How do you become an animator?

Hi! As a motion graphics designer, I design animated sequences for television on a daily basis. It's a challenging field that requires a lot of hard work, but I find it rewarding. Most people who work in the fields of animation, visual effects and motion graphics took classes for it at a university, college, community college or other training program. A good program will be taught by an experienced professional and offer students a foundation in the basic principles of animation and storytelling, as well as technical training in the complex animation software that is used by professional animation studios.

These programs will help you build your first "reel"(a collection of your best work) that will help you get your first job as an animator. In the field of animation your reel is the most important part of your resume. The nice thing about the world of animation is that, even if nobody's ever heard of you or the school you went to, a good reel will get you into the best jobs.

If you aren't ready to enroll in a school you can also begin learning right away via online tutorials offered by places like gnomon workshop, digital tutors, FX Phd, and others. You can also find lots of free tutorials on youtube, vimeo, and through various blogs. While a school is probably the best way to go, some people manage to teach themselves how to be professional animators using just the resources available online. But a good school is definitely a better choice as it gives you a solid foundation, helps you meet other artists and animators, and gives you career guidance that can't be found on youtube.

While I am personally not an animator, when I was about twelve years old, I went to Florida on vacation and took an animation class at Walt Disney World It was awesome and a lot of fun. I would look into Walt Disney World to see the types of jobs they offer for animation. Check out this animation link below:

http://www.disneyanimation.com/careers

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions!

There are some great books out there that will give you an in-depth look into the principles of animation. These two are usually on many animators' book shelf.

The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas.

The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams