Animator
Creates movement and expressive character performances for animated films, advertising and video games, working with drawn artwork or digital models.
On this profession page, you will learn:
Who is Animator
Convincing movement starts with observation: how someone shifts their weight, responds to another person or hesitates before acting. An animator chooses poses, pauses and transitions that make a character’s intention readable. The technique may be two-dimensional or three-dimensional, but the performance remains central.Film scenes follow a fixed sequence, while game animation often depends on a player’s actions. The animator checks both individual actions and their transitions, discusses revisions with the director or development team, and prepares the work for the next production stage.
AI impact on Animator
Medium riskAI replacement risk
50%
Tools that help draft intermediate motion may be useful for particular exercises. Character intention, weight, timing and suitability still need to be checked in the resulting movement.
Tasks at risk of automation
- Draft alternatives for transitions between specified poses
- Initial organisation and labelling of animation assets
Tasks that will remain human
- Choosing a performance that fits the scene
- Judging expressiveness and agreeing revisions with the creative team
Key skills of Animator
Work schedule and conditions
Works in an animation or games studio, sometimes remotely. Much of the day involves reviewing short movements, making precise adjustments and discussing scenes, with a faster pace near delivery dates.
What a Animator does
- Interprets the scene and gathers movement observations or references.
- Develops key poses, timing and transitions that communicate action and character.
- Checks how clearly movement reads in the edit or game environment.
- Applies agreed revisions and delivers animation with the required settings and file names.
Benefits of the Animator profession
Expressive performance
A small change in a pose or pause can clarify a character, making careful observation directly useful in the finished scene.
Several ways to practise
You can develop performance through drawn animation or digital characters, then choose a technique and project type that suit your interests.
Disadvantages of the Animator profession
Extensive small revisions
A few seconds of movement can require many revisions, especially when a scene’s intention, dialogue or neighbouring shot changes.
Dependence on supplied assets
Problems in a model, rig or drawing can restrict movement, and resolving them may depend on changes from other specialists.
Personal advice
No advice found
How to become a Animator
Start with movement observation and short exercises that you can review closely and revise.
1. Performance and technique
Study drawing, composition, acting fundamentals, rhythm and animation principles. Learn one tool or technique well enough to test these ideas in practice.
2. A short scene with an intention
Animate a character noticing an object, hesitating and deciding to pick it up. Keep early poses, feedback and a revised version to explain your decisions.
For a portfolio, prioritise clear actions and finished short scenes. A long reel cannot replace careful work on movement.
Questions and answers
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