How to Become an Animator (High School Version) [1, 1 ed.]

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How to Become an Animator

High school students version (*only

high school students version is available)

Hello everyone, my name is Kamimura and I am an animator. Today we will discuss "how to become an animator" for high school students who want to become animators. I thought it would be easiest to talk about it, so I will talk about it for high school students here. If you are not a high school student, please read it in the proper context.

1) When will you become an animator? (2) What steps do you take to become an animator? 3) What skills are needed to become an animator? (4) Appendix: Life of a New Animator The above three items will be explained in order, but let us discuss the following two things as prerequisites for the explanation. About the work of an animator. About the direction and suitability of the product. first (of all)

[About the job of an animator]. Basically, I am a painter. The job is to draw movement with pictures. Working hours are relatively long and days off are few. However, this is normal in the film industry, whether animation or live-action, and there are many other types of jobs in the office that are more demanding. Therefore, it is not necessarily more demanding than other jobs in society. Because you are only at a desk, it is physically easier than a job that requires you to move around all day. The low hourly wage is also often said to be low. For the first three months or so, the wage is about 30,000 yen per month even if you work hard, and until the second year or so, it is about 100,000 yen per month at best, which is less than a part-time job or a part-time job when converted to an hourly wage. However, at the moment, there is probably only an abundance of work for animators. Therefore, it is possible to increase monthly income by increasing working hours, even if the hourly rate is low. -1 1 -1

In addition, if you can expect to improve your skills, you can expect some increase in income. In the case of animators, there is a clear connection between these two, and they are better off than those whose skills do not translate into income.

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However, a stable, high income and a middle-class lifestyle are not expected in most cases. Be prepared for the fact that many animators barely make ends meet. next

[About the suitability...] Being an animator is a very interesting job. However, like all interesting jobs, it is also quite tedious. Therefore, it is suitable for people who find animation interesting, including the hassle, or so much so that they do not even notice the hassle. I think the basic idea is that you like animation and you like to draw. If you don't have this, it is impossible. It is unbearable. It may not be a bad job for those who are happy as long as they are painting. However, in addition to drawing, animators have to learn a lot of logic and mechanics, so if you don't like all the subjects in school, you are probably not suited for this job. It is better to have someone who is interesting and interested in just some part of any of the subjects. This concludes the preliminaries and now we come to the main topic. Let's start with item (1) above.

(1) When will you become an animator? This text is intended for high school students, but since some of you may be in your third day of high school, we would like to discuss the pros and cons of becoming an animator right after completing compulsory education. Can I become an animator right after compulsory education (at age 15)? Please don't do this to the 99.9% of you; that's up to 999 out of 1,000. If you are independent, have basic living skills, are smart enough not to get caught by catchsalesmen in Shibuya, and have outstanding drawing ability, then we can help you, You can be an animator at the age of 15. And if you are this good, there is no need to go to high school. There are rare people like this. But again, you are one in a thousand. Unless you are sure you are one of them, you should not do it. For now, wait until you graduate from high school (turn 18). Animation is also a job, after all, and it would be difficult for most 15-year-olds today. He became an animator after graduating from high school. You may do this if you pass the animator hiring exam for each animation company. If you pass the exam, you are considered to have reached the level of drawing ability at the age of 18.

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The following is a summary of the results of the study. Even if you become an animator right now, you may be able to make it work. If you do not become an animator right after high school, there are roughly five options (i) Go to a university or other advanced school 2) Go to animation school (iii) Get another job. 4) Become a freelancer (5) Nothing to do. (v) Do nothing, go on a trip, etc. Let's consider them one at a time. (i)

Go to college or other advanced school The best recommendation is this. If there is a college that you can get into, and financial

and other circumstances permit, going to a four-year college is the most advantageous choice. In this case, it is not necessary to limit yourself to arts colleges. I will graduate and become an animator when I am about 22 years old. This is the time when they are reasonably wise and have a good grasp of things. You have been studying for 4 years at university, so your mind is already sharp. If you learn animation at that rate, you will be able to learn quickly. There are many other advantages to choosing a four-year college, but I won't go into them. I am sure you can understand most of them. This is not a bad choice. However, please keep in mind that you do not need to go to an animation school just to become an animator. About half of all new animators do not go to animation school. Especially for major companies, whether or not you have graduated from a technical college is not taken into consideration at all. The knowledge you get from animation school can be learned in a month if you are on the job. Whether or not you went to a technical school is irrelevant to the skills you will acquire once you are on the job! I'm not sure. However, some small production companies only hire newcomers who have graduated from animation schools. This is for the very unfortunate reason that they do not want to go through the trouble of teaching. For those who pass the employment exam for animators upon graduation from high school, becoming a professional animator as-is is by far better than going to a vocational school (not even comparable), but each individual has his/her own circumstances, and if you are not sure about getting a job at 18, going to a vocational school is a good option. There are two ways to use an animation school. One is -1 4 -1

as a preparatory school for those who are not strong enough.

