How to Become an Animator in Connecticut

These days, technologically gifted artists all over Connecticut seek jobs as professional animators.  The state of Connecticut offers countless creative options for artists pursuing careers in this lucrative field.

Connecticut Schools and Training Programs for Animation

Quite a few Connecticut colleges, Universities and training centers feature degrees and certificates in animation art.  Animation schools in Connecticut include Paier College of Art in Hamden and Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted.  Connecticut art students earning degrees for animation careers generally major in fine arts, photography or communications design.

Some Connecticut artists earn their degrees online.  An expanding variety of accredited schools offer online training programs in animation design.  Popular favorites include the Academy of Art University, Full Sail University, Stratford Career Institute, University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes, ITT Tech and a few others.  Some online animation schools also offer campus-based study programs.  University of Phoenix has a campus in Fairfield.

Working as an Animator in Connecticut

Businesses throughout the state of Connecticut hire professional animators for assorted reasons.  Many people think of animation in terms of cartoons and video games.  In a great many cases, this is true.  However, animation is also used for clinical diagnostics, legal procedures, forensic science, engineering and educational media, among other things. 

Some Connecticut illustrators work for leading local animation studios like Blue Sky Studios in Greenwich, Lifehouse Productions in Manchester or Meshfolk in Stamford, for example.  Some animators are employed by high-revenue info tech firms specializing in computer graphics.  These include CT Connect Communications in Shelton, CT Web Consulting in Southington and Real Time Applications in Norwalk.  Other Connecticut companies that hire animators include training centers, medical facilities, mobile phone service providers, TV stations, software developers, product manufacturers and more.

Connecticut animators employed full time by businesses in the United States earn, on average, about $62,410 per year, with a mean income of around $30 an hour.  Connecticut ranks fourth among states in terms of average annual income for animators.  However, this data only applies to the 310 Connecticut animation artists known to be employed full time at U.S. companies.  It does not account for the incomes of part time animators, freelance professionals and artists employed by foreign businesses.  

Skills of a Professional Animator

Professional animators are, above all, masterful illustrators.  Their special talent lies not only in the drawing of characters, but in providing these characters with recognizable traits by way of specific visual and motional attributes.  Animators create scenes we can relate to.  Cartoons are funny because in them we recognize our world.  Today's animators are also entirely computer-literate and proficient in all animation-related graphic software.  Other important skills include interactive media, web page design and photography.