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Animation is a fast-emerging high-paying career option and become an animator, one needs intensive training in 2D or 3D animation. Professional diploma programs in animation and multimedia are available for higher study. One can specialize in creating animation characters, creating two- and/or three-dimensional shapes, special visual effects, video game programming, game art and so on. The basic requirement is that students must have excellent creative and artistic abilities such as flair for drawing, sketching or caricaturing.
On the employment front, opportunities are many. Cartoon animation, film animation, digital post-production, advertising, gaming, special effects are some of the avenues that offer good career scope.
Animation application areas include many avenues in the following:
Entertainment (movies and television)
Business (product promotions and marketing demos)
Sales (presentations)
Education (Computer Based Tutorials/Web Based Tutorials)
Publishing (graphics and printing)
Virtual reality in Defense
Web designing
Engineering
Advertising (commercials and print ads)
Fashion designing and interior designing
Development of computer games/mobile games
Medical, legal and insurance industry (presentations and models)
Studios and training institutes
Eligibility
You do not need to have excellent academic credentials to become an animator. You just need a creative bent of mind and an artistic inclination. The courses you do help you bring out your creativity.
The eligibility for a course in animation is a 10th and for degree 12, but the actual criterion for admission is creativity. You may need to take test in drawing, acting, clay modeling, and visualization.
Knowledge of programming (C++, Java) and a general interest in creativity can help you.
For a diploma and for a Bachelors Degree in animation one needs to have passed 12th standard from any recognized board. For Post Graduate program one should have a Bachelors Degree in any discipline, preferably Arts.
Some of the institutes like Industrial Design Center (IDC), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Design (NID) have a strict eligibility criterion-only graduates of architecture, technology and engineering, fine arts can apply for this course.
Courses
There are various diploma, professional courses, short-term courses and degree programs in animation and multimedia. These courses focus on teaching and equipping a person in various styles and techniques of animation, which may include:
Traditional animation
Stop-motion animation
Rotoscoping
Computer generated 3D and 2Danimation
Photoshop
Human anatomy
Drawing
Specialisation
One can specialize as a 3D or 2D modeler, special FX Creator, Animator, Character Designer, Games Designer, and Interaction Designer.
Career Prospects
The Indian animation industry is currently at US $500 million and is expected to reach US $1.5 billion by the year 2009. Yet, statistics reveal not even half of the manpower requirement in the animation industry is being fulfilled in India. With international companies such as Walt Disney, Warner Brothers and Fun Bag Animation looking at India for sourcing content as well as doing projects in collaboration with the Indian animation companies, there has been a growing demand for animators in the country.
NASSCOM says that India's gaming industry (computer games and mobile games) is expected to generate $424 million by the 2010. NASSCOM has projected a creation of an additional 300, 000 jobs in this sector in next few years.
In the animation industry you can work as:
Modeler
Layout artist
Clean-up artist
Scanner operator
Digital ink and paint artist
Compositor
Key frame animator
Background artist
In-between animator
Average Salary
After completing the on job training in some leading animation production studio, you can earn around Rs. 12000 to 15000 as a junior animator. A senior animator with an experience of 3 to 5 years can take home a sum of Rs.30000 to Rs.40000. If you have a portfolio of some outstanding animation work you can expect to earn more than Rs.50000 to Rs.60000.
Important links to give more information about Animation Industry
Animation Insider
Nasscom
Financial Express
India Tribune
Market Publishers
Study Places
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