Runner (Animation)

This is usually an entry-level role in Animation studios. Runners are employed on low salaries, and are expected to cover a multitude of, sometimes menial, tasks. They are often a combination of handyman/woman, production office dogsbody, relief receptionist and messenger. However, many people with successful careers in all aspects of animation started their careers as Runners.

This route into the animation industry has nurtured the potential of many individuals, and produced some very talented practitioners who may otherwise never have had a chance to progress in the industry. While working in this role, Runners can demonstrate their abilities, prove that they have a good attitude, and discover where their main interest or talent lies.

Depending on their aptitude, skills and interests, Runners may be promoted to junior or training roles in Editing, Camera, Animation, Model Building, Scanning, Digital Colouring, Digital Compositing, Rendering, or in the Production Office, among many other departments.

Responsibilities

Runners provide support and backup wherever it might be required within the studio, but particularly at the request of the Production Office or Editing Department, and it can be very varied work. They check and, where possible, maintain studio equipment, including carrying out 'housekeeping', or office management duties, such as replacing batteries or light bulbs; fixing chairs; hanging pictures on walls; keeping track of materials and ordering new supplies; keeping the kitchen and other areas clean, tidy and well stocked; making tea or coffee, etc.

In some studios they may carry out certain administrative duties, e.g. running the petty cash, banking cheques, collecting and checking time sheets, labelling tapes, keeping the showreel and reference library, etc. There may be some overlap with the work of the Production Secretary, Receptionist and Editing Assistant, so that the Runner can provide cover if required. They run errands, pick up transfers from sound studios and facility houses and carry out a multitude of other tasks, but should also be watching and learning all the time.

Skills

Runners must be bright, helpful, presentable, articulate and have basic literacy, numeracy and communication skills. It is helpful if they already have an interest in animation and, to get the most out of their time in the job, they need to develop an understanding of the production process. Runners must be able to cope under pressure, accept instructions from all quarters, show initiative and problem solving skills, respond quickly to requests and know how to prioritise their tasks.

Qualifications/Experience

In general, there are no requirements for Runners to possess degrees or other academic or training qualifications. However, this is often a practical route into a studio for graduates of Animation degree courses or comparable Art, Computer or other technical courses. Most companies are more interested in the attitude and personality of applicants but a promising showreel, or a portfolio which demonstrates their talent and abilities, may improve the chances of success. Working as a Runner offers not only the opportunity to learn how a studio operates, but also the time for both Runner and employer to assess their strengths and to discuss the job roles which may suit them best.

source: click here

Runners in Animation

Animation requires great craft and therefore encourages an 'apprenticeship' approach where people who have had some training in animation learn from their more experienced colleagues.

‘Apprentices' enter the business as Production Assistants and are usually required to have some skill in drawing, digital imaging or model making. However the largest companies that deal with a wider range of clients employ full–time Runners. Some of the larger studios also offer on–the–job training to Runners.

Runners are seen as an extra pair of hands and spend most of their time in the office or delivering and collecting materials. The experience that a Runner gains, especially during a busy production period, is an invaluable foundation for a career in animation production.

There are also opportunities for Runners who want to work in animation post production with companies such as The Mill or Moving Picture Company, although opportunities to progress into more specialised areas, such as 3D, are rare.

The Animation Directory, published by by Wildfire Communications in association with BECTU, has more information about the companies working in this sector. They also produce a quarterly magazine Imagine.

The trade press that covers animation includes Televisual and Creative Review.

Runners say

• "It's fantastic to work on a feature film - it's such an enormous project, and you start to see how everything fits together and find out about the different jobs."
• "Everything has to be documented. I'm learning to be quite organised, but I realise that management is not for me."
• "I started on a three month contract, with a few days handover, which was mainly dedicated to learning all the back routes in Bristol."
• "I worked in the admin office of a department store on Saturdays whilst I was studying. It's proved invaluable."
• "I loved the model-making side and spent more and more of my free time there. Now I'm hoping to get a junior assistant job."
• "I've decided to do a scriptwriting course following my running experience - I learnt a lot about the importance of storytelling."

Animator - All Information

As an animator, you would bring drawings or models to life on screen. Your work could be used in animated short and full-length films, television cartoons, adverts, computer games, music videos, websites and movie visual effects.

You could specialise in one of the following animation techniques:

• 2-D hand-drawn, or traditional
• 2-D computer-generated
• 3-D computer-generated (known as ‘CGI')
• stop-frame, stop-motion or model animation.

