In movies, the animator animates only the things which are in view of the shot camera. Audiences keep watching the movie at a fixed angle from beginning to end. In games however, the angle keeps changing. The animation in games has to be done really carefully to make it look good from multiple angles.

•    Control: In animated movies, you have no control over what’s going on. You are merely watching it and the story will go on as the animator has made it. In games however, you are the one taking the story forward! Not that you can do whatever you like, but still, the area is quite large for making your character move.

•    Sound: In movies, a planned audio goes on during the course. On the other hand, while making an animated game you have to have multiple sounds in store for every act- such as walking, running and gunning, to sound differently.

But be it an animated movie or an animated game- both offer amazing entertainment to us!

Animation As A Medium Of Education

Imagine you’re an 11-year-old kid, sitting at school and chewing on your pencil, gazing out the window and mindlessly listening to the teacher ranting on about World War II or what have you. Now, imagine you’re the same 11-year-old kid sitting in a classroom where you and your peers are recreating World War II through some stellar animation. Which do you think you’d prefer? Which would grab your attention? Which would invoke that desire to learn and have fun all at the same time?

Surely, your answer is quite obvious –as would be everyone’s! And that’s exactly why a lot of people these days have been advocating the inculcation of animation in the education system. It’ll be like getting an animation course and a history lesson all rolled into one! 

But all fun and games aside, the education system as a whole must come to realise the sheer benefits of animation as medium of education. Let’s take a quick look at how using animation in the classroom can be a highly effective tool of learning.

•    Communication: Whether it’s textual, verbal or visual, creating animation will allow a student to better their communication skills by putting across their ideas, understandings and concepts in a creative fashion.

•    Story telling: You don’t need to go to Animation Institutes In Delhi to learn the art of story telling through animation! Students will be able to form coherent and impelling stories and convey their ideas and philosophies by using exciting and challenging animation tools.

•    Facilitate positive peer interaction: By introducing animation as a medium of education, students will learn to collaborate in creating their works, and also learn presentation skills that will lead to the creation of a classroom environment that will stimulate positive peer interaction.

•    Creativity and logical thinking: Animation, being an art, will allow students to explore their creativity and be innovative, which will lead to not only aesthetic growth but also work on the intellect and cognitive and emotional aspects of their personality through novel approaches at problem solving etc.

•    Artistic qualities will naturally enhance learning in various other content areas –such as history, literature, etc.

The Modern-Day Cartoons

We human beings are complex creatures. Instead of valuing the present moment, we either live in the past or dream about the future. Now that I am an adult with all the freedom I had always yearned for, I wish I could go back in time and enjoy the life of a carefree child again. I remember how eagerly I waited for the school to break for summer holidays so that I could watch my favourite cartoons in peace. 

To be honest, the modern-day cartoons do not appeal to me at all. The charm of the cartoons of the days when I was small is incomparable to that of the present day cartoons. ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ was my favourite cartoon and even though Buttercup was my least favourite character, my parents seriously thought that my demeanour resembled hers. Oh please! And that reminds me, my best friend and her twin sister cut a beautiful and delicious Powerpuff Girls’ cake on their birthday a year back. I loved watching cartoons so much that I would not have minded pursuing an animation course if I had even one bit of creativity. That was the allure of the cartoons that my friends and I used to watch.

But the children nowadays do not feel the same way about cartoons the way we did. For them smartphones, tablets, laptops etc. play a far greater role in their daily dose of entertainment. Is it because the world of technology has overshadowed the world of animated cartoons? Or is because the cartoon makers are unable to hold the attention of the kids through cartoons? I am unable to put my finger on the exact reasons that have led to this situation.

Despite all this, a career in animation has gained popularity with the changing times. Animation is not just limited to cartoons and movies; it has become an important part of all major sectors too. Animation plays a significant role in helping students learn better through animated videos.

Coming back to the point, if you ask me to watch my favourite cartoons even at this age, I would gladly do that. For me those are classics which can be watched over and over again. What about you?

The Importance Of Continued Education In Animation

Could you imagine a world where doctors decided to stop learning new revelations about medicine after graduation? That’s potentially lethal, is it not? Perhaps not with the same severity, but the same logic works for the field of animation. Why’s this? Let’s say you pursed an animation course a decade ago, and were on top of your game back then. Now… ‘back then’ being key, here. 

Because what might have been the most modern technology in the realm of animation a decade ago, could very possibly be highly outdated now! You must realise that times are constantly changing. Keeping in mind the momentum with which the animation industry is growing as a result of technological revolutions ever on the rise… It becomes absolutely imperative to stay on top of things.

Learning new technologies, developing new skills, picking up new trends, familiarizing yourself with the latest technologies, understanding new dimensions of animation, and keeping up with the ever-broadening horizon of animation is key to maintaining a successful career in animation. So it’s definitely recommended that if you’re already in the game, then you’ve got to keep up your game! Sign up for new multimedia courses every now and then, learn the new, up and coming tricks of the trade, and you’ll be able to happily bask in your successful animation career.

