Why Learn Animation?

Animation is the art of manipulating still images to create the appearance of motion. Today, most animation is done using computer-aided design, and the possibilities for utilizing these skills are expanding daily. Have you ever explored all of the things animation can do? Animators are not only hired by Disney to create the next Moana film. With some career paths, knowing animation is a bonus skill that can intensely help with developing presentations or instructional learning short videos.Here, you’ll learn more about the careers that benefit from animation and how it can enhance your professional life. Learning animation is a valuable and impressive skill to add to your resume, regardless of your goals. 

What is Animation?

Most people have seen animated movies or shows, but what is animation? Animation is the process of photographing a still image—typically a drawing—then making slight modifications to the image while taking successive pictures. An animator will rapidly show these pictures to make it appear as if the image is moving. An animator would create a series of pictures to show, for example, a flower on a windy day, each with the flower in a slightly different position. When viewed quickly, one after another, the flower will appear to move back and forth even though it’s not actually moving. 

Animation skills are great to have in many different jobs; they’re just fun! Animators don’t just create movies or television shows. They also create moving graphics for websites, video games, or visual effects. Most animators now use software to create the graphics, though some still use drawings and sketches to bring their imagination to life.

Read more about what animation is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Animation?

Learning animation opens doors to different fields. The most obvious field is filmmaking: producing visual effects, developing computer-generated special effects, or creating images for any media type. Movies, television, the internet, and (video) games all rely on Animators for their products. Yet, Animators can also work as Medical or Mathematical Animators, Illustrators, Games Developers, and VFX Artists. Illustrators focus on still images, both hand-drawn and computer-generated, while Medical or Mathematical Animators, Games Developers and VFX Artists develop 3D moving images. 

The software that Animators use day in and day out is just plain fun! After Effects and Premiere Pro are the go-to animation software for professionals. After Effects allows users to complete video compositing, motion graphics design, and animation projects. Animators also learn software like Photoshop and Cinema 4D. Each type of software performs a specific function, such as image generating or developing special effects; Animators using multiple types of software can layer them to create stunning work.

Common Professional Uses for Animation

Module #13 - Which Professions Use Animation?

Once you gain Animation expertise, the next step is to find a job. But you may be unsure which careers are open to Animators. The careers open to Animators require more than– for example– skills with After Effects. However, gaining the necessary animation skills is the first step toward landing a role in an entry-level creative job.

• Multimedia Artists and Animators: In this field, Artists and Animators utilize different software like After Effects and Photoshop to design images and animate them. An artist considers how an object should move and how the environment around them should look or change. By using different types of software, they bring those visions to life. They also must bend their ideas to meet their client’s needs. Further along in the process, they may work closely with voice actors or sound specialists, coordinating movements with voices or noise.

• Game Developers: Game Developers often work together to create games for computers, consoles, or mobile sdevices like iPhones. From concept to finished product, Game Developers are involved with every step of the process. Often Developers are gamers themselves, applying their firsthand knowledge to create new electronic games. Along the way, Developers generate characters and situations using software like Photoshop and Sketchup 3D. Then they program the game itself using Adobe Animate, Godot Engine, Gamemaker Studio 2, or similar software. Possibly, they may require coding skills. 

• 3D Designers: 3D Designers typically start with a basic image and add color, depth, and lifelike characteristics to make the model detailed and 3D. Scientists, engineers, and architects, to name a few, work with designers to create visual models of concepts. For example, a Chemist may work with a designer to animate a chemical reaction for an instructional video. Designers may wish to build expertise with the topic they’re creating models for.

• Motion Graphics Designers: Motion Graphics Designers blend graphic design with animation. They may flexibly employ various skills, from 2D computer animations to hand-drawn sketches and 3D animations. Their tasks likely require Adobe After Effects; Cinema 4D, Premiere Pro, and Photoshop may also be necessary to get the task done. Working for big production companies to digitize film action sequences or creating animated commercials for companies are strong possible jobs for designers. Not only do Motion Graphics Designers animate, but they also must know and use design principles.