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The other is as a place to gather information for those from rural areas where information on the animation industry does not reach. I think these two points are of great value. Is it also attractive that anyone can enter and the tuition is not so high? However, animation schools are various types of schools. It will not add to your educational background, and you should be prepared to have a very limited range of career options if you do not become an animator in the future. (iii) Get another job. Those who have taken other jobs for various reasons may change their jobs to become animators whenever they see an opportunity. If you take your current job seriously, you can make use of that experience after you become an animator, and it is also a great way to save money. 4) Become a freelancer On the assumption that you are going to become an animator, please go to an animation school rather than becoming a freelancer. It is still more advantageous. (5) I don't do anything. (v) Do nothing. Now let's move on. Become an animator after graduating from an animation school or university. If you can become an animator, it is unlikely that you will not be hired by any company at this point. Even if the company is not the one you want to work for, you should become an animator at this point. The difference of one year from this point on is huge, so be careful not to go to an animation college after college, or not to work for a while after graduating from a technical college, as this is just a waste of time. In particular, you should not go to a vocational school after graduating from a four-year college, as some companies will not hire anyone after the age of 25, and any company would rather hire a 22-year-old than a 24-year-old with the same level of competence. The reason is that a person two years younger can work two years longer, and a 22-yearold will certainly be better at it after two years than he is now. If you have been out of school for a long time, be prepared to be asked, "What have you been doing in the meantime? If you have blanked out after graduating from a vocational school, be prepared to be asked, "What did you do during that time? They may wonder if you have no intention of working.

(2) What is the procedure for becoming an animator? -1 6 -1

The story is quite simple: take all the employment exams for animation production companies and production companies you can find. At this point, remember that if you aim for three or four companies, or even a highly competitive one, you may not be able to get a good deal. Don't worry if you fail the exam of about 7 or 8 companies. You really don't have to worry about it. Now, regarding the employment examinations for animation companies, there is one thing to keep in mind for animation school students. Many schools only allow students to take the exam for one company at a time. If they fail it, they will be instructed that they can apply to the next company. This system is used to assign students to companies in order to increase the overall employment rate. Since the recruitment examinations of major animation production companies are concentrated within a month or two, this system allows you to take the examinations of only one major animation production company. Looking at the results of employment examinations of major companies, some applicants failed the screening process at one company but were hired at another. It depends on the company's situation at the time. Therefore, if you want to be accepted by many major companies, it is more advantageous if you are not from an animation school. Personally, I think this "student sequential allocation system" of vocational schools is a disadvantageous system for the best students. Therefore, I would like those who wish to accept many major production companies to do so freely at their own discretion. There is no reason to shy away from school because your future is at stake. If you are accepted by more than one company, it would be a great way to promote the school and in return, you would be praised. If you are not accepted by one of the major animation production companies after the examinations are over, then you should try all the other production companies you wish to work for. If you are a student at an animation school or a university animation department, you should have plenty of information, and if you are not, you can find comparable information on the Web. Non-large production companies are relatively flexible in their hiring process, so they may look at your work even after the examination date has ended. If the work is good, they may offer a special additional examination. Do not give up and contact them. If your drawing skills are up to the level of becoming an animator, there is no way that you won't get stuck somewhere in this. You will be fine. By the way, there is the question of which company to choose. Especially for high school -1 7 -1

students and those living in rural areas. Let's discuss these points in the order of recommendation. Recommendation #1: Major production companies There are actually not that many companies called "production companies. Production companies are,

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This is a company that submits a project to a TV station on its own, handles the entire process in-house, and delivers the completed work to the TV station. When watching animated TV programs, the production company is the one whose name appears at the end of the message, such as "Production" or "Production" by Toei Animation, Inc. or Sunrise Co. These are usually large companies. Also, most large companies are members of an industry organization called the "Video Association of Japan," so please refer to its website. We recommend that you first apply to these large production companies. The reasons are as follows The students will be able to study the entire animation production process. This is very advantageous. I can listen to people from many different professions. You can see a large number of drawings by excellent animators. We are always working on multiple pieces of work, which allows us to study a wide range of subjects. The treatment is relatively stable. The production supervisor is the top animator on the production. When you look up a work on the Web or elsewhere, you will find the name of the animation director or chief animation director. If you search for an animator, you will find the name of the production company to which the animator belongs. Apply there. Recommendation #3 The rest depends on your preferences and intuition. Even if you are a bit vague, you can get an idea of the atmosphere by visiting the production company. You can choose the one you like best. As a side note, all companies of a certain size are web-based for both recruitment and application. It is hard to believe that today's college and high school students are not proficient in using the Internet, but we live in an age when it is impossible to obtain recruiting information outside of the Web.

3) What skills are needed to become an animator? There is an American animation company called Walt Disney (not its official name) that makes feature-length animated films. There animator application guidelines "Walt Disney Feature Animation". In one set of documents with a very long name written in katakana, "Traditional Portfolio Submission Form," there is a sheet that says, "Applicants for animator positions are expected -1 9 -1

to have the following competencies.

