Interested In Animation? Become An Animation Director Today!

Every army has a general. When it comes to producing something animated, particularly a feature length film, TV series or a hit video game, one needs a small army of specialists to get the project done, both on time and on budget. As for the field general who runs said legion? That's the animation director.

Sometimes called supervising directors, animation directors are responsible for hiring all the personnel that works under them, from the coffee runners to such key positions as designers, story men and even the voice cast. As the title implies they are more supervisor than hands-on, advising their personnel to get the maximum out of each and every one of them. This way they can insure keeping their project consistently on style, on time and on budget.

That isn't all though. The director also is the main conduit between communications from those that control the purse strings on to the various departments under him, whether it's his fellow animators, sound and voice cast, special effects or cameramen (to name just a few). He also must keep in mind that he has to deliver a certain amount of film just about every week as animation is an exceedingly expensive proposition.

Before becoming directors, they usually were experienced animators who then went on to become story men or something similar, and then earning their director's chair. Their professional skills aren't only limited to their technical knowledge though. Top directors are also excellent organizers and have some budgetary know-how.

While most of these directors have a Bachelors of Arts in Animation from a recognized on campus or online college, a large number have comparable degrees such as Fine Arts. From there, they advanced through various animation jobs, even being as low as a runner. No less than John Lasseter, now the head of Disney and Pixar's creative endeavors, likes to brag that his first job at the Magic Kingdom was as a groundskeeper at Disneyland.

The latest development in the position is they must also become used to working with overseas studios. Many top TV projects are initially developed domestically and the grunt work, such as coloring and inbetween work, is then shipped out to countries like South Korea for budgetary reasons. This means an animation director must also be a diplomat and comprehend the work habits of completely different cultures.

In regards to salary, the best thing that can be said is the closer one gets to California, particularly Los Angeles or San Francisco, the better the pay. Professional studies do note the median salary for a young director is about $58,000 a year. If one works on a hit, the sky is the only limit. The job can even pay after it's over thanks to residuals.

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