Animation

a brief glimpse into the field of Computer Graphics Animation

Positions in the CG Realm
(Film, Broadcast and Games)--

Within the Computer Graphics industry there are many different positions. Below is a list of some of them with a brief description, qualifications, salary and training:

PRODUCTION STAFF
This list is in no particular order.

Character Animator

Character Technical Director

Digital Painter

Modeling Technical Director

Shader Technical Director

Lighting Technical Director

Render Wrangler/Technical Assistant

Music/Sound Director
Director

Animation Coordinator

Producer Assistant

Programmer

**NOTE - all of the salaries were estimated from information at The The Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes and Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations/Canadian Labour Congress ...or just THE UNION. These numbers may vary across video game and broadcast fields.

CHARACTER ANIMATOR
Character Animators are strictly in charge of making characters come to life through movement, so that the audience can see them think, feel and act. While some animators help out in lighting, set-up, modeling, scripting and other areas of production, the job itself is primarily concerned with storytelling through motion. Usually this is a specialized position in film, but games and broadcast companies might need you to wear a few more hats and participate in the more technical tasks like rigging your skeeltons, etc.

Victor Navone is a good person to look at as an example of an established Digital Character Animator, he currently works at PIXAR.

Qualifications: Anyone who demonstrates brilliance as an animator would be hired for this job. While some familiarity with technical tools can be helpful on the job, computer experience is not always required. Many animators land jobs in CG with stop motion or traditional cel experience only. I encourage you to attend one of the suggested Animation Schools because the competition is fierce today with the growing industry and the recommended schools apply the important principles of animation in their programs.

Positions and Titles: Assistant Animator (Entry Level), Technical Animator or TD (Specializes in dynamics and special efx animation), Intermediate Animator, Senior Animator, Lead Animator, and possibly moving into Animation Director and Supervisor positions.

Salary Range: $40,000 -$150,00 + a year

Suggested Training:A 2 or 4-year degree from a qualified animation school Possible training under a mentor animator that has worked in the field for many years can help too! Your reel is EVERYTHING! There are people out there who have only attended a few semesters of school and have an incredible reel, but these folks are few and few between. Studios like PIXAR, PDI and ILM recruit directly from schools on the listing provided like Cal Arts, Sheridan and Ringling.

CHARACTER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Character Technical Directors or sometimes called "Animation Support" are the backbone fo the CG Animation Department. These are the folks who rig and set-up every skeleton for the animators. Most film houses have recognized that the animation and actual rigging of characters require two different types of thinking. Animation is fairly artistic; while rigging and skinning of characters can bcome VERY technical. This is why film studios hire a staff to support the animators; so when a technical issues arises, the animator can keep animating and the TD can fix the problem. This is the optimum situation for animators, but does not always exist in games because budgets do not allow for specializing of tasks.

Mike Ford is is a truly amazing TD and he currently runs his Animation Foudnation site here.

Qualifications: The best TD's in the business actually have been or would like to be animators. The reason for this is they build skeletal rigs that an animator can actually use. In addition, these people think about tools that would streamline the puppet and do not add useless bells and whistles that just make the armature heavier than it needs to be. These people are very hard to come by since they truly fuse and understand of art and technology.

Positions and Titles: Assistant TD (Entry Level), Technical Director, Senior TD, Lead TD, and possibly moving into Visual Efx Director and Supervisor positions.

Salary Range: $40,000 -$150,00 + a year

Suggested Training:A 2 or 4-year degree from a qualified animation school or a BS computer degree with a specialty in CG scripting and development of tools. Really any experience in CG can get you into this area lately since it is so difficult to find good TD's out there.

DIGITAL PAINTER
Traditional and digital painting techniques are both in demand for all three fields (film, broadcast and games). Digital painters create textures, flats, backdrops, character patterns and colors, and graphics; facilitate the use of texture maps (for shaders and maps) and backgrounds (flats) through digital painting; retouch and enhance faulty computer renderings; work under the Art Director in pre-production to develop the look of the product, including particular sets and objects. Sometimes their duties even overlap into storyboards and some lighting efx.

Craig Mullins is a good of a very talented and established Digital Painter, he runs his freelance work through The Good Brush.

Qualifications: Artistic portfolio-driven, not usually computer-skill driven. Painting and illustration work in a portfolio should demonstrate consistency and control of brush use in both traditional a computer mediums such as the use of Photoshop; the ability to create surface texture; solid knowledge of light and how it affects objects; staging as it applies to color; and ability to key environments with color. Skills needed are experience in painting texture and surface detail, scenic/background creation, color knowledge, and the most rudimentary computer basics.

