Animation
Junior artist
What does a junior artist do?
Junior artists may work in pre-production, production or post-production with any other artist roles. Junior artists could be junior layout artists, junior lighting artists or junior modellers. They will work within a team or under more senior layout artists or lighting artists or modellers. They might help with rigging, rendering and compositing too. They may also help with editing and ensuring the synchronisation of frames and audio.
The work a junior artist does will depend on the project, the size of the studio, and whether the animation is 2D, 3D or stop-motion.
What’s a junior artist good at?
- Art: draw and reveal attitude, emotions and mood through a character’s movement, have spatial awareness and a feel for movement over time
- Ability to work in a team and work to a brief
- Knowledge of animation: have a good understanding of the principles and mechanics of animation
- Communication: be able to understand and share creative ideas, have productive discussions and take notes on your work
- Organisation: work within the production schedule, create your drawings and animations to meet deadlines
- Watching animations: have a passion for the medium and a love of the industry
Who does a junior artist work with?
Junior artist will work under one or more senior artists including the layout artists or lighting artists and modellers and riggers.
How do I become a junior artist?
You can get work as a junior artist after completing a university degree course or an equivalent qualification in an animation subject or a VFX, graphic design or fine art subject. The most important skill of an animation artist is the ability to draw, model or use puppets in a way that creates the illusion of movement. Whatever your route into the industry, you will need to learn how to do this. It’s useful to have a degree in animation too. This will give you the opportunity to learn the software and animation techniques. However you do it, practice and hone your skills and create your own portfolio to show off your work.
At school or college:
Take A-levels or Highers that combine art with science such as fine art, art and design or graphic design, along with computer science, physics and biology. Some colleges offer courses which include animation.
You might want to take any of the following Level 3 vocational qualifications:
- BTEC National Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
- UAL Applied General Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
- NCFE Applied General Certificate in Art and Design
- BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production
If you want to go straight into a job or apprenticeship, the following Level 3 vocational qualifications will equip you:
- BTEC National Diploma in Graphics
- UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
- OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma in Art and Design (Graphic Design)
- BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Visual Effects
- UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology
- OCR Technical Diploma in Digital Media (Moving Image and Audio Production)
Get an apprenticeship:
An apprenticeship is a job with training, so it’s a great opportunity to earn as you learn. See if you can find an apprenticeship as a junior animator. Check out What’s an apprenticeship? to learn more about apprenticeships and find an apprenticeship to learn how to find one in your region, or approach companies directly.
Build a portfolio:
Learn animation and video editing software, experiment with practical stop-motion and start creating work that you can show to admissions tutors or employers. Create your own short film or films. This is essential. Go to build your animation portfolio to learn how. Watch ScreenSkills’ advice on animation showreels and CG Spectrum – College of Digital Art and Animation’s student showcase YouTube video for help and inspiration.
Get a degree:
A degree in animation or a related field is useful, especially if it’s a degree that will offer you opportunities to do work experience. Have a look at ScreenSkills’ list of recommended courses and select one in animation or design. We recognise courses with our ScreenSkills Select award where they offer training in the relevant software, dedicate time to building a portfolio and have strong links with the animation industry.
Draw, model, paint and illustrate:
Practise creating the illusion of movement with drawings or models, with a focus on anatomy. Be aware of weight and timing when drawing from live subjects (or videos of them). Carry a sketchbook around with you. Observe and draw wherever you can.
Get work experience:
Contact animation companies and ask if you can do work experience. You can also volunteer to use your animation skills to help small businesses, schools, not-for-profit organisations or community groups. Ask if you can enhance the look of their websites or produce an animation for them. This isn’t advisable if the organisation already does its own animation, but if you find one where you think you can help, do ask.
Take a short course:
On the ScreenSkills website, we have a list of animation training courses that we either fund, support or have quality-marked.
Network:
Use social media as a free platform to present your work and to get exposure. Get to know people in the animation industry by attending events. Research specific animation professionals you admire to see what public events and forums they will be attending and try to go to these. Meet producers and animators and ask them questions about their work. Offer to provide them with your professional contact details and try to stay in touch with them. Go to how to network well to learn how to do this.
Search for jobs:
Research animation companies you’d like to work for. Go to their websites and check if they are advertising for junior roles. Even if they aren’t, send in your CV and showreel and ask them to bear you in mind for future roles. Keep looking on job websites too. ScreenSkills offers some advice from professionals on how to approach animation and VFX employers.
You might also be interested in...
Being a VFX artist or learning to code and being a level designer, 3D modelling artist, environment artist, or texturing artist, all in the games industry. You might also be interested in being a modeller, animator or compositor in the animation industry. Or you might want to be a creature technical director (TD) or rigging TD in VFX.
Further resources
- The principles of animation
- Animation World Network (AWN)
- Weta Digital – YouTube
- CG Spectrum – Free Resources
- Bloop Animation – Video Tutorials
- Understand Disney's 12 principles of animation
- Cartoon Brew
- Skwigly Online Animation Magazine
- CGI Dreamworks Animation Studio Pipeline | CGMeetup
- Any-Mation (video essays) – YouTube
- ScreenSkills resources directory