Producing an animation involves many stages and processes, from generating ideas to building models and editing the final piece. Each stage can involve several specific tasks and job roles, such as the following:

• development stage – directors and producers create ideas, plan the project and find funding
• pre-production – production designers create the look; storyboard artists take the script or ideas and show the story in a visual way; layout artists draw how each shot will look
• production – digital painters touch up colours; animators and modellers follow the storyboard and use computer or stop-frame animation to create movement and personality
• lighting, texturing and compositing – texture artists 'paint' colour and texture onto digital models to make them lifelike; compositors join the different layers of animation (backgrounds, special effects, characters and graphics); various editors add the soundtrack and produce the finished piece.

Working on a smaller project might mean that you cover several of these jobs, particularly during the production stage. On large or long-running productions, you could be part of a team of animators and assistants working on one stage for several weeks, months or even years.

See the Animation section of Skillset’s website for more detailed information about how an animation is made, and about specific animation job roles.

Hours

For many jobs you will work standard office hours, Monday to Friday, but overtime and unsocial hours may sometimes be necessary to meet deadlines.

The work can be office- or studio-based, depending on your role and the type of animation.

In stop-motion animation you may spend a lot of time on your feet adjusting models. In other types of animation, you would spend most of your time sitting at a computer or drawing board.

Income

Starting salaries are around £20,000 a year.

With more experience and skills, earnings are usually around £30,000 to £40,000.

You may also earn a bonus at the end of a project, particularly in the computer games industry.

Freelance animators are usually paid a fee for each contract or project. Rates can vary based on your track record and the type of production. Contact the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) for current pay guidelines.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry Requirements

To become an animator, you will need skills in drawing, modelling or using computer animation packages. Some animators are self-taught, but many start by taking an animation or art-related course to develop their skills before looking for work.

Several colleges and universities offer foundation degrees, BTEC HNDs, degrees and postgraduate courses in animation. The most useful courses include practical skills and work placements. See Skillset’s website for details of industry-endorsed animation courses. You should check content and entry requirements carefully to make sure that the course is right for you.

You could also get into the industry with qualifications in other relevant subjects such as:

• illustration
• graphic design
• computer programming
• model making or sculpture
• 3-D design
• multimedia design.

You would often start as a studio runner – you don't need qualifications to work in this role, although in practice many people who start at this level are graduates. You could then progress to junior roles like storyboard assistant, digital painter, inbetweener or assistant animator. Follow the links below to read more details about what these jobs involve.

• Skillset – Studio Runner
• Skillset – Storyboard Assistant
• Skillset – Digital Painter
• Skillset – Inbetweener

Employers always want to see proof of your talent and creativity, so you will need a ‘showreel’ DVD or online portfolio of your best animation work and ideas to show them.

You could also show commitment to joining the industry by entering animation competitions and festivals, and sending short animated films or ideas to broadcasters.

Training and Development

Most of your training would be on the job, learning from more experienced animators.

You should keep up to date with developments in the animation industry throughout your career. It will be useful to learn more software packages that are relevant to your job, for example:

• 3ds Max
• Flash
• Maya
• Action Script
• Motionbuilder
• Lightwave 3D
• After Effects.

Many other packages are available, and some companies also create software to meet their own needs. Your employer may organise some training courses for you, or you may be responsible for your own training and development.

You can take short courses in various animation software packages and techniques at several film schools, universities and private training companies. Visit Skillset’s website to search for courses.

With experience and advanced skills, you can progress from junior roles to become an animator, lead animator and animation director.

Skills and Knowledge

• creativity and imagination
• good drawing or modelling skills
• patience and concentration
• accuracy and attention to detail
• good computer skills, preferably including graphics and animation software
• communication and presentation skills
• the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• good teamworking skills.

Opportunities

You could work for large or small animation studios, computer games developers, interactive media designers or post-production houses (producing animated film and TV titles and credits). Freelance fixed-term contracts are common.

The main centres for animation in the UK are London, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee and Manchester. CGI is the fastest-growing sector of animation, but there is still a demand for people with good drawing skills. The more skills you can offer, the more employment options you will have.

Jobs are sometimes advertised on specialist industry websites, although many jobs are not advertised as it is common to find work through networking.


