Beginner’s Guide to Animation – How to get started?

Are you passionate towards building a career in animation? Animation is one of the growing careers in the world today along with the rapid technological advancements. This field includes various other specialisations that are of importance on their own.  Animation may seem like an intimidating career because of the prerequisites of it but as you learn from the right place, you will equip the required skills.  Animation courses in Kolkata give you the right amount of knowledge, practical and theoretical skills needed to succeed in the field.  This blog is a detailed guide to animation for aspiring animators on how to get started. Keep reading to find out more!

Let Us Understand Animation 

Animation is a technique in filmmaking that makes still images appear as if they are moving. It acts as the life giver to inanimate objects that are hand drawn or created using specialised software. 

Animation has come a long way from how it began. It has changed from the traditional hand drawn images to advanced 3D graphics and 4D graphics and it continued to grow. 

Fantasmagorie, a French film, was the first hand-drawn animated movie produced in 1908 by Emile Cohl, known as the father of animation. 

What skills should you possess to become an Animator? 

As you have decided to pursue animation as a career, now it is important to identify and align your skills with your aspirations. 

You will first need to develop skills to apply it in the software and get better at it. 

• Art: This is the first important thing that is required in an animator, it is the foundation to your career in animation. Only when you know art, you can put together all the elements to bring out an animation. 
• Creativity: creative thinking, problem solving and Critical thinking are the components of a good animator. 
• Drawing skills: An animator is required to be able to draw well. This makes it easy for you to bring out your imagination in the exact same way you want. 
• Animation Software: There are specialised software or tools developed and techniques developed by professionals to specifically use for animation. The more you learn to navigate these software, the better you will get at the skill.
• Process of animation: Understand the entire process of animation well. These steps teach you how the output can come out as desired. 

Standard Tools and Software used in animation courses  

Here is a list of tools that are commonly in use and easier for beginners to navigate through

• Procreate: User-friendly for sketching and animating on iPads.
• Blender: Free, open-source 3D modelling and animation tool.
• Adobe Animate: Great for creating vector animations.
• Synfig Studio: Open-source software for 2D animations.
• OpenToonz: Free software with professional-quality features.
• Pencil2D: Simple, lightweight for hand-drawn animations.
• Krita: Primarily a digital painting app with animation tools.
• Toon Boom Harmony: Professional-grade animation software.
• Flipbook: Easy-to-use, traditional-style animation tool.

Steps to Get Started 

Enroll yourself in an animation course at Arena Animation, one of the best animation institutes in Kolkata. The course syllabus offered here is comprehensive and equips you with the necessary skills required in the creative industry. 

You will be taught by industry professionals who are highly qualified in the field. 

Besides the animation course, you can also –

• Learn the basics from free resources like YouTube tutorials. 
• Consistent practice helps you in improving your skills. 
• As a beginner, start with simple projects. 
• Take feedback from peers and your trainers. 

Common Challenges in Animation and How to Overcome Them

Planning:

The first challenge in animation is planning your animation. In this stage, you visualise your story, your style and your flow of work. Planning out your storyboard will help you decide your workflow, and organise your scenes avoiding revisions. This also helps in conveying your ideas to others.  

Timing and Spacing:

This is another key challenge in your animation journey. You have to be precise about the timing and spacing of your animation. You should ensure a smooth flow between the movement of your animation, from one scene to the other. Your animation should convey the emotions, personality and mood of your character aptly to enhance the experience. 

Feedback:

Receiving constructive feedback from peers, trainers and professionals can help improve your animation, you learn from them and it helps you identify your mistakes and correct them. This helps you in growing as an animator. Good feedback also helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, address the needs and expectations of your project, and achieve your goals.

Technical Issues:

Sometimes you may face issues with your software, hardware, or data. Having good technical knowledge is the solution. Have your data backed up, organise your project files with the right file names, and use standard software to avoid any technical issues from arising. 

Creativity:

You may not always have ideas ready to implement in your works, which is why, it is good to try out new styles and upgrade yourself, push your boundaries, and experiment with new and innovative trends to stand out from the rest. Keep researching creative works for inspiration and ideas. 

Career Options after an Animation Course:

• Animator: Create animations for various media, bringing characters to life.
• Graphic Designer: Design visual content for digital platforms.
• Storyboarding Artist: Plan visual sequences for films and animations.
• Character Designer: Develop character appearances and styles.
• VFX Artist: Create special effects for movies and TV.
• Game Designer: Design video games, including storylines and mechanics.
• 2D/3D Modeller: Build models for animations and games.
• Compositor: Blend visual elements into cohesive scenes.
• Motion Graphic Artist: Create animated graphics for media.
• Art Director: Guide the visual style of projects.
• Layout Artist: Design backgrounds and scenes for animations.

Best Animation Institute in Kolkata

Arena Animation – one of the best animation training institutes in Kolkata for an animation course, offers a range of other creative courses that suit the industry demands of today. The curriculum offered here covers an expansive syllabus equipping youngsters with the necessary skills to succeed in their choice of career. The animation course is taught by highly skilled professionals in the industry who train the students based on modern trends in technology. Their animation course fee is the most affordable in the city and the placement cell at Arena Animation helps you throughout the job search until you land a successful job.