Those funky and astounding moving-around pictures that we have termed animation are indeed cherished by all across the world. To put it short, the people behind these lovable pieces of art are no other than software engineers. As their name suggests, software engineers are highly trained professionals that deal with software, i.e. a set of instructions or commands that basically helps in the functioning of a computer system. But what exact role do these engineers play in building up software and can they themselves animate the things which we all love? All of you would undoubtedly get all the answers to these questions which you are looking forward to. So stay hooked and dive deep into the world of animation!
An Overview of Animation:
It would be highly uncertain to think of anyone who isn’t familiar with what animation actually refers to. Still, to freshen up your memory and to have a quick recall about this alluring work of art, here is all that you need to know about animation.
Well, an animation is nothing but a series of carefully curated images that once put together, appear to be mobile. Animation is a very likely concept to convey a message or a storyline in a cartoonish manner. Thanks to it involving a drawing like a screenplay and light features, it is subject to gather entertainment in the current times, especially for kids.
Speaking of its inception, animation was done through the hands of many talented artisans who worked staunchly to produce exquisite handcrafted imagery that could be then captured through photography and then, presented to us as a film. Well, a lot goes into bringing up an animation to your screen in the present time as well which could stand up to your expectations. Present-day animation is generally computer generated that includes codes, programming, and every other technical thing that you could probably think of.
Skills required for animation:
To explain to you who could be an animator, well, undoubtedly anyone. All that you need is to be seriously skill oriented by being creative and focused. Being a person who could animate is indeed an overwhelming experience, you could pour out your unsaid emotions into a piece of art with just some codes and a little bit of artistic approach. But on a serious basis, here are all the skills that you need to be an animator.
- Good Command over software:
You must be familiar with various types of software to be an efficient animator. Some of them include software like Adobe.
- Adequate knowledge of animation techniques:
If you ever find yourself opting to be an animator, whether it is your passion or a career choice, keep in mind that knowing all about the 2D and 3D techniques of animation is a must. It includes features like character rigging, controlling motion, time management etc.
- Illustrative skills:
To express your storyline in the most proficient way during animation, you must be a master of illustration. Creative drawing skills are what would escalate your probability to animate even more.
- Knowledge of relevant physics concepts:
Knowing how things move in real life and what are all the related phenomena are there behind it is also a skill that is required for any person who wants to be an animator. He should have a good knowledge of motion.
- Time Management:
Time is crucial in animation. Time management is a must-have skill for every animator as animating could be a time-consuming task.
- Programming knowledge
To be a person who can animate, you should at least know the basic programming language to work your way in. Programs like C and C++ should be well-known.
- Expertise in Mathematic concepts
An animator is always a mathematical genius. Concepts of mathematics always come in handy for animation, so they should be known well to animate.
Overlapping skills between software engineering and animation
While software engineering and animation could be considered disparate fields of technology, they also have a lot to be in common. A software engineer and an animator share a similar set of skills in their respective field:
- Mathematical Knowledge
The knowledge of mathematics is laid as a foundation for whether a person wants to be a software engineer or an animator. Concepts of trigonometry and algebra are well-versed in both animation and software engineering.
- 3D graphics and Drawing
ED or engineering drawing is also a mandatory concept that a software engineer learns at least once in its course, whereas, animation is all about drawing.
- Programming
Both a software engineer and an animator must be good at code. Because it is what helps them function to produce the end product.
- Application of design principles:
The motive behind performing a task for both a software engineer and an animator includes producing a product following a design. For that, they both follow the Design principles.
How Software Engineers can pursue Animation?
If you are a software engineer that wants to follow your passion or is looking forward to a quick career change opportunity, animation could come in handy. There are many skills that you must have learned during your engineering course that could act as a head start to be an animator. Here is all you can do to be an animator:
First of all, you must lay your foundation to be an animator by enrolling yourself in a good animation learning course. Make sure that you have adept knowledge of animating software that is available out there. Practice them thoroughly to work your way to be an animator. Your programming knowledge, mathematics and physics clarity will all act as a catalyst to help you pursue your next career opportunity as an animator. Building up your portfolio by expanding your animation skills, and finding connections towards relevant people of your technical background will also help you to be an animator.
Opportunities in animation
Animation beholds a large variety of opportunities if you ever choose to pursue it. Get your stories and ideas broadcasted as a television show or as a movie through animation. Your aesthetically pleasing animation would be a delight to all when it would find its way through their screens. You can even start freelancing with your animation skills to work for clients and earn a decent amount.
If you are planning it big, a little hard work and determination in the animation industry would even lead you to build up your animation studio
Animation is not just reduced to entertainment, it has made its name big by coming a lot useful to visualize architectural designs to have a better dimensional view of any architectural building. It is also a keen choice for many learning platforms to make its students learn concepts better because illustrations make everything easy!
Conclusion
So if you were looking for an answer to whether you could pursue being an animator after software engineering, then the answer is yes! Software engineers would be a lot preferred to be animators due to matching sets of skills that could help them learn and perform tasks easily. Just work on your animation skills and you are good to go!
