WHAT DOES AN ANIMATOR DO?

Published: May 16, 2025 - The Animator develops dynamic sequences that bring concepts and narratives to life through visual movement. This role focuses on translating scripts and storyboards into polished animations that align with project objectives. The position ensures that each animation maintains high-quality standards while effectively communicating the intended message.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Animator

1. Senior Animator Duties

  • Pose Definition: Defining pose, timing, pacing, and emotional content in the creation of animations
  • Pipeline Execution: Conducting specialized activities in the animation pipeline for assigned game content
  • Animation Development: Effectively uses development software and tools to create movement and style for assigned characters, scenes, interactions, and events
  • Character Rigging: Efficiently rig and skin characters in Maya and 3ds Max
  • Cross-Team Collaboration: Closely working with engineers and the art team to implement animations in-game

2. Animator Details

  • Concept Design: Developing conceptual designs, creating sketches, drawings, and furnishing custom or stock artwork (including electronic artwork)
  • Frame Sequencing: Performing tasks in the production of multiple images called frames, which, when sequenced together, create an illusion of movement
  • Image Production: Producing digital or hand-drawn images, models, or puppets that are two or three-dimensional
  • Healthcare Visualization: Creating images to assist in the development of healthcare-related video and/or film materials in multiple media, to include digital media for the use by the customer
  • Visual Communication: Supporting the development of visual communication for internal and external stakeholders, through the use of illustration, visual arts, page layout, etc.
  • Digital Illustration: Producing hand-drawn and digital images to be used for logo design, periodical design, web design, and signage

3. Animator Responsibilities

  • Visual Animation: Create unique visual animations for all of the brands
  • Platform Adaptation: Work with the production team to develop animations that work across all platforms without sacrificing the impact of the design
  • Concept Pitching: Present ideas and pitch concepts to the design and marketing team
  • Title Animation: Create animations ranging from lower thirds to opening title sequences
  • Motion Graphics: Take pre-made designs and edit the PSD files to create motion graphics

4. Animator Job Summary

  • Team Collaboration: Work with the Art Director and the current animation team
  • Art Style Development: Understand, uphold and develop the Crayta art style within current and upcoming constructs
  • Character Animation: Create and implement quality in-game character and prop animations
  • Interaction Design: Build sets of interactions between characters, props and the game world
  • Technical Adaptation: Work within technical boundaries and restrictions to create animations that work in both a reward system and a UGC context, to a schedule
  • Cross-Team Relationships: Build strong collaborative working relationships with all members of the animation and technical art teams, the wider team, the studio, and the wider Meta organisation
  • Effective Communication: Communicate effectively and build bridges between disciplines and teams

5. Animator Accountabilities

  • App Illustration: Create an illustration to be used in mobile and web apps
  • Marketing Animation: Support the marketing team with animation and explainer videos
  • In-App Animation: Create in-app animations (loading and transitions)
  • Character Design: Design and draw characters and project mascots
  • Game Animation: Create animations for characters and items in Unity, Spine and Autodesk Maya
  • UI Animation: Create animations and effects for UI elements
  • Particle Effects: Create 2D/3D Particle FX in Unity
  • Team Iteration: Work together with the team to envision and iterate on animations

6. Animator Functions

  • Equipment Animation: Bring to life military equipment by rigging and animating for real-world functionality in virtual environments
  • Character Performance: Create realistic, full-body character performances, including facial and lip sync, using a combination of motion capture and key frame animation
  • Engine Integration: Technical setup, integration, and performance optimization of animation assets within Unreal Engine
  • VFX Creation: Design, create, and integrate VFX from start to finish
  • Creative Ideation: Concept, propose, and present creative ideas
  • Cross-Team Implementation: Collaborate with Artists, Designers, and Developers to implement effects
  • Animation Design: Contributing to the design vision in games by producing new animation ideas
  • 2D Graphics: Utilizing 2D graphics including shaders, particle systems, physics, etc.
  • Trend Analysis: Follow and analyze up-to-date animation trends

7. Animator Job Description

  • Video Creation: Create amazing video content (corporate videos, eLearning, marketing demos)
  • Script Analysis: Read scripts and storylines to understand animation requirements
  • Design Presentation: Prepare presentations with raw designs for customers
  • Storyboard Development: Develop storyboards for the initial stages of production
  • Visual Creation: Create models, drawings, and illustrations by hand or electronically
  • Graphic Integration: Join images with background graphics and special effects
  • Audio Syncing: Ensure synchronization of frames and audio
  • Editing Participation: Participate in the editing process, up to video and audio editing

8. Animator Overview

  • Production Leadership: Lead the video production process
  • Content Development: Develop video content for various channels - including on-site, paid social, etc.
  • Marketing Integration: Implement video content to help achieve marketing goals, e.g., brand awareness, product education, etc.
  • Idea Generation: Generate ideas to boost brand visibility
  • Team Coordination: Coordinate with the Marketing team and the Sales team
  • Content Creation: Create original new video content – graphics, animations, videos, and stills
  • Video Editing: Edit video projects including importing and organizing media, shooting and editing footage and sound files
  • Graphics Insertion: Creating and inserting static and motion graphics, adding music/voice-over/SFX to achieve a qualitative output

9. Animator Details and Accountabilities

  • Proposal Development: Develop a technical and cost proposal for the production of animation
  • Asset Delivery: Deliver original artwork and video files
  • Narrative Animation: Narration of situations faced by the transgender community, especially while trying to access essential services
  • Script Preparation: Prepare script and narration for overall animation, explaining step-by-step actions
  • Recording Execution: Capture animation and recording according to the prepared script
  • Finalization Feedback: Finalize the animation according to feedback

10. Animator Tasks

  • Style Consistency: Understand and maintain the animation style of the game
  • Deadline Management: Meet deadlines and vocalise obstacles and needs to the team lead
  • Peer Feedback: Give and receive peer feedback as part of a team
  • Asset Animation: Create charming and believable in-game animations - from the biggest creature to the smallest assets
  • Design Partnership: Partner with designers in their need to create an emotionally engaging world
  • Animation Polishing: Maintain animations through polishing and bug fixing
  • Studio Collaboration: Collaborate in a studio environment and give and receive feedback