Stephen King once said that getting paid to do what you love is like having a license to steal. If you’re lucky enough to get paid well then you walk around in a daze, unable to believe that people are actually paying you to do what you do.
For most people, they never get to this point. But if you love to draw and you want a life like this, then you should seriously consider getting a computer animation associate degree.
People in the computer animation field have fun, and they get paid well to do what they love. Sounds like a pretty great situation, right? Sure it does. Well, if you’re intrigued then read on. It gets better.
If you decide to get your computer animation associate degree, you’re going to take classes that many of us only get to dream about. You’ll get to learn how to work with 2D and 3D images, and learn programs like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premier, and Quicktime. You’ll learn production for graphic design, how to navigate the film industry, the basics of good drawing and design, digital video production, and how to turn your drawings into computer animation. Going to school for a computer animation associate degree is like having playtime all the time. If you’re a creative person, it’s like a dream come true.
The key thing about this industry is that you must have a portfolio to even have a chance of getting a great job. By getting your associate degree in computer animation you’ll get to develop one, which means when you’re done with school you’ll have something to hand to potential employers that will showcase your skills. That portfolio is worth its weight in gold, and without the knowledge and skills you’ll learn in school it will be almost impossible to create one on your own.
Another great thing about the computer animation field is that animators are paid pretty well for what they do. According the Department of Labor and Statistics, the median income for animators is around $50,000 per year. The highest paid animators earn $94,000 or more, and you can probably guess that if you can get into one of the movie or production studios you’ll be set to make a great living in this fun field. Wouldn’t it be amazing to go see a movie on the big screen that you helped create?
Plus, the field isn’t just for movie buffs. With the continual rise of computer games, the computer animation field is projected to rise faster than many other industries. Yes, competition is fierce, which is why you must pursue a formal education. With a computer animation associate degree you’ll have that chance, as well as the opportunity to start developing that all important portfolio.
If you love to draw and have an interest in computers, then a computer animation associate degree might be the perfect choice for you. It’s definitely a fun field to be in, and if you get your degree then “work” won’t seem like work at all!