Build a Skill with Many Job Opportunities

Animators are hired in many different industries across all sectors. Rather than being a career focusing only on artistic animation and traditional cartooning, animation skills are utilized in the tech, medical, engineering, and architectural industries. While animators can aim to work in creative fields, the job opportunities aren’t as limited as some might think. This means learning skills such as Adobe After Effects will set students up to work in various industries.

Creative License

Animation training gives creatives a broad open canvas on which they can express themselves. Since animation is a diverse field that covers a wide range of different projects, learning how to animate motion graphics using computers will magnify the different artistic endeavors that creatives can undertake. Learning how to animate using tools like After Effects and Premiere Pro will let creatives produce stunning digital animations, enhance their existing work by elements of motion and weight, and open the door to help them learn skills such as digital video editing.

Job Flexibility

Since so many different professions and industries utilize animation skills, creatives trained in computer animation tools have a ton of flexibility in the kinds of projects that they can work on. Animators might find themselves working on diverse projects such as traditional animated entertainment, digital advertising, video game design, and VR design. This flexibility ensures that creatives trained in animation skills can frequently find work, as animated projects are becoming increasingly common, especially in the film and television industries.

How to Start Learning Animation

Ready to gain animation skills? Noble Desktop has found several courses that teach you animation skills, allowing you to move into or move up along this career path. Their class locator tool can assist you with finding an in-person animation class. For those with a busy schedule and who would prefer a virtual class, they also have created a resource outlining details about top live online animation classes. Virtual classes are taught live by instructors experienced with online engagement and delivery. These classes can be just as effective as in-person courses. 

 However, life may be overwhelming and busy– too busy to enroll in a class that meets on a specific day and time. It’s possible to still learn animation by signing up for an on-demand animation course. There is a wide variety when it comes to on-demand courses. Some are free, while others require a subscription or an upfront payment for the course. Courses may be tailored for specific levels, so check the course descriptions carefully. Many job assistance sites such as LinkedIn offer these types of classes. 

If you have some background in animation or learn new software quickly, try learning the new software using a video demo. Noble Desktop produced several animation YouTube tutorials that you can access easily. You can learn topics like how to get started editing videos with Premiere Pro or tackle important tasks in After Effects. Accessing a quick answer to a question is easy with their animation learning hub: a place where articles, tutorials, and resources co-exist. It’s also possible to find an animation seminar covering After Effects or one teaching Premiere Pro to attend. These seminars are quick– including plenty of useful tips in a short time.

Read the full guide on how to learn animation.

Learn Animation with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Many experts agree that animation is much easier to learn when taken either in a live online class or in person. Noble Desktop provides animation classes, from their live online training taken anywhere in the world to their in-person courses in Manhattan, so students can easily find a class that enables them to gain animation skills. Class sizes are small; students are not nameless faces on a computer screen. Instructors can provide plenty of attention and feedback to students. The school is committed to student learning, allowing students to retake the course free up to a year later if they want to brush up on skills. 

In just a few days, students can learn how to use Adobe After Effects in Noble Desktop's bootcamp. This class is ideal for people new to the field of animation and motion design who want to start creating moving graphics with industry-leading software. 

If you have more time, you can learn what it takes to become an Animator in Noble’s comprehensive Motion Graphics Certificate course. This class teaches animation with Adobe After Effects, video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, and audio editing with Adobe Audition. These three pieces of software blend perfectly to create a polished final product. Participants will leave the course with a solid portfolio demonstrating their skills to future employers.

Key Insights

• Animation is the art of using computer techniques to create the illusion of motion in digital objects. There are many different types of animation and almost as many reasons to learn these skills.
• Animation is an in-demand career field that encompasses creative jobs like traditional animators and more technical career paths like Medical Animators and Engineers.
• Learning animation skills is also an ideal way for creatives to expand the canvas on which they can work. These skills will let them create more complex, visually appealing artistic projects and open the door to learning more elaborate skills in the future.
• Animation skills are also utilized across a wide range of creative industries, meaning that skilled animators will have the flexibility to work on numerous different kinds of projects throughout their careers.
• No matter why you want to learn computer animation, Noble Desktop offers comprehensive in-person and live online courses.