If you're interested in visual arts, video, and storytelling, Animation could be the career for you. Especially if you are also IT savvy. Animators are visual storytellers who lend their creativity to a dynamic and rapidly growing industry. However, there are still a surprising number of myths about what animation has to offer. Let's destroy some of them now:
"They're all just comics"
Oh please. First of all, there's nothing wrong with the manga. However, there's more to animation than that. Animators are creative professionals who work in fields such as news and factual media, web design, marketing, video games, 3D modeling, and visual effects (VFX).
Meet Emily Cheung, who completed her BA in Animation Production at UTS. Currently, she is a motion graphics designer at Warner Bros. Discovery. Emily said: “I work in television broadcasting and create animated graphics, mainly videos, for advertising for television stations.I like to see how things are presented in a way that sparks interest.
``It's a lot of repetitive work - all done by hand.''
Incredibly, some people say that since the 70s, that's no longer true. I still believe it. In fact, most modern animations, even 2D, require some level of advanced computer software. Therefore, an animator's skills must also include IT skills.
"I must be able to draw amazingly"
Good drawing skills are helpful, but don't worry if you're not a Rembrandt. You don't have to be a great artist to be a great animator. Drawing for animation is all about creating believable and interesting movement. With practice, anyone can improve their drawing skills.
It's also important to remember that drawing isn't that important for 3D and VFX. Most 3D animation uses computers to manipulate and control characters. Computer skills such as programming and coding are probably the most important part of 3D animation, along with knowledge of the processes and software involved.
"It's not a serious career"
Remember when I said this is more than just a comic? Professional animators also work in the fields of forensics, medicine, mathematical modeling, architectural visualization, and aviation simulation. The possibilities are endless.
Graduates of the UTS Bachelor of Animation Production are renowned as industry leaders who can develop, present and defend ideas and create original content for television, film, advertising and other media. As well as getting involved in the industry during their studies, students can also work on live projects such as SXSW and Sydney's famous VIVID festival.
Our students' work has screened at major film festivals including Sundance, Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival, and our graduates are becoming influential practitioners, film festival winners and creative leaders.
``Opportunities for animators are limited in Australia.''
Not according to a recent Australian Government paper, Growing Australia's Creative Industries[i]. The report found that "only a fraction of the industry currently has the level of skilled labor required for sustained growth."
In other words, Australia's burgeoning animation industry is seeking new artists, practitioners and technicians like Brenda He Gee, who graduated from UTS and now works for Flying Burke Productions (a.) It means that there is.
