ART MAJOR: ANIMATION
In general, art degrees usually fall under two categories: fine arts and media arts. A degree in fine arts prepares students for careers in artistic fields, while a degree in media arts prepares students for more technical and commercial concentrations, such as animation, which is of high interest and demand nowadays. Animation is a unique and engaging world of colors, characters, textures, layouts and millions of special effects. It encompasses artworks created with new media technologies, including digital art, computer graphics, computer animation, interactive art, virtual art, internet art, computer robotics, video games and much more.
In today’s ever-changing world, one should always follow the new trends, walk alongside with innovations and be technically proficient to set the path towards achieving one’s dream job. This major is definitely for those who just can’t live without innovations and desire to create something new, unique and interesting, are creative and have potential in media arts. So, if you are on the way to deciding which major to choose and have one of the above mentioned talents or passions that you'd like to pursue, this major could be just the right decision for you!
Students in such programs go beyond mere technical proficiency to a well-rounded education. During the studies the students get acquainted with the introduction of animation and video art, digital drawing, digital imaging, digital letterform, multimedia design, print media digital arts, time-based digital arts, interactive digital arts, etc, examine advanced 2D animation and 3D animation principles, background design, story development, as well as scenic layout and special effects. They get a chance to work with program specific software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, and Autodesk 3Ds Max.
Internship in a leading company is also an important part of this major, as it is not only a good practice and an exclusive chance to create your portfolio but also a first step into this amazing industry. As graduates, everyone will have an individualized digital portfolio to showcase all the creative skills and techniques mastered in 2D design and 3D design and abilities in order to pursue entry-level opportunities in such areas as computer-generated lighting, compositing and rendering, texture artists, storyboard artists, computer modelers and computer-generated special effects artists.
Job Opportunities for Animation Professionals
New jobs and interesting opportunities are emerging for all types of art majors day by day, as new technologies develop and become ever more prevalent in our society. Many exciting opportunities for these professionals are at the forefront of an industry that repackages information in creative and innovative ways. There are such unique opportunities as animation artist, multimedia artist, special effects artist, broadcast graphics designer, video postproduction artist and so on.
However, the animation education industry is very competitive nowadays, with schools competing for students and students competing for a small number of available jobs in this field. The job rate and student employability has dropped in recent years, so choosing the right institution for your animation education and the right company for your internship is critical for your future career development!
