Who is the animator and where to study for the profession?

Cartoons in the modern world are an integral part of our life. Most cartoons are designed for children, but there are also oriented to an adult audience. It is logical that with rapidly changing trends, new ideas are needed, as well as more people to implement them. These factors contributed to the creation of such a profession as the animator.

If we judge the animation in the broad sense of the word, then we can say that the first animators were primitive people who already in their cave paintings tried to convey the effect of movement. Starting from these times, fine art, including the one that tried to describe the sequence of events, has been accompanying mankind for all time.

If we take specifically animation, then the first sketches of cartoons appear at the beginning of the XIX century. These were the simplest samples that did not last long. But later, the development of cinema supplanted animation, and its ascent began only in the first half of the 20th century, with the direct participation of James Stuart Blackton. It was he who created the first cartoon, which was first shown in 1906.

In Russia, one of the first animators is Alexander Shiryaev. Thanks to him, the first Russian cartoon “Pierrot and Colombina” was released.

The next significant event in the history of animation was the creation of the dinosaur Gerti Winsor Mackay. Especially for this dinosaur, a new technology has been developed that is different from everything that was previously known. The first division in the profession happened: an animator and a soundman were singled out separately. The animator was engaged in drawing the movement of the main character, while the background artist painted trees, lakes and other landscape details separately for each frame.

Well can't fail to mention Walt Disney. It was he who helped create the animation that we are used to seeing in the modern world on our screens and monitors.

The main part of the work of the animator is not only the rendering of one or more characters, but also the detailed examination and reproduction of their phases of movement. But the multiplier is a fairly broad concept. It includes the division of the profession into small but specific subspecies, each of which specializes in a particular area. Thus, the following areas are distinguished:

• director;
• characterist;
• background player (background decorator);
• contourist;
• phaser;
• drawer;
• fill;
• special effects multiplier.

The director is responsible for conveying the director’s ideas and the uniform style of its execution. The character creates detailed characters of the characters. The background worker is responsible for everything that happens in the background of the cartoon. The contourist transfers the outline of the cartoon from paper to a special film tape.

The phaser is working on specific actions of the character by analyzing his phases of movement. The painter transfers all the sketches to the clean-up, following all the instructions and corrections noted by the director and director. Well, the special effects animator creates various beautiful effects (including weather conditions).

Each type of activity has its pros and cons, and the profession of the animator is no exception.

The following factors can be attributed to the advantages of this occupation.

• The possibility of creative implementation. For people with a creative character, this is probably the main advantage.
• Prestige. Do not be surprised - this profession is in great demand, as more and more content is required every year. In addition, it is the animators who create the characters that everyone will love.
• Good salary. This item is a direct consequence of the previous one. Large corporations are willing to pay their artists well for their vision of the world and a specific idea.
• The ability to choose suitable working conditions. If a person really showed himself as a good animator, he can make small concessions. Including - assign an individual schedule. In addition, some areas of animation do not require a permanent presence at the workplace, which means that they give the opportunity to work remotely.
• An opportunity to change a profession. As a rule, all animators are excellent artists with high skill in graphic editors. So, if a person suddenly realizes that animation is not his, he will always be able to find work in an advertising agency or web design studio.

The disadvantages in this profession are much smaller, but still they are.

• A large amount of time spent in one position in front of a computer monitor. Unfortunately, a long stay in front of a computer can seriously affect not only vision, but also posture, which, in turn, will cause problems with the spine and with health in general. This can be avoided - just remember to take breaks and a little gymnastics.
• Monotone. Alas, the work of the animator is not only a fantasy flight. Sometimes you need to perform absolutely uniform tasks. Which may seem very boring and tiring.

If you quickly describe the process of creating a cartoon, then it will have several stages. The first is the search for an idea. The following is a discussion of how the characters will look. The first drafts are made.

Then a team of artists comes into play. They draw everything: characters, background, effects, and so on. Of course, this does not happen right away - you need to carefully think out the details, the images, how the hero fits into the situation. Often the same hero can be redrawn several times. After a detailed drawing, the color is filled, and now the character is almost ready.