Positions and Titles: Assistant Paint Artist (Entry Level), Paint Artist, Senior Paint Artist, Lead Paint Artist and possibly moving into Art Director and Lighting Texture Supervisory positions

Salary Range: $40,000 -$150,00 + a year

Suggested Training: A 2 - 4 year degree at one of the suggested art schools would be best. Like the animator, the portfolio is everything and this job can be attained with a strong portfolio aside of schooling. However, art schools provide the basic fundamentals in drawing, painting, light and texture needed for this position.

MODELING TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Modeling TDs work from modeling packets (drawings, blueprints and all kinds of visual info) produced by the Art Department (Art Directors and Production Designers) and turn them into three-dimensional geometry for use in the production. Equally important for character models and machines that will move is to provide articulation points in the geometry that can be used by animators in an intuitive way and make deformation of the skin easy and the building of skeletal rigs simple.

Tom Capizzi is a good person to look at as an example of an established Modeling TD, he currently works at R&H.

Qualifications: A supreme understanding of how to build a model in 3D software is the basis of the position. Ability to sculpt is equally important in visualizing the objects in 3 dimensional space. Positions and Titles: Modeler(Entry), Senior Modeler, Lead Modeler, Modeling Technical Director, and possibly moving into the Head of a Modeling Department position

Salary Range: $40,000 -$90,00 + a year

Suggested Training: A 2 - 4 year degree or experience with CG modeling software or equivalent, especially in production or industrial design environments.

SHADER TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Shader TDs are responsible for taking a description of the appearance and optical properties of an object, and creating a "shader", a procedural embodiment of that surface in software shading language. The color and the ways in which an object reacts to light are all determined by shaders. Shader development employs a wide range of techniques, including 3D-paint and regular texture painting done by the Paint Department, existing shading functions, and original algorithmic work. The Shader TD works with the modeling, art, digital paint and lighting departments to create shaders which serve the aesthetic goals of a production. Those needs may be expressed as drawings, paintings, photographic and motion picture references, and/or actual reference objects or locations, but may also take the form of vague verbal descriptions accompanied by furious handwaving and declarations of "i need to redecorate!". This is a VERY TECHNICAL POSITION.

Liza Keith is brilliant Shading TD, she currently works at Cinesite.

Qualifications: A 2 - 4 year degree or experience with CG shaders or equivalent, extensive knowledge of graphics programming and techniques, including rendering, lighting, illumination models and linear algebra and a compelling portfolio.

Positions and Titles: Assist. Shader(Entry Level), Shader Artist, Sr. Shader, Lead Shader, Shader Technical Director and possibly moving into Department Head and Visual Efx Supervisor positions

Salary Range: $50,000 - $150,000 + a year

Suggested Training:A 2 - 4 year degree at one of the suggested art schools would be best and any additional courses in computer sciences are also important. The ability to fuse technology and art is very important to the Shader. Like the animator the portfolio is everything and this job can be attained with a strong portfolio aside of schooling. However, art schools provide the basic fundamentals in drawing, painting, light and texture needed for this position. Good "people-skills" are essential, as much of what the Shader TD does is intimately tied to the work of other departments. Ability to work under deadline pressure and under an Art Director also essential.

LIGHTING TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Computer-graphic scenery requires lighting in a fashion exactly analogous to live-action photography and cinematography. Lighting artists create lighting effects for each shot to produce a color balance and range that is consistent with the aesthetic and emotional needs of the shot, as determined by the Art Director and Director; make each character and object stand out from its background and reveal its shape; subtly helps direct the viewer's eye to the important elements of the scene; and has aesthetic appeal. Similar to animators, lighting artists use interactive tools to do their work. Therefore, lighting talent takes precedence over technical expertise. This is a VERY TECHNICAL POSITION.

Eric Antanavich is a really talented lighter living in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Qualifications: A 2 - 4 year degree or experience with CG lighting or equivalent, extensive knowledge of lighting techniques. A portfolio of illustration work demonstrating a facility with light OR compelling photography or cinematography; production experience helpful.

Positions and Titles: Assistant Lighter (Entry Level), Lighting Artist, Senior Lighter, Lead Lighter, Lighting Technical Director and possibly moving into Department Head and Visual Efx Supervisor positions

Salary Range: $50,000 - $150,000 + a year

Suggested Training:A 2 - 4 year degree at one of the suggested art schools would be best. Like the animator the portfolio is everything and this job can be attained with a strong portfolio aside of schooling. However, art schools provide the basic fundamentals in drawing, painting, light and texture needed for this position. Good "people-skills" are essential, as much of what the Lighting TD does is intimately tied to the work of other departments. Ability to work under deadline pressure and under an Art Director also essential.

