How to Become an Animator in Birmingham, Alabama

The city of Birmingham, Alabama is brimming with opportunities for local artists seeking employment as professional animators.  Animation design is among the most popular career choices in today's high tech job market.

Birmingham Schools and Training Programs for Animation

Some Universities, colleges and training centers in Birmingham, Alabama offer the skills and degrees needed for professional animated design.  Popular Birmingham art schools with emphasis on animation include Birmingham Southern College, Lawson State Community College, Samford University, Fortis Institute and University of Alabama, among others.  Also available are numerous nationwide accredited online schools like the Academy of Art University, Full Sail University, Stratford Career Institute and quite a few others.  Some animation schools, University of Phoenix for instance, offer a choice of campus-based or online training programs.  University of Phoenix has a campus in Birmingham.

Working as an Animator in Birmingham, Alabama

Different breeds of Birmingham businesses hire animation artists for various reasons.  Animation is created for entertainment, education, diagnostic imaging, law enforcement and engineering, among other things.  Birmingham, Alabama companies that hire animators include schools, hospitals, legal organizations, local government offices, web designers, software developers and more.

Although animation studios exist throughout the United States, many motion picture producers do their own animation.  Successful Birmingham movie makers include Brennan Productions, Sam Warner Productions, Chariot Media, Gale Force Productions and Four Winds Communications, to name a few.  Some animators are employed by info tech firms specializing in computer graphics.  Successful local examples include Infomedia, Kinetic Communications, Magic City Webs and School Insites. 

A full time professional animator employed by a U.S. company in the state of Alabama earns, on average, about $47,400 per year.  The mean hourly wage for a professional animator is around $22.80.  In that respect, Alabama ranks 42nd among states.  However, artists employed in big cities like Birmingham earn more, on average, than similarly employed artists in other parts of Alabama.  Also, this data does not account for the incomes of part time animators or local freelance professionals.  

Skills of a Professional Animator

These days, most animation is digitally produced using sophisticated graphic software programs like 3D Studio Max and Toon Boom Digital Pro.  Professional animators must have solid operating systems abilities and computer graphic skills, in addition to advanced drawing technique and photography.  Other important related skills include set design, web design, programming languages, interactive media and project management potential.