Multimedia Artists and Animators
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications > Visual ArtsProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Considerable Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Create special effects, animation, or other visual images using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products or creations, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
Common job titles of Multimedia Artists and Animators include:
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Experience and Education
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this occupation. For example, a person in this occupation must complete four years of college and work for several years in industry to be considered qualified.
52.75% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
39.68% said they needed a Some College Courses.
Tasks
Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
Assemble, typeset, scan, and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.
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.
Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
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.
Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.
Create and install special effects as required by the script, mixing chemicals and fabricating needed parts from wood, metal, plaster, and clay.
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.
Use models to simulate the behavior of animated objects in the finished sequence.
Create pen-and-paper images to be scanned, edited, colored, textured, or animated by computer.
Tools
Personal computers
Panoramic digital cameras
Digital pens
Digital paper
Technologies
Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Cloud
Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
AJAX
Apple macOS
Autodesk 3ds Max Design
All TechnologiesAutodesk Alias Design
Autodesk Alias Surface
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D
C++
Cascading Style Sheets CSS
Drupal
Extensible markup language XML
Hypertext markup language HTML
JavaScript
jQuery
Python
solidThinking
Trimble SketchUp Pro
UNIX
YouTube
Ability Photopaint
ACD Systems Canvas
Adobe Systems Adobe ActionScript
Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects
Adobe Systems Adobe AIR
Adobe Systems Adobe Director
Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver
Adobe Systems Adobe Fireworks
Adobe Systems Adobe Flash
Adobe Systems Adobe Flash Lite
Adobe Systems Adobe Flex
Adobe Systems Adobe FreeHand MX
Adobe Systems Adobe ImageReady
Adobe Systems Adobe Premiere Pro
Adobe Systems Adobe Shockwave Player
Adobe Systems AdobeMlashMX
Ambient Design ArtRage
Apple DrawBerry
Apple Final Cut Pro
Aqsis Renderer
Autodesk Combustion
Autodesk Maya
Autodesk MotionBuilder
Autodesk Mudbox
Autodesk SketchBook Pro
Autodesk SoftImage
AutoDesSys form Z
AutoQ3D
Blender software
Bohemian Coding DrawIt
Bunkspeed HyperDrive
Bunkspeed HyperMove
C
Caligari Corporation trueSpace
Celsys RETAS
Chaos Group V-Ray
Character Studio
Cheetah3D
Code libraries
Component libraries
Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
Corel Painter
Crytek CryEngine
Cybermotion 3D Designer
DAZ Productions Bryce
DAZ Productions Carrara
DX Studio
Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML
e-on software Vue
Electric Rain Swift 3D Xpress
Extensible HyperText Markup Language XHTML
Freeverse Lineform
HASH Animation:Master
Indigo Renderer
Inivis AC3D
Luxology Modo
Luxrender
MagicTracer
Massive Jet
Maxon BodyPaint 3D
MAXON CINEMA 4D
MaxScript
Maxwell Render
Maya Embedded Language MEL
Mental Images Mental Ray
Microsoft Expression Design
Microsoft Silverlight
Nevercenter Silo
NewTek Lightwave 3D
NodeBox
NVDIA Gelato
Object-oriented programming languages
Pixar RenderMan Studio
Pixarra TwistedBrush
Pixelmator
Pixologic Zbrush
Quad Software Grome
Quark Xpress
RealFlow
Satori Paint
Serif DrawPlus
Side Effects Software Houdini
sK1
Skencil
SmithMicro Anime Studio
SmithMicro Manga Studio
SmithMicro SoftwarePoser
SplutterFish Brazil
Sunflow Render System
TechSmith Camtasia
Three-dimensional graphics software
Trapcode Particular
Two-dimensional graphics software
Unreal Technology Unreal Engine
VectorDesigner
Xara Xtreme
XML User Interface XUI
Skills
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Abilities
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Cognitive Abilities › Spatial Abilities › Visualization
See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Near Vision
Match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
Sensory Abilities › Visual Abilities › Visual Color Discrimination
Come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Originality
Come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Fluency of Ideas