Animator in Los Angeles, CA

Animator Job Description

Animators breathe life and personality into characters, scenes and other animation elements used to tell stories in cartoons, films, video games, commercials, social media and more. These creative professionals create and sequence multiple images, referred to as “frames,” to give the illusion of movement. An animator might employ digital images, hand-drawn illustrations, models or other types of images and props to create special effects and other animations using computer-generated animation, 2D or 3D model-making, or stop-frame tools and techniques. Employers seek animators with a vivid imagination who are collaborative and receptive to feedback and can work diligently under pressure. Multimedia experience, including in emerging areas like virtual reality (VR), and video editing expertise are highly valued. A bachelor’s degree in computer animation, fine arts or graphic arts is often preferred for this role. Most employers will require candidates to provide a solid portfolio of relevant creative work, including hand-drawn character designs and animation clips.

Typical animator duties:

Creating character sketches, designing backgrounds and other elements, and developing storyboards for animation projects

Reading through scripts, and brainstorming and conceptualizing compelling images to help tell stories in an engaging, memorable way

Working closely with a wide range of team members throughout projects, including artists, story editors, photographers, designers, other animators, voice actors and producers

Ensuring final deliverables are high quality and delivered on time and on budget

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Adobe Flash

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Adobe Creative Cloud

SAN - Storage Area Network

Animation

Design controls?

Characters

Story Boarding

Video

Salary for Animator in Los Angeles, CA

83513 - 119538

25th percentile

83513

New to the role, with little or no experience; requires more than casual instruction or supervision to perform day-to-day duties

50th percentile

100215

Has the experience to consistently perform core responsibilities without direct supervision; very comfortable with processes and subject matter associated with the role

75th percentile

119538

Value to the organization goes far beyond the ability to perform normal job duties; has rare qualifications that enable consistent contribution in unique ways; ready for next career level when available

Projected salaries for related positions

Position title

25th percentile

50th percentile

75th percentile

Art Director

104473

128053

151305

3D Animator

84823

100215

123468

3D Modeler

74343

92355

113315

Digital Artist

73360

91373

114298

Presentation Designer

76963

96285

110695

Graphic Designer

66810

86460

102180

Packaging Designer

70740

85805

105128

Illustrator/Infographics Designer

66483

80238

98250

Photo Retoucher

60588

79583

102180

Photographer

57313

75653

94975

Production Artist

67793

79910

89080

Production Coordinator

60915

65500

77290

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