You’ve got to keep polishing your skills, because what you learnt at an animation course when you started out isn’t going to be the end of it. And you must most definitely be wary of stagnation when it comes to animation! You’ll be able to advance your career and take it in entirely new directions, and up to entirely new dimensions if you engage in some continued education. Develop new speclialisations, take multimedia courses, pick up new skills –the world is your oyster!

How My Parents Tried To Keep Me Away From TV

Each child loves to watch animated cartoons and movies, but when I was small, I was addicted to cartoons. While it was still possible for my parents to keep me away from watching television during weekdays, the mere advice of getting involved in outdoor activities during the weekends sounded preposterous to me. My fascination didn’t seem to subside and I started understanding more about animation. I dreamed of getting admission in one of the top 10 animation colleges in India. I dreamed about the success I would get on making the best animation cartoon. Meanwhile, my parents went all out to keep me away from television. This is what they did:

1.    They told me how my eyes were being adversely affected (which was true) due to my excessive indulgence. Even the idea of me wearing big glasses did not deter me. I guess I was pretty obstinate. 

2.    I loved to (and still love to) dance; hence my parents enrolled me in a dance institution which held classes on the weekends. I absolutely loved to go for my dance classes and never missed even one class unless I was sick.

3.    The best thing they did was introducing me to the world of books. While my father often read out to me, he started asking me to read books myself. While it was a little difficult at first, I finally got the hang of it and derived great joy from books. My newly acquired habit kept me busy and I got to learn so much. My vocabulary improved and I started conversing in English. Now my time was equally divided between books and cartoons.

But unlike me, if you are really serious about pursuing animation in the future, find out more about the best animation course in Delhi. Find out about the eligibility criteria and if you fit the requirements. You could have a bright future in the field of animation if you work the right way!

Japanese Anime –Get Hooked!

Anyone who’s remotely interested in animation would understand me when I say: JAPANESE ANIME IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST! Period.

Okay, well, I can’t really end a whole blog at that, can I? And so I must explain as best I can just why Japanese anime is so darn amazing. For the animation buff, there’s hardly any reason for me to touch upon this matter… but I’m going to do it anyway. Maybe it’ll inspire you to take up some animation course or the other and create something that can (only hope to) parallel the wonder of Japanese anime!

So, what’s so spectacular about this particular line of animation that I’m relentlessly gaga about it?

First of all, Japanese anime takes imagination to a whole other level. You have your regulation animated series and movies and what not, and then you have Japanese anime soaring sky-high in terms of its imaginative quality. Each and every Japanese anime series seems to have such wildly imaginative plots. It’s as though the Japanese had a brain wave of creativity that’s just divine –for lack of a better word. Wouldn’t it be great if you could have a little touch of divinity as an animation mentor, helping you make the craziest and best of animation? Well, the Japanese surely seem to!

Secondly, Japanese anime seems to explore themes that people can’t even think of as themes. Japanese anime doesn’t just target children; they go all out and create anime for all sorts of age groups. Thereby exploring a range of themes that often go untouched in the world of animation. The Japanese use anime as a medium for exploring a variety of phenomena not only limited to the real of imagination –but also prevalent in society.

Thirdly, while other animated series might act a constant tease, Japanese anime packs it all in with a punch, getting right to the point, while still keeping the adrenalin rushing and the mystery alive!

So there you have it. A few wonders of Japanese anime. I do hope it’s ignited something in you –maybe you’ll take up an animation course, or maybe you’ll start watching Japanese anime… Either way, I’d have done my job!

Flip Book Animation: Absolute Joy

Do you know what a flip book is? I am sure you do! A flip book is a book containing a series of images that seem to come to life when the pages are flipped with speed. Each picture is a small variation of the previous one and the pages are usually flipped from back to front. This kind of animation is one of the earliest types and was first discovered in the latter half of the 19th century. You would be surprised to know that even though it requires a lot of time, effort and talent, you don’t need to be a student of one of the top 20 animation colleges in India to try it out at home.

Young children find flip book animation extremely alluring. I bought one for my little cousin, and he made me flip the book over at least 20 times in a row. As I said earlier, you don’t need to pursue multimedia courses to do it yourself. I have briefly mentioned the procedure of making your own flip book at home. Read ahead:

1.    Lots of paper

You would need a big stack of thin paper to create the desired illusion. Notebooks, notepads, post-it notes would do. More frames per second would result in a more realistic effect.

2.    Subject

You could take help from the internet, or draw anything that interests you. Since it involves a lot of drawing, it is advised to choose an uncomplicated subject.

3.    Start from the back

Your first drawing should be on the last page, second on the penultimate page, and so on. Try avoiding the use of indelible ink if you are a beginner. Drawing with a pencil leaves scope for changes. The idea of starting from the back and using thin sheets has a reason. You would be able to trace your last drawing through the thin sheet when you start from the back.

4.    Gradual changes

Keep making slight changes to each image. Being able to look through the previous image would help you draw the next one with a small change. Keep repeating the process till you run out of paper.

5.    Adjustments

When you are done, try flipping the book from the back. If you are not content with some images, don’t hesitate to make slight adjustments. But do keep in mind that one adjustment would lead to another. Be very careful!

