Character Animator Job Description: Salary, Skills & Career Paths

What does a character animator do?

A character animator is a specialization of a 3D animator. They breathe life into 3D characters, adding nuance and personality through their movements, gestures, facial expressions, and how they interact (and react) with their environment and other characters.

The movements and trajectories created by an animator are inputted into relevant software as mathematical equations which are then rendered via a graphics processing unit that outputs the final animation in a 'playblast'. This is then reviewed by supervisors, directors, and clients for approval.

Character animator job description

A character animator's role is to produce believable, engaging, and relatable animations — taking rigged 3D characters and instilling ‘humanity’ through expression, pose, body language, etc to evoke empathy in the audience or player. These can be humans, animals, machines (Cars), robots (WALL-E), insects (Bug’s Life), etc.

This role requires a strong understanding of acting and human and animal anatomy to create believable, empathetic characters. Character animators often also use motion capture, or act out the scenes themselves to camera, to replicate human movement. Character animators can work on films, TV shows, advertising, and video games.

Role & responsibilities of a character animator in film and games:

'Breathing life' into 3D rigged character models
Researching visual style, genre, and technologies to produce each individual project
Applying motion capture to enhance performances
Identifying key scenes and sequences
Transforming storyboards into animated sequences
Managing files, animation libraries, and updating procedures documentation
Integrating sound and syncing dialogue

Skills required to become a character animator

This role is highly specialized and not usually an entry-level animation job. Consider taking an animation course to learn the skills you need to get started as a 3D animator, then narrow your focus once you've built up some experience and high-quality character animation work to show potential employers.

Film and game studios may look for the following skills in character animators:

Ability to visualize 3D iterations of two-dimensional storyboards and artwork
Great instinct for timing, movement, and editing cuts
Highly experienced working with 3D models and rigs (provided by 3d modelers and riggers, respectively)
Understanding of acting techniques, cinematography, and visual storytelling
Understanding of anatomy, how limbs move, the effect of weight, and the behavior of skin and flesh
Knowledge of film and animation genres, and ability to work within these styles
Advanced concept of visual language - perspective, point of view, proportion, color, composition, framing, etc.
Working knowledge of the laws of physics - gravity, acceleration, and the laws of energy

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Maya is a comprehensive 3D animation software used for creating detailed models, animations, and visual effects. It's popular in film, TV, and game development for its powerful tools.

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3ds Max is a professional 3D computer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment.

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MotionBuilder is a 3D character animation software produced by Autodesk. It is used for virtual cinematography, motion capture, and traditional keyframe animation.

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Unreal Engine is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter video game Unreal

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Substance Painter: The tools you need to texture your 3D assets, from advanced brushes to Smart Materials.

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LightWave 3D is a 3D computer graphics program developed by LightWave Digital. It has been used in films, television, motion graphics, digital matte painting, visual effects & more

A day in the life of a Character animator

The daily responsibilities of an animator vary depending on the type of job you are working on. As with every other step in the pipeline, once you receive your assignment, research is key. For example, Disney artists working on the film Zootopia spent time at animal wildlife reserves studying the behavior and movements of the animals in person. Following research, the artist then decides what techniques to use and starts blocking out the main poses of the object they're working on. Techniques include things like placing keyframes and choosing between IK and FK, which are different ways to have the bones move when animating. The main poses will include the starting pose, ending pose, and some poses in between. Once these poses are in place, the artist gets feedback from a supervisor and moves forward with perfecting the movements of their model.

An animator’s responsibilities vary due to company size. Smaller companies may be more likely to hire artists that also have the ability to rig models. The company saves time and money by having one person do both tasks. A larger company may hire specialized artists who focus on one specific task so that when more high-profile projects come through, they are handled as efficiently as possible.

Zootopia Progression Reel from Shaofu Zhang on Vimeo.

How to become a character Animator

Practice makes perfect. When you are first learning, it takes some time to get your animations as smooth and precise as you would like. Repetition will eventually make the tedious aspects quick and natural, which will then let you focus on the more in-depth nuances and personality of your animations.

Download some free rigged models (such as this free tiger rig) and practice animating characters, vehicles, and moving props. This will give you a reference as to how to work with soft vs hard objects as well.

As mentioned before, research is key. Prepare yourself for a career in this field by spending time gaining knowledge of:

The motion of humans, bipedal creatures, quadruped creatures, and animals
Facial movement and portraying different moods
Mechanical design
Mechanical operations
Weight and physics

As technology improves, artists are expected to understand how motion capture works. Once the motion capture data is imported, animators will often have to tweak the keyframes to perfect the facial and body movements of the character.

One recent example of a successful use of motion capture tools is War of the Planet of the Apes. The actors who played the apes wore motion-capture suits, which were filmed by a series of cameras. The data was then sent to animators who made creative choices to enhance the personalities of the 3D modeled apes that would replace the actors. This process is becoming more commonplace by the day in both the film and games industries.

Get the skills

Check out job ads at companies you want to work for—see the skills they’re hiring for, then build your skills! There are many courses with varying levels of support and interaction. To fast-track your education, CG Spectrum’s career training includes personalized mentorship from industry professionals so you can progress faster as an animator, and a specialized curriculum updated regularly to reflect industry standards.

Stay ahead of trends

Google online tutorials, webinars, conferences, publications, and local events to stay on top of trends and keep your skills fresh.

Animate you own projects

The best way to understand the nuances of animation is to create your own short projects. This helps showcase your skills and knowledge to potential recruiters.

Tips to break into the animation industry

Spend as much time as you can on your best pieces of work. Pick a few and perfect them the best you can for your 3D animation portfolio or demo reel. Show versatility in the types of animations you complete, and demonstrate your ability to portray true emotions through facial animation and accurately emulate weight and physics.

Use the networking opportunities available to animation artists to build up your contacts. This can be one of the best ways to get a job. Searching online, you can find many industry meetups and events, which often include guest speakers like professional artists and software creators. The knowledge gained by listening to these types of guest speakers talk about their personal experiences is irreplaceable.

Participate in competitions

Animation competitions are a great way to gain experience, and you’ll often get access to a rigged and modeled asset to practice. Use the final product in your portfolio. CG Spectrum runs regular challenges for students to practice working to a brief and a deadline.

Engage with communities

Building connections online is vital to getting your name and skills recognized and is a chance to interact with industry professionals who can offer advice or jobs.

Collaborate with peers

Do you know a modeler looking for someone to bring their latest asset to life? Or a lighting artist who’d love an animation scene to render? Collaborating with peers can be fun, and help you both create polished work for your portfolios.

Intern with a studio

Getting an internship with an animation company you want to work for is a way to get your foot in the door. This option is not viable for everyone, but can be an excellent way of gaining hands-on experience while networking at the same time.

Industry Pathways

Mark Pullyblank, Department Head of 3D Animation at CG Spectrum, shares how he broke into the industry later in life, and what strategies he used to quickly move forward in his career. This episode is chock-full of actionable tips for artists starting out in the industry - don't miss it!

Character Animator

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What does a character animator do?