The penultimate stage is the elaboration of such small details as gestures, facial expressions and other movements that are hardly noticeable in ordinary life. And the final steps are storyboard, animation, and layout.

Anyone can become a multiplier. However, you need to familiarize yourself with the requirements and skills, and it is also worth accepting that if someone has the right skills, his path to the top of the cartoon art will be much easier.

Advantages of the candidate will be:

• feelings of taste and style;
• understanding of the mechanics of dynamics and movement;
• unique vision of the world;
• to some extent, psychologism (to form and convey the character's character);
• good imagination;
• spatial thinking.

A good eye, a developed sense of kinematics and observation are also needed. Acting abilities are also useful, because sometimes in order to convey some emotions, it is necessary to copy them from a living model, but there will not always be a person at hand who is ready to help. So animators often draw some emotions from themselves. And the main thing is the ability to draw.

The key skills include the effective use of special equipment (at least knowledge of the computer and the necessary computer programs). Punctuality will also be appreciated, since in the modern world all interaction is based on deadlines, and therefore it is simply necessary to be able to meet deadlines.

The multiplier profession requires constant development, the arrival of new knowledge about existing image methods, since the embodiment of a character in different techniques can look completely different.

The necessary personal qualities include:

• high working capacity;
• ability to take responsibility;
• purposefulness;
• accuracy, almost pedantry;
• patience;
• sense of humor;
• readiness for teamwork.

Despite the fact that a diploma in this field is not required, it will be a significant plus when applying for a job. The best educational institution for the development of this profession is considered to be VGIK. However, entering the VGIK is not so easy - the passing competition for a place there is very high and can reach 40 people per place.

If necessary, it is easy to find other higher education institutions with the corresponding faculty. For instance:

• Moscow State University (Moscow University for the Humanities);
• Institute of Business and Design;
• MGOU (Moscow State Regional University);
• Moscow State Technical University named after Razumovsky (Moscow State University of Technology and Management named after K. G. Razumovsky);
• HSE.

About a dozen of the most popular universities are known, created specifically for the development of the direction of animation. Among them:

• St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts;
• All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography named after Gerasimov;
• St. Petersburg State Institute of Cinema and Television;
• Ural State University of Architecture and Art;
• St. Petersburg State Art and Industry Academy named after A. Stieglitz;
• Belgorod State Institute of Arts and Culture.

Another difficulty that may appear in front of the future animator is that in order to enter and study at a university, you will have to pass the Unified State Exam. In addition to basic subjects, it will also be necessary to hand over literature. And directly at the time of admission to the university will need to go through a creative competition.

Another option for obtaining a suitable education is to enroll in the Lyceum of Cinematography No. 33 (something like a college). You can become a animator after special courses on modeling and computer animation. This will provide the necessary knowledge, but the skills will have to be developed independently.

Currently, there are other additional opportunities for obtaining a specialty multiplier. These include the Moscow school-studio "Shar".

Despite all its significance, you should not think that novice animators earn huge money. Specialists who have just begun their journey usually receive from 10,000 to 20,000-25,000 rubles. However, with career growth, wage levels will increase. Affect the level of income and the region in which the cartoon company is located, and its scale. Obviously, large corporations are willing to pay their artists more than regional little-known studios.

So, a good artist with experience and a rich portfolio can expect to receive the following amount:

• 35,000-40,000 rubles in St. Petersburg;
• about 45,000 rubles in Moscow;
• from 50 000 rubles in Bashkortostan.

Another important advantage of this profession is that even when moving to another country there will be a chance to get a position with a good salary (again, if you have the skills and abilities necessary for a professional).

In the United States, you can get 4,000-5,000 at the position of the multiplier. e. per month. However, a diploma of appropriate education is required. And also you need to confirm your qualifications in this country. When joining a large company like Pixar, you can count on a salary of between $ 5,000 and $ 16,000.

The next country in terms of salary for multipliers was Germany - 4,700. e per month. In Japan, multipliers get less, but there are more opportunities for creative implementation. When working for 11-12 hours a day, the multiplier receives only about 10,000 dollars a year. In Poland, there is only one well-known animation studio, and its artists have a salary of 1,100-1,900. e.