If you’re drawn to the visual arts, moving images, and storytelling, animation might be the career for you. Especially if you’re also good with IT. Animators are visual storytellers who apply their creativity in a dynamic, fast-growing industry. But a surprising number of myths still linger about what animation can offer. Let’s bust a few of them right now:
- “It’s all just cartoons”
Oh please. First of all, there’s nothing wrong with cartoons. However, there’s a lot more to animation than that. As creative professionals, animators work in news and factual media, web design, marketing, video games, 3D modelling, visual effects (VFX), and more.
Just look at Emily Cheung, who studied Bachelor of Animation Production at UTS. She’s now a motion graphics designer at Warner Brothers Discovery. Emily says, “I’m working in TV broadcast, doing motion graphics, mainly video to promote our TV channel. I think it’s amazing to see how things are presented in a way that gets you interested.”
- “It’s a lot of repetitive work - all done by hand”
Incredibly, some people still believe this one, which hasn’t been true since the seventies. The truth is, most modern animations, even 2D, require some degree of sophisticated computer software. That’s why an animator’s skill set needs to include an aptitude for IT.
- “I have to be fantastic at drawing”
While it helps to have good drawing skills, don’t worry if you’re not Rembrandt. You don’t have to be a great artist to be a great animator. Drawing for animation is more about creating movement that’s believable and entertaining. And with practice, we can all brush up on our drawing ability.
Also, it’s important to remember that drawing is less crucial for 3D and VFX. Most 3D animation uses a computer to manipulate and control characters. Computer skills like programming and coding may be the most important part of 3D animation, along with knowing the relevant processes and software.
- “It’s not a serious career”
Remember when we said it’s not just cartoons? Professional animators also work in forensics, medicine, mathematical modelling, architectural visualisation, and aviation simulations. The possibilities are endless.
Graduates from the Bachelor of Animation Production at UTS are making a serious mark as industry leaders who can develop, pitch, and defend ideas, and create original content for TV, film, advertising, and other media. Not only do students engage with industry during their studies, but they can also work in live projects such as SXSW and Sydney’s famous VIVID Festival.
Student work has appeared in important festivals like Sundance, Sydney Film Festival, and Melbourne International Film Festival, and alumni are becoming influential practitioners, festival winners and creative leaders.
- “There are limited opportunities for animators in Australia”
Not according to Growing Australia’s Creative Industries[i], a recent Australian Government paper. The report found that we currently have “a fraction of the volume of skilled people entering the industry needed to sustain growth.”
In other words, Australia’s booming animation industry is hungry for new artists, practitioners, and technicians like UTS alumna Brenda Jie who now works at Flying Bark Productions (a leading animation company with studios in Sydney and Los Angeles). She loves being in the thriving heart of the animation world. “You get to work on really cool shows,” she says. “Flying Bark have done projects like Lego Monkie Kid, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. The people are lovely, and you learn so much just being in the industry.”
How to start your animation degree
The UTS Bachelor of Animation Production is a popular degree and demand for places is high. So are the ATAR and admissions requirements for direct entry. But don’t let that discourage you. UTS College can get you there.
The new Diploma of Animation Production is a first-year equivalent with the same learning outcomes as first-year Bachelor of Animation Production at UTS. You’ll graduate with the skills you’ll need to succeed at UTS, 48 credit points, and direct entry* to second year of your degree. And that’s no myth.
*Based on required GPA for domestic students and no more than two subject failures for international students
[i] https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/growing-australias-creative-industry-position-paper--abac--march2022.pdf