Special Effects Artists and Animators

Career Overview

Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

Also Known As

3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist)
Animator
Artist
Graphic Artist

Alternate Job Titles

3D Animator (Three-Dimensional Animator)
3D Artist (Three-Dimensional Artist)
3D Designer (Three-dimensional Designer)
3D Modeler (Three-Dimensional Modeler)
3D Specialist (Three-Dimensional Specialist)
Animation Artist
Animation Producer
Animator
Anime Artist
Anime Designer
Artist
Cartoon Animator
Cartoon Artist
Civil 3D Designer (Civil Three-Dimensional Designer)
Computer Artist

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

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.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

Computers and Electronics
English Language
Design
Communications and Media
Customer and Personal Service
Sales and Marketing

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

Active Listening
Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

Oral Comprehension
Visualization
Oral Expression
Written Comprehension
Near Vision
Visual Color Discrimination
Problem Sensitivity
Deductive Reasoning
Speech Clarity
Written Expression

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

Innovation
Attention to Detail
Intellectual Curiosity
Achievement Orientation
Adaptability

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

Independence
Achievement
Working Conditions
Recognition
Relationships

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months

Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

Adobe Acrobat
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Creative Cloud software
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Photoshop
AJAX
Apple macOS
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
C

Tools & Equipment

Digital paper
Digital pens
Panoramic digital cameras
Personal computers

Work Environment

E-Mail
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Spend Time Sitting
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$57,220
Median	$99,800
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$174,630

Workers Employed Nationally: 21,280