Animator - All Information

Animated Movie Using Windows Movie Maker

Ever wanted to create your own animated movie? Well, you're not alone! A lot of people, young and old, want to do this without working in a studio or using a moviola. Below are a few steps for creating your own animated movie using Windows Movie Maker.

editSteps

• Draw your animated movie. You must finish drawing your entire cartoon before going onto any further steps.
• Draw your animated movie as if you are creating a flip book. Every picture must match to make your animated movie move from frame to frame. You may want to flip your cartoon over to see does every frame match each other.
• Take pictures of all of the frames(Pictures) you drew, or scan them into the computer via scanner. You must have taken a picture of every picture you drew to make your cartoon move. But the drawings must be photographed in order in which your movie goes.
• Take your camera and plug it into your computer. You must then save all of the pictures you took of your cartoon to the computer. But EVERY picture you drew must be saved to the computer for this to work. Once you saved the pictures don't touch them until step 4.
• Open windows movie maker onto your computer. But you must have Windows Movie Maker downloaded onto your computer. In the right hand corner, click on import pictures.
• Import ALL of the pictures you took of your cartoon that you saved to your computer. Then all of your pictures you took should come up in the middle of your screen of Windows Movie Maker.
• Then right click on all of your pictures you imported. But this must be done ONE at a time by picture by picture in which the order of your cartoon goes. Then a rectangle should come up.
• Click on the first box at the top that says "ADD TO TIME LINE". Then the picture you right clicked on should appear at the bottom of the screen on a rectangle that says "Video" on the right side of it. But you must do this to all of your drawings.
• Delete ALL of the pictures in the box that says "COLLECTION" in bold, big letters. But do not touch the pictures that are in the box where it says "VIDEO" until later.
• You now have to edit your video to make your animated movie work. Right click on "ALL" of the pictures one at a time drawing by drawing. Then another rectangle should come up. Click on the "7TH" box in the rectangle where it says "VIDEO EFFECTS".
• A box full of options called "ADD OR REMOVE VIDEO EFFECTS" should pop up. Scroll down all the way to the bottom of this box of varieties. You should see a video effect that says "SPEED UP, DOUBLE" that comes third last. Select that option. Then you should see a button in the middle that says "ADD". Select that option 6 times. Then you should see a option that says "OK". Click on ok.
• Now that you have done all of steps, you are ready to preview to see what your animated short looks like. You can do so by going up to the menu buttons up at the top of windows movie maker. You should see a option that says "PLAY" at the top. Click on play. Then a drop down rectangle should pop up. Click on the 3rd option that says "PLAY TIMELINE". Then you should see your movie play by picture by picture.

Clay Animation

Clay Animation is an obscure yet amazing art form. In the following ten steps, you will learn how to turn a ball of clay into a figure of your choice. Then you will animate the figure and create a short clay animation video of your own. This form of animation is most often called "Stop-motion animation" because that is what it is. You are animating something that can't move.

1. Buy plasticine or polymer clay and wire at your local craft store. Any size wire will do. Make sure the clay will not harden when exposed to air. Purchase any color of clay you desire, but also purchase gray clay to use as a base.
2. Cut about a three foot piece of wire and bend it in half. Starting at the bent end, twist both strands of the wire together.
3. Form the wire into any shape you wish. Form it in the general outline of whatever you are trying to make. Do not include fingers. This shape is called an armature, and it is the frame on which you will mold your clay. This will help support your clay figure when you begin to animate it.
4. Start molding a thin layer of gray clay onto the armature or wire frame. The gray clay acts as a neutral base on which you will later mold other colors of clay.
5. Create a figurine for clay animation. Begin putting on the other layers of colored clay. For example, if you are creating a person from clay, then you mold different colors of clay onto the figure for things such as the shirt or pants. If you are creating a zebra, you may want to use black and white clay to make stripes.
6. Begin animating your figure. Set up a still digital camera at the angle in which you wish to capture the animation. A tripod is essential in this situation. For the animation to flow, it needs to all be captured from the same angle. Without a tripod, it isn't going to work.
7. Place the figure on a flat surface. Carefully bend it into a starting position and take a picture of the figure with the camera.
8. Move the figure very slightly into the next position, then take another picture. Each picture is called a frame. Film runs at 24 frames per second, and digital video runs at 30. Be very precise while animating your figure. If you move it too much, it will appear to jump in the video. If you remove the figure from the camera's view, it will seem to disappear.
9. Continue to move the figure and take pictures until you have completed your desired animation. If you run out of pictures before you have finished, save the pictures to your computer and leave your figurine in the exact same position. Clear the camera and continue shooting.
10. Load the pictures onto a computer. Use a photo editing program to speed up each individual picture so that it creates a movie. Watch your creation and show it to whoever you wish.