How to Become an Animator in Nashville, Tennessee

The city of Nashville, Tennessee takes great pride in its thriving musical entertainment industry and strong local economy featuring well over 62,000 commercial businesses.  Artists all over Nashville are lately pursuing careers in animation, which is today's fastest-growing visual arts profession.

Nashville Schools and Training Programs for Animation

Numerous Nashville Universities, colleges and other educational facilities offer courses and degree programs in animated film production.  Respected Nashville design colleges include Belmont University, Lipscomb University, Strayer University, Tennessee State University and the International Academy of Design and Technology.

Many aspiring Nashville animators acquire technical skills and earn professional degrees online.  Prolific accredited virtual art colleges include University of Phoenix, ITT Tech, The Art Institutes, DeVry and Stratford Career Institute.  Many online design colleges also include local campuses and resource centers