Whether you are a 10+2 pass-out, or a grad, or someone simply crazy about the enchanting world of animation; this article should give you an idea of the job scene and a “behind the scenes” look of works in the animation industry.
The career prospects:
Says Mr. R. Krishnan, Global Head, Arena Multimedia – “The world of animation is full of opportunities for the initiated and focused. Yes, there is a lot of hard work involved, but the rewards are equally remunerative.”
Let us take a look at some of the estimates that are being suggested.
Current domestic market for animation is $285 m and is expected to reach $950 m by 2009. This translates into impressive 2-digit growth. Compare this to the projected global growth from $25b to $35b in the same time frame. To support this demand an estimated 30000 professionals will be needed in India in the next 2-3 years!
Advantage India :
Globally the major consumer of animation products like films, games is the US. Japan, China, South Korea and Philippines have emerged as destination of choice for outsourcing work. India has till recently lagged behind – but the trend is changing and fast.
India has the compelling advantage of familiarity with English, making Indian animators a natural choice the world-over. Indian students are excited about these prospects and animation – training institutes (leading among them being Arena Multimedia) have experienced unprecedented growth over the last few years. What is required for these projections to become a reality is quality work and capacity. Until recently India was being considered for providing finishing touches to productions. This is generally the least challenging task in a production cycle. India simply did not have the requisite number of trained manpower to deliver. This is fast changing with 
premier institutes like Arena offering qualitative world-class training on leading and relevant technologies. Coming years should surely see full productions being undertaken in India.
So considering a career in Animation – you cannot get it any better in today’s market. Go for it!
Academic preparation to successful career:
You need to prepare well for a successful career in animation. This is a logical sequence of skill acquisition:
Graphics: Learn to visualize, create digital graphics, edit and optimize the graphic for the web.
Popular tools (software) that you must master: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe Indesign, Corel Draw.
Interactive Multimedia: Create Streaming audio and video, edit and enrich video by applying special effects.
Popular tools: Sound Forge, Adobe Premier Pro, Flash Studio, Dream Weaver.
Animation: The real thing – broadcast quality animation!
Popular tools: Toon Boom Studio, 3D Studio Max, Character Studio, Deep Paint, Combustion, Maya.
And hey – its fun!
Animation is all about creative thinking and creation. It is perhaps the strongest medium of communication – much more powerful than the proverbial picture. For the initiated – it can blur the difference between a “job” and “inspired living”.
Yes a career in animation can be an experience of a lifetime. There is no routine, no set rules – just imagine and recreate.