Work Environment
Game Animators typically work in the following Career Sectors:
Videos on the Web
- Game Animator- from: Youtube Search
Most commonly reported Work Activities
- Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Thinking Creatively Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
- Processing Information Compiling, coding, categorising, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events Identifying information by categorising, estimating, recognising differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems Analysing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
The Work
Animators add motion, vibrancy, and personality to video games, helping to immerse players and shape the mood and emotions of a game.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of game animation: character animation and environment (“rigid-body”) animation. Both are important for different reasons.
Animation in games is eye-catching, and is often used to communicate important information to a player. For this reason, game animation tends to involve lots of collaboration with design teams to ensure that animations are “saying” the right things.
In video games, characters usually don’t bend their knees before they jump! The player expects to leave the ground immediately, so animations have to reflect this.
Games make use of real-time rendering — a technique that allows animations to start, stop, or change in response to what the player is doing.
If a character is climbing a ladder, and suddenly the player decides to stop moving, the real-time engine can dynamically shift the character to a natural resting pose.
This is a different workflow to how film animators are usually trained. That said, many games do contain cutscenes which involve storyboarding and other linear storytelling techniques.
A game animator’s skillset is also valuable for virtual reality applications, including for serious games.
Work tasks...
- Concept, sculpt, and rig models in preparation for animation work.
- Become deeply familiar with 2D and 3D animation tools, and use them to produce animations across a variety of styles and genres.
- Use modern techniques like motion-capture and photogrammetry to accelerate workflows and produce a more realistic and natural result.
- Incorporate feedback from game designers, narrative designers, sound designers, and other team members to ensure that animation work matches the needs of the project.
- Review and quality-check animation work performed by outsource and co-development studios, to ensure consistency with studio guidelines and quality standards.
Most commonly reported Work Tasks
- Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
- Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
- Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
- Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
- Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
- Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
- Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
- Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
- Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.
- Create and install special effects as required by the script, mixing chemicals and fabricating needed parts from wood, metal, plaster, and clay.
Qualities - Game Animator
Naturally, a sense of creativity is important in animation work, whether it’s applied to bring out the personality in a character, or set the tone in an environment.
As with so many disciplines in game development, communication skills are essential. There will be time, budget, and design constraints; learning to navigate these will improve teamwork and may allow for more creative freedom.
Being open to feedback is a big part of learning as a creative, and also learning to create assets which add value within a game production context.
Interests - Game Animator
This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:
Creative
Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.
Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.
Investigative
The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.
Entry - Game Animator
Becoming an animator will involve training, whether that’s in a college or university, or an online course.
After many months or years of practice, game animators produce a showreel. This short video should focus on animation work that’s relevant for games, and will ideally be rendered inside a game engine.
A potential employer may then commission an art test, where the animator’s skill and quality standard will be tested under typical production time constraints.
Breaking into the industry can be difficult, so reach out to ask questions. This can help make sure that expectations are realistic, and time and effort are being applied in the right places.
Further info...
Last Updated: December, 2022
Pay & Salary - Game Animator
Salary Range (thousands per year)* €30k - €75k
Data Source(s):
Blake & Filip/ Indeed/ Payscale/ Prosperity.ie
Last Updated: July, 2024
* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.
View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available
Labour Market Updates - Game Animator
This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).
Employment grew strongly between 2021 and 2022, with an additional 7,300 persons employed. As illustrated in the CSO Census data below, employment is spread across a number of roles; since 2016, the strongest growth, in absolute terms, was for graphic designers and authors, writers and translators.
New employment permits issued for this occupation in 2022 were primarily for film/TV and animation/visual effects (VFX) roles but also for linguistics experts in the ICT sector. There was also a high volume of recent job hires in line with the recent employment increase. The data does not point to overall issues with recruitment for these roles.
Useful Contacts - Game Animator
-
Imirt Irish Game Makers
-
Animation Ireland
- The Association of Animation Producers in Ireland Ltd, 14 – 16 Lord Edward Street, Dublin 2, D02 YC63
- Click Here
-
Animation Skillnet
- Animation Skillnet Office Furthr, Suite 34 GEC, Taylor’s Lane Dublin 8
- 087 2487391
- [email protected]
- Click Here
-
Ardan
- Cluain Mhuire Wellpark Road, Galway City, Ireland, H91 WP9K
- 091 770 748
- [email protected]
- Click Here