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(These documents are from the last period of Disney Feature hand-drawn animation. Feature told me that if I told them I wanted to apply, they would send me this type of application form. If you want to apply, please call the US. (However, you can apply, but this company has an unusually high acceptance line, which is not comparable to major Japanese animation companies.) I'm sure you have a list of demands, so let's lay them out roughly. People who apply to be animators are Must be able to draw clear and convincing characters in pencil. Advanced line drawing skills. Mastery of the structure of a moving animal or person. The ability to express not only the appearance of a character, but also emotions and situations through pictures. The student should have an understanding of the anatomical structures of animals and human beings. An understanding of the perspective is also essential. Ability to depict pictorial compositions and architectural studies. Must understand film terminology. The ability to understand and describe the substance of the natural world and physical phenomena (rain, fire, water, etc.). ∙ Vigorous curiosity and inquisitiveness. Other. It must be exhausting just reading it (laughs). But please rest assured that no one in Japan has such high expectations of you who want to become animators. Apart from the interview, you will be asked to demonstrate almost exclusively your drawing ability in the hiring process. Don't think of it as "clear and compelling drawing ability." The point is that you just have to be good at drawing. Therefore, everyone who wants to become an animator should draw a lot of pictures and become good at it. Although anatomical structures and perspective will eventually become necessary, Japan's system for training new animators is to hire those who lack the necessary skills and gradually develop their careers on the job. You can study after you become an animator. First, the ability to draw the human figure. If you have the time and interest, it is also useful to touch the basics of anatomical structures and perspective. That is all. I wish you all the best.

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(4) Appendix: Life of a New Animator The Situation Surrounding Animators In the text, the wage for the first three months or so for a new animator is about 30,000 yen per month, even if he does his best.

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introduced the project. This is not a special case, but rather a typical example of what happens to many people who become animators under a form of employment known as "full piece rate" (kanzen dekidaka). No matter how talented and gifted you are, this is what happens when you are suddenly asked to produce "work-ready drawings. If the monthly wage is 30,000 yen, we must say that new animators no longer have a viable profession. The reason for this is that the unit price and production budget are not commensurate with the content of the work. The price of animation should be at least three times what it is now. Compared to the starting salaries of 170,000 yen for high school graduates and 220,000 yen for college graduates, which are the starting salaries in general in society, this is abnormal as an occupational type by any measure. I believe that today's hand-drawn animation is made at the expense of young people who say, "I want to do this job even if it is cheap because I like it. It is out of the scope of this book to discuss the causes of this situation, but I would like everyone who wants to become an animator to be aware of the reality of this situation and take measures to deal with it. I am very sorry to hear about your financial difficulties, because you will never be able to get over them without taking measures. I know this is a lot of hardship for those of you who are thinking about becoming animators, but I hope that you will still be able to fulfill your dreams. Employment Status of Animators Most animators work in what is known as "full piecework" employment. (Full piecework is usually referred to as "subcontracting" rather than "employment," but the employment status is "employment," so don't worry about how the term is used. However, many production companies provide a fixed salary to new employees as a living supplement, because they feel it would be a pity to do so when they are new, and also because they may not earn any income at all. You can assume that the amount of the fixed salary is proportional to the size of the company. Company A, 150,000 yen for 6 months Company B, 70,000 yen for 6 months Company C, 50,000 yen for 6 months Company D, 20,000 yen for 3 months Try to get into a production company with a certain amount of name recognition, even if it is only 30,000, that offers an additional fixed salary. -1 13 1

Some companies with unknown names may offer a fixed salary of 150,000 yen for a new animator, but this is often a very difficult working environment. We recommend that you visit the company at least once and check the atmosphere with your own eyes and senses.

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Measures to address low wages If you do not get into a company that offers a fixed salary (and there should be more companies that do not), it is absolutely impossible to live on wages alone for the first year. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to prepare for this from the beginning. Kamimura recommends the following two 1. Have them send money home. 2. Save money. That's not very personal. I am sorry. But this is the only way. It is safe to prepare both 1 and 2. first (of all) 1. Have them send money home. I have written the same thing in the Q & A page, so I have brought it here as it is. The following is the same information. Parents want their children to "struggle a little and grow as human beings," but they do not want them to struggle so much that they have trouble making enough money to eat and their health suffers, so if you explain the situation and ask them, they will send you money with the "intention of giving you one more year of school. It may be difficult for them to understand that you need to send money even though you have found a job, but explain that it is normal for animators to not have enough income for the first year or so, since they are not employed but are almost like apprentices. If you can't explain it well, have them read it here. next 2. Save money. While you are in school, save as much money as you can. You may think you don't have time for this, but as you will find out when you work, the time when you are in school is the busiest time in your life. Whether you have 50,000 yen or 100,000 yen, it makes all the difference whether you have it or not. The reason why even powerful people quit is because they can't keep up with their living expenses. I often regret that if they could endure for another half year, they would be able to make a living with their abilities. It is such a waste that they quit because of that.

How to Become an Animator Ver. 3.0]

January 2017

How to Become an Animator Ver. 2.0]

March 2008 -1 15 1

How to Become an Animator Ver.1.1]

September 2005

©Kamimura Sachiko 2017 http://animatorweb.jp

Animator Web

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