6.    Try it out

After all adjustments, proudly show the end result to your friends, family, and acquaintances. Best of luck!

INSPIRING WOMEN IN THE FIELD OF ANIMATION

With Top Animation courses in India, animation as a discipline is conquering new heights, we see girls and boys fascinated with this world of animation. But was it the same all through? Absolutely not, Even though animation existed as early as the early 19th C, its popularity reached the mass only by the last 19th C. It was mostly dominated by men like in all cases, but slowly gained momentum among the woman too, at a time when even education was not a woman’s right, let alone a male dominated profession. But still, some brave women paved the way for others. Let’s have a look at them:

•    Lotte Reiniger:

She is regarded as the first woman animator and also the pioneer of the silhouette animation technique. Born in 1899, she even anticipated Walt Disney by ten years in terms of the use of the plane camera technique. “The Adventures of Prince Achmed” by her was the first animated feature films.

•    Lillian Friedman:

Acknowledged as the first woman animator within the studio system, Lillian Friedman drew and animated the characters Popeye and Betty Boop, among others. Lillian made film history when she was promoted to Head Animator at Fleischer Studios in 1933.

•    Eunice Macaulay:

Born in 1923,Her career began when her hand made Christmas card got her a job in Gaumont British Animation in 1948. In her career, she worked on a total of twenty-five short films and received numerous awards, including an Oscar.

•    Faith Hubley:

Born in 1924, she entered Hollywood at the tender age of 18. Faith won Oscars for two of her films and was nominated for another three, and has been honoured at Cannes, London, Venice, and San Francisco film festivals.

•    Elizabeth Case Zwicker:

Among the very first and few women animators in the very early days at Disney, She is a famous name in the industry.

If you too aspire to be one of them, you should probably enrol yourself at the Best i.e Arena animation, who knows you might be the next Walt Disney!

Japanese Anime –A Peephole To A World Beyond Imagination

In the Age of the Internet, we’ve all heard about the sheer popularity of Japanese anime. Perhaps you’re even a raging anime-junkie yourself? Even if you aren’t we’ve all got that one friend (or more, of course) who’s utterly crazy for it –they live and breathe anime. Maybe you even know people so moved by it that they’re attending Animation Institutes In Delhi in the hope of making an animation career for themselves.

So what’s this spell that Japanese anime seems to have over our lovesick (read: anime-sick) friends?

Well, simply put –it’s pure brilliance. Period.

Okay, maybe I should elaborate a bit further. From the 1990s, Japanese anime took the world by storm. My entire generation grew up watching Pokémon and Dragon Ball Z –archetypes of Japanese anime (and perhaps the inspiration for those now enrolled in one animation institute or the other). But that was then, Japanese anime has now come a long way. From ‘Gotta catch ‘em all’ Japanese anime seems to have pretty much caught everything they can.

The thing about this brand of anime that differentiates it from more Western concepts of animation is that the Japanese have somehow managed to think so far outside the box, that the box is a speck of dust on a horizon far, far away.

Japanese anime takes you to a world you couldn’t possibly imagine –beyond your wildest imaginations, that right there, is where Japanese anime thrives. While any animation institute will be able to teach you all the skills and techniques needed to create anime like the Japanese, they will never be able to teach you how to take your imagination to a whole other level –that’s entirely up to your creativity. 

With no inhibitions, Japanese anime toys with just about every theme under the sun. So of course, when Japanese anime offers you a peephole into a world beyond imagination, which sane person wouldn’t get addicted?

The Magic of Animation –Do You Have It?

Let’s face it, living in the highly competitive world that we do, the professional playing field seems the absolute heights of competition. As is true for all profession courses, the monetary investment is quite a big bump on the path to higher education.

The same goes for animation courses. So before you write out that cheque to an animation institute, you should do your homework and understand the scope of the degree, and what it means for your future profession as an animator. You can’t afford to just blindly invest in a future; you need to know your prospects before you do!

So (assuming you’ve done the needful and researched the pros and cons of a degree from Animation Institutes In Delhi/ across India/ abroad), let’s take a quick look at what it takes to be a professional animator, and how to get there.

To begin with, as exciting as a career in animation may seem, it’s definitely no piece of cake. On the contrary, it’s quite a bit of hard work! Long hours, sleepless nights, a fast-paced environment, every-developing technology, and looming deadlines… These are just some of the things you’ll need to live and breathe when you’re in the world of animation! But of course, if you’re passionate, dedicated, and hard set on getting into the field, then it’s yours for the taking!

Once you’ve got a degree from an animation institute, you need to get down to business and make your demo reel. A demo reel exhibits your talents and capabilities when it comes to all facets of animation –so make sure it successfully displays all. When animation agencies are looking for new animators to join the ranks, the first thing they’re going to look at is your demo reel. So be sure to stun them!

You also need to have a good and realistic knowledge of the animation pipeline. Understand the various kinds of positions available in the industry. Knowledge is power so make sure you have all the necessary technical abilities to break into the animation industry.

The art of animation is truly beautiful. Breathing life into the inanimate, is there anything more magical than that? So if you have what it takes, then go make all our worlds a little more magical!