Special Effects Artists and Animators

What the job really is

Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

At a glance

• Sector: Arts, Design & Media
• O*NET-SOC code: 27-1014
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
• Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
• Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
• Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
• Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
• Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
• Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
• Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
• Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.
• Assemble, typeset, scan, and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.
• Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.
• Create pen-and-paper images to be scanned, edited, colored, textured, or animated by computer.

Tools and technology

AJAX, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple macOS, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk Maya

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Graphic Designers
• Film and Video Editors
• Art Directors
• Video Game Designers
• Producers and Directors
• Desktop Publishers
• Web and Digital Interface Designers
• Photographers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Special Effects Artists and Animators — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.