CAREERS IN DIGITAL ANIMATION
Careers in digital animation, known as 3D computer animation of CGI encompasses many different jobs with different opportunities. Right now this is the most profitable career for an artist. Digital art is very popular and the best movies are now made by artists on computers.
Of course, as with most jobs in the film industries, the roles of digital animators differ. You will also have different opportunities to do various jobs depending on the size of the movie set you are on. For example, larger movies call for storyboard artists, which rarely occurs on smaller sets.
In order to work in one of the careers in digital animation, you must have specific training. Film schools are not apt at teaching students the art of digital animation, but even if you go into art, you still need to know a lot about the movie industry in order to work there. That is why college has become obsolete for those working in the film industry. It is much better to try and go to work right away, because digital animation is one of those things you can only learn by doing.
There are programs around the country which help set you up in a movie studio working with a professional digital animation as his or her extern. An extern helps with work for free or cheap but gets the opportunity to learn from the appropriate environment. A first hand education is always the best one to a classroom education.
If you decide to go to college in order to work in digital animation, it might cost you over $100,000. College tuition gets more expensive by the day, and that is minus the money you will need to spend on books and supplies. You will also have to buy your own equipment, as most colleges do not equip you with it. Technology for careers in digital animation is very important as the entire job is based around working with the latest technology to create the best picture.
In Hollywood, what counts is not your diploma but the amount of experience you have and who you know. Knowing people who work in the industry and taking time out to go to social events in order to network is the key to getting a job. In Hollywood, they do not hire anyone who they do not know. Most people get jobs as digital animators because they befriended a digital animator or producer who then chose them for the job.
Working with digital animation to make movies is definitely an in demand career right now.
