Studying animation in college can open many doors to you in terms of job prospects that are not just limited to animation itself. Your comprehension of computer literacy is widened, as are your skills in developing characters, storyboards, and modeling, which also work to improve your leadership skills.
There’s no doubt that most animation graduates set their sights on working in the videogame industry. However, the skills afforded by animation degrees see many graduates going into such fields as advertising and web design.
What Will an Animation Degree Teach You?
The degree is focused on computer animation. The primary skills you will learn and refine include animation techniques, how animation production works, how to create and develop characters, how to storyboard, and how to model.
You should expect this course to cover 2D and 3D animation, motion graphics, and editing in terms of specific animation techniques. In the process, you’ll learn how to screen write, as well as learn about camera directions, production planning, and typography.
Computer literacy will be a considerable component of the course. You will increase your expertise with software such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Toon Boom.
Are Animation Graduates In Demand?
Many animation graduates wish to stay in the animation field, and there are some jobs available. However, it is a heavily competitive market, and there is no easy way in. Within the animation market, jobs include game design, broadcast design, and special effects.
There are jobs closely related to animation that are more accessible and with more spaces that need filling, such as graphic design and advertising.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has estimated the average salary for such multimedia artists to be around the $75,270 mark. They also predict that this job pool will grow by 5% by 2029.
Business Wire supports this claim. Their research has proven that the market has already jumped 3% over the past year due to the virtual reality craze.
Online Animation Degrees
Given the subjects covered in animation curricula, it makes sense for them to be conducted almost entirely online. For this reason, you’ll find that few animation curricula offer any form of in-class courses.
Many colleges, such as the California Institute of the Arts and the University of South Florida, also offer graduate degrees that aim to refine your animation skills even further. This will help you if you want to climb the ranks towards executive or directorial positions in computer animation.
Concluding Thoughts
There are opportunities available for animation graduates today, and there will undoubtedly be a lot more appearing soon. Getting a computer animation degree is a wise decision. However, be prepared to face a lot of competition.
