A Day in the Life of a Special Effects Animator
A special effects animator’s day is vast, fast paced and full of creative interest. We have all enjoyed blockbuster movies from animation giants like Disney, DreamWorks and Pixar – an animator who works for these amazing establishments creates the visual images, special effects and animation used in the films these corporations produce. Special effects animators also create animation for TV, commercial animation projects and web animation.
So what does a video animator do in a typical working day? Animators will usually work for larger businesses and corporations in an office. Some special effects animators work from home or in their own smaller offices as freelance artists. Freelance animators work in an intensely competitive environment. They must bid for work, source clients, manage their own accounts and complete high volumes of work at a more competitive price than larger publishing houses. A freelance special effects animator has a higher degree of creative control, more flexible work hours and more freedom to produce the project in a way that works best for them.
The majority of animators usually work in an office following standard working hours. At certain times in the course of developing a project, overtime will be required. Work occurs in a creative, yet structured, environment and the video animator works as a part of a larger production team.
Certain aspects of the approach to work may be unstructured and set up to make creative individuals feel at home in the office environment, however, there are still strict deadlines to meet. How you meet your deadlines may be more self-managed and you may able to be flexible with your hours and schedule.
The creative process requires a great deal of strong communication and dedication to exceptional standards. It is not unusual for special effects animator to revise a simple set of shots hundreds of times to get exactly the desired effect. Because animators may be responsible for one small section of a larger project, there are regular meetings between writers, the director, sound and vision professionals to ensure a consistent design approach.
Brainstorming sessions are very common, and special effects animators attend meetings on a regular basis designed specifically for the purpose of creating and generating new and fresh ideas. If there is a problem or snag in the project, everyone on the design team is expected to work towards providing a solution.
An animator needs to comprehensively understand the story the director wants told, and each and every shot needs to work harmoniously with the overall creative vision. The animator is given an outline of what is required for a series of shots by his supervisor. Usually, a special effects animator will sketch ideas first as a very rough storyboard and then translate these ideas as video animation using animation software.
Once the general concept has been brainstormed, each frame is painstakingly blocked out and the timing and spacing for each shot is plotted. Key poses and movements are generated and then the animator will review the shot. Usually, a colleague will be asked to offer advice, feedback and support. In return, he or she will comment and support the attempts of co-workers and provide feedback.
Every day the team will meet and watch how their work is progressing, evaluate their animations and consider alternatives and improvements. Usually a supervisor will set up a projector and the team of animators, writers, sound technicians and producers will view the shots so far. The atmosphere will be friendly and relaxed, however, everyone will be watching carefully when the projection begins.
The supervisor will provide an outline of the entire project and the contribution currently being made by each individual on the design team. The animator will watch the sequence and consider if the shots remain consistent and reflect the storyline accurately. Comments will be made about each individual shot and the session will be used for problem solving and as a source of inspiration.
Once the special effects animator finishes the shots, they are submitted for approval, usually to a creative director. It is very often the case that revisions and adjustments will be required. The creative process involved in a special effects animator’s typical day requires energy, enthusiasm and the ability to problem solve and think laterally.