RENDER WRANGLER/TECHNICAL ASSISTANT
Render Wranglers take the shots as they are finally animated and lit, deploying and managing the resources needed to create final digital images suitable for scanout to film. The process includes managing the "render farm" of workstation computers, untangling Unix directory structures, debugging files, systems maintenance and programming, and checking finished frames for consistency with the expected result. This is a high stress job, since it hits the end fo the pipeline in film and can involve swing shift (read: graveyard) schedules. If the shots are not completed by the next morning for reviews, its all on the Render Wrangler's head.

Qualifications: Unix shell scripting and systems-level programming; familiarity with 3D computer graphics; personal organization and focus.

Positions and Titles:Render Wrangler, hopefully moving into other various positions in production.

Salary Range: $30,000 - $50,000 + a year

Suggested Training:This tends to be a transient position for those trying to break into CG positions. It's a kind of a "foot in the door" position for many who move up the ranks of producer or artist.

MUSIC/SOUND DESIGNER - ENGINEER
Sound designers produce feature-quality tracks for CD-ROMs and beyond. A sound designer's responsibility is to enhance and authenticate animation, living up to the standards and style of the images. The tasks may encompass the entire process from original effects recording through final data compression (including logging, transferring, converting and processing sound files; maintaining databases of sounds, dialog sessions and sound effects; and coordinate media between sound designers, composers and programmers), in a collaborative, personal-computer based production environment.

Rick Bowman is an example of an established Sound Designer, he currently runs his freelance business at Lethal Sounds.

Qualifications: At all levels, experience in CD-ROM development and manipulation of sound on computers, and high-quality examples of recent work.

Positions and Titles: Sound Assistant (Entry Level), Sound Designer, Sound Engineer

Salary Range: $40,000 - 75,000 + a year

Suggested Training: A 2 or 4 year degree involving sound creation. See the listing of schools. The same schools listed for animation production have equally great programs for sound engineering. One of the most important parts of being a sound designer is to have more than one style. You will need to accommodate many styles in your work.

DIRECTOR
The director of any project oversees the entire creative process. The director's primary responsibility is to envision the work as a whole and direct all other creative artists in implementing that vision.

Qualifications: A Director must have a portfolio and resume that demonstrates his or her ability to creatively direct a project. Skill at managing, motivating and supporting creative partners is also essential.

Positions and Titles: Assistant Director (Entry Level), Art Director, Animation Director, Director

Salary Range: $80,000 - $200,000 + a year

Suggested Training: A director comes from many walks of life. This person has to have quite an extensive background in CG and the production of CG (read: 10-15 years). The director can move up from the ranks of animation, story telling, and even programming. This person should develop the skills to switch gears quickly while speaking with all facets of the production. This is not exactly an Entry Level position and one that is attained after at least 15 years or more in the industry by someone who really understands everything it takes to create CG and has a past of leading teams effectively. One of hte most important things about a Director is to infuse the same enthusiasm he has for the project into his projects leads. The trickle down of that passion will return two fold through the staff working on the production.

ART DIRECTOR
Following the plan initiated by the Production Designer, the Art Director fleshes out and develops ideas into real models and forms, and works closely with the Production Designer and technical directors to ensure consistent results and follow-through in modeling, shading, and lighting. Half creative, half management, the job requires a myriad of design, color and lighting decisions to be created and then tracked through the various phases of production (with help from the Art Department Manager). The Art Director implements the Production Designer's vision; knowing what to look for technically, how to catch problems and think of solutions and manage the day-to-day art production.

Qualifications: Ability to visualize, design, draw, communicate and manage production of visual elements, and realize the Director's and Production Designer's vision.

Positions and Titles: Assistant Art Director, Art Dept Manager/Producer, Art Director

Salary Range: $60,000 - $150,000 + a year

Suggested Training: I felt the need to explain the Art Directors position more clearly even though it basically falls under the above Director position. Many times there is a need for multiple Art Directors to handle different art departments and keep the consistency of the product throughout.

STORY DEVELOPER
Ability to tell a great story that is both dramatically compelling, humorous and family-friendly. The story department is a group that works as a team to create stories, and its stars understand entertainment, comedy and drama as well as filmmaking, cutting, timing, staging and composition. The ideal story developer is an artist who can also draw storyboards that, though simple or sketchy, communicate acting, ideas, emotions, moods and feelings: drawings that live.

Qualifications: Demonstrated ability to develop the kinds of stories described above; personality capable of close collaboration with others; ability to render storyboards desirable. A reel and/or storyboards that show mastery of the above skills are very helpful.

Positions and Titles:Story Board Artist, Story Developer

Salary Range: $40,000 - 100,000 + a year

Suggested Training: A 2 or 4 year degree in any major that requires a lot of creative writing. Communication and Advertising majors can also be helpful. Story People also come from many walks of life and are the link between the vision of the director and how it is executed by the production staff.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Works closely with the Story department to define the visual design of a project; identify thematic underpinnings; sketch out major set pieces and moods of film; set color and design guidelines for interpretation by the Art Director; inspire the visual style of a production. Tasks include designing and maintaining the Production Workbook, addressing layout, set dressing, lighting, and other continuity issues. The Production Designer should be the overall Designer and the eye of continuity.Qualifications: Production experience at above tasks; ability to design effectively, maintain channels of communication, and keep the "big picture" in mind.

