Key Skills in the Animation Industry

Key skills for animators include:

• Creativity and imagination
• Patience and attention to detail
• Drawing skills
• Computer literacy and familiarity with graphics software
• Communication and presentation skills
• Ability to meet deadlines and work as part of a team
• Storytelling through acting and storyboards
• A good sense of timing and composition
• An understanding of motion, size, ratios and perspective
• Teamwork
• An ability to take direction
• An ability to work quickly, to deadlines, while retaining a high standard
• Interpersonal communication - especially with clients who may interface with even the most junior roles
• Management - of self, others, work, time and projects
• Understanding and knowledge of job roles and responsibilities
• Understanding preproduction, production and post production pipeline
• Computer operating systems, (notably Linux/Unix as well as Windows and Mac OS)
• Software-specific computer scripting languages (e.g. MEL scripting for Maya, action scripting for Flash)
• Digital asset management
• Creative specialists must know how to communicate with technical specialists and vice versa.
• Contemporary Design skills
• Ability to promote work