Plan your career: Sky is the limit in the field of animation

I would like to study Animation. I am very interested. How does one qualify and acquire a job? Is it possible to get a job in the animation industry with a minimum starting salary of Rs 40,000 a month. How can we achieve our goal? - (Pavithra and Sona N)

Animation is one of the fields in which you never think you are actually working. It is fun-at-work. The previous columns on the queries of visual and apparel designs are also relevant to animation. 

The animation industry in India has achieved the coveted position of a creator of indigenous intellectual property. It has already gained the reputation as a quality animation industry. Films like the Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter Series, The Chronicles of Narnia and Spiderman 3 are witnesses to the phenomena. There are roughly around 500 animation studios in India, and the industry is poised to grow at 23 per cent in the coming years. Currently, the above 60 billion industry could easily touch 100 billion marks. 

Animation industry provides multiple opportunities to students. Work opportunities are available for quality animation professionals like graphic designers, multimedia developer, game developer, character designers, key frame animators, 3D modellers, and layout artists. Though Animation is generally associated with the entertainment industry, it is also prevalent in advertising, business, education, architecture, medicine, engineering and technology, online and print media, cartoon production, video gaming and e-learning. 

Animation courses are available from three months certificate diplomas to one, two and three years diploma and degree courses. There are degrees in B Sc Animation, Multimedia, 3D and VFX. Advertising Design, Game Technologies, Web Technologies, design technologies, Animation and Digital Media. All the versions are available as diplomas too. Of late, degree courses are preferred so that one could further his/her career development, and also it justifies candidate’s job profile. Varying fee structure from institute to institute has been a disgrace to our country. 

There are a plethora of institutes. A bad one in this field would break your career. You have to check whether they fulfill basic criteria like the reputation of the Institute in personal development and skill orientation that prepares one for the industry. Track the record of the institute. Contact an alumnus or check online the credentials of the school. Identify the USP of the college. What is the college good at? A personal visit is also a must. Look for faculty with experienced people from industry. Consider placement support extended by the Institute. For the degree courses, be aware of Creative Skillset Tick, a quality mark that industry requires for industry-relevant education. Make sure the college has a valid recognition. Many fake ones are mushrooming. Scrutinise the curriculum to see whether it offers practical training with theory portions to understand concepts. It should not be the other way around. 

The salary you expect is not given overnight. Beginners could only settle between Rs 8,000 and 15,000. With experience and professionalism, you could reach your target. Enhancing your portfolio and exhibiting excellent talent could take you up to Rs 100,000. Your salary is paralleled with your talent. It is indeed a coveted multibillion-dollar industry. Once you complete the course and are professionally sound, the job is at hand. The prospects are vast and widespread.