The Work of the Game Animator: What You Need to Know

The animator is often called the profession of the future. If the creation of movement in the real world is the prerogative of higher powers, then in the game world these higher powers are precisely the animator. This specialist provides the movement of the drawn objects in 2D or 3D. While playing the game, we can see the results of the animator’s work at every step, from the movement of the main character to the slightest movement of a blade of grass underfoot.

Outsource animation of games is a lively and dynamic world, on the realism of which the perception of the game depends. Let’s talk more about the work of these fantastic specialists.

Industry Guide

When we think of video animation services, most of the time we focus on people animating characters. For some reason, this seems to be the most important for the game. Now try to imagine a game where only the character is mobile. There is no more movement anywhere: clouds, rivers and plants have frozen, shadows do not move, everything has stopped. It’s more like the plot of a bad apocalyptic movie. It’s bad because even the elementary laws of physics and atmospheric phenomena should remain in it.

So what do animators do? Animation services include giving movement to various elements of the game. The division of specialists implies the delegation of responsibilities. Some deal only with characters. Others are concerned with the environment. If you imagine a character who is standing under a tree that sways in the wind, then you can already understand and accept that these two elements were animated by different people.

Before the animator begins his or her work, models of what is to be animated must be completed. This is what designers and modelers do.

The object or props designer creates the concepts and art of the elements that should be present in the animation scene. All items must correspond to the style of the game and not get out of the general atmosphere. After the arts are ready, the modelers start working.

Modelers create 3D models of objects and prepare them for animation. The preparation involves adding a so-called skeleton and connection points so that the model moves realistically according to the laws of physics.

In general, the creation of animation is definitely teamwork that requires serious coordination of the actions of each department. Therefore, the participation of the art director is essential. He or she manages all the experts, distributes their responsibilities, makes corrections, monitors the project’s harmony and deadlines.

Top Animator Skills

Animation video services are very common these days. This is not only the gaming industry but also cinema and advertising. Therefore, the work of a motion specialist is very relevant. What is needed for this?

There are different opinions about the required skills. Some people think that drawing skills are not necessary for 3D animation. Another animation video company will not hire a specialist without an art base.

In fact, this skill is not key for 3D animation, since there are almost always no freehand sketches. But if you want to learn how to draw 2D animation, then drawing skills will come in handy. Quick sketches will help you think through the entire future scene and gradually polish the sequence of shots to get the final result.

The main skill of the animator is the ability to convey realistic movements and facial expressions when it comes to the character. They usually start by mastering the movements. It is more difficult to work with facial expressions: you need to learn how to convey emotions without excessive theatricality or, on the contrary, constraint.

It takes at least six months to learn the basics of animation from scratch. Now, this period is increasing due to the fact that there are more specialists, competition is growing, and studios are asking for more experienced animators.

The career path of an animator starts from trainee to lead animator who is responsible for the entire project.

Conclusion

The work of an animator is painstaking and long-term work, the result of which depends on how much people are devoted to their work. This is immediately apparent with a quick glance: if the animation is so beautiful that you can’t take your eyes off, then it is made with passion and inspiration. Or it is made in Kevuru Games at https://kevurugames.com/game-animation/: there you will find creative animators who will ignite any project with their enthusiasm.