Doug Chaing is a good of a very talented and established Digital Painter, he currently works at ILM.

Positions and Titles: Layout Artists, Sketch Artist, Storyboard Artist, Sculptor, Assistant Production Designer, Production Designer

Salary Range: $40,000 - 150,000 + a year

Suggested Training: A 2 or 4 year degree in any major that requires a lot of creative vision. A strong portfolio and drawing skills are important. The Production designer is another crucial link between the Director’s vision and the production staff. Many times sculpture is part of this person’s job. See Below.

SCULPTOR
Produces traditional scale models of characters for use as reference or actual models to be digitized into the computer as 3D models. This position can overlap in the Production Designers tasks.

Stan Winston is an established Creature Modeler and Sculptor, he runs his studios here.
Qualifications: Strong portfolio; history of completing work to spec and on schedule.

Positions and Titles: Assistant Sculptor, Sculptor, Creature Designer, Production Designer, Modeler, Art Director

Salary Range: $40,000 - $150,000 + a year

Suggested Training: A 2 or 4 year degree in any major that requires a lot of creative vision, preferable sculpting degree. A strong portfolio and sculpting/drawing skills are important. The sculptor is another crucial link between the Director's vision and the production staff.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
An Executive Producer is the "CEO" of the CG business, with responsibility for running the business, overseeing the planning, budgeting, hiring and production processes, managing sales representatives and sales, and determining the focus and direction of the business as a whole.

Qualifications: A history of commercial-industry experience, preferably in Executive Production roles, but outstanding performance as a Producer may qualify. Understanding of the commercial advertising community a plus.

Positions and Titles: Executive Producer

Salary Range: $80,000 - $250,000 + a year

Suggested Training: This is not exactly an Entry Level position and one that is attained after at least 20 years or more in the industry.

PRODUCER
A Producer manages an individual project from beginning to end, writing proposals, schedules and budgets, working with the client, and taking overall responsibility for the smooth delivery of the finished work.

Qualifications: Demonstrated skills at project management, writing proposals and/or business plans, writing and performing to schedules and budgets, people/sales skills, a high level of overall responsibility. A Producer for Features carries a much greater burden of responsibility than that for Shorts or Interactive and thus requires much greater experience.

Positions and Titles: PA, Coordinator, Producer, Executive Producer

Salary Range: $40,000 - $150,000 + a year

Suggested Training: This is not exactly an Entry Level position and one that is attained after at least 10 years or more in the industry.

ANIMATION COORDINATOR
Animation Coordinators are the producer's "right hand man". These folks keep the clipboard and lists of every shot, clip, etc. and tally where in production these things are and what is completed and what still needs to be completed. It's a rough job, late hours and very stressful, but tends to be the position to hold when vying for a spot as Producer.
Qualifications:A high level of personal energy and a willingness to do anything it takes to further a production.

Positions and Titles: PA, Coordinator, Producer, Executive Producer

Salary Range: $40,000 - $60,000 + a year

Suggested Training: producers come from many walks of life. A degree in Business, Communication, or Psychology is helpful, but any degree that requires a high level of organizational and communication skills is a big plus. This is another position that can help you get your foot in the door".

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
Production Assistants are the "gofers" of a production, running errands, making copies, delivering materials, etc. A Production Assistantship is the position in a production with the least rigorous qualifications, and is frequently an entrée to the rest of the hierarchy.
Qualifications: A high level of personal energy and a willingness to do anything it takes to further a production. Tends to be what most internships consist of at most studios.

Positions and Titles: PA, Coordinator, Producer, Executive Producer

Salary Range: $40,000 - $60,000 + a year

PROGRAMMER
The programmers are responsible for making the art and the design come alive. All of the graphics. Special effects, character movements and everything else has to be coded into the game. This is not easy, so getting a B.A. in Computer Science is a minimum. You also need to know math and physics to make the game look realistic. One thing you should know is that there is a serious shortage of programmers. The problem is that the number of jobs for programmers is growing fast, but the number of Computer Science graduates is dropping. This means, as a programmer, you will have an excellent choice of positions, and the pay will be good.

Qualifications: 4 year degree in Computer Science

Positions and Titles: Assistant Programmer, Programmer, CG Tools, Senior Programmer, Lead Programmer, Department Head

Salary Range: $40,000 - $75,000 + a year

Suggested Training: A 4-year degree in Computer Science is a must. Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo has one of the top rated Computer Science programs in the country, so don’t feel like you need to go far to learn these skills.