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Animator in Torrance, 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 projectsReading through scripts, and brainstorming and conceptualizing compelling images to help tell stories in an engaging, memorable wayWorking closely with a wide range of team members throughout projects, including artists, story editors, photographers, designers, other animators, voice actors and producersEnsuring final deliverables are high quality and delivered on time and on budget

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Salary for Animator in Torrance, CA

82655 - 119560

Low
82655
The candidate is new to the role or has limited experience and is building necessary skills.
Mid
97295
The candidate has moderate experience in the role, meets most requirements or has equivalent transferable skills, and may also have relevant certifications.
High
119560
The candidate has extensive experience and advanced skills for the role, and may also have specialized certifications.
Projected salaries for related positions Job title Low Mid High Creative Director 124440 162565 198250 Art Director 101565 124440 149450 Creative Services Manager 93940 116510 139690 Instructional Designer 93635 117730 149755 Motion Designer 93025 109190 130540 Digital Designer 82045 98210 120475 Presentation Designer 75945 93940 106750 3D Modeler 73505 91195 111935 Package Designer 68015 82350 100955 Graphic Designer 63440 82045 96990 Illustrator / Infographics Designer 66795 79300 94550 Video Producer 80520 107970 128405 Video Editor 73200 87230 108580 Studio Manager 73505 87840 107665 Digital Asset Manager 69845 87840 106750 Production Manager 68015 83875 95770 Production Artist 64965 78385 89060 Production Coordinator 57035 62830 73810 Photographer 54595 71980 90585

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Our starting salary projections come from a rigorous, multistep process so that our numbers accurately reflect the marketplace. They are based on actual compensation for professionals Robert Half has matched with employers across the country and third-party job posting data from Textkernel that we use to independently validate the salary levels. Starting compensation—pay for someone new to a role—can vary significantly based on a candidate’s skills, experience and certifications, as well as other factors including industry, company size and revenue, and demand for the role. To reflect this variability, we report our salary data in three levels: low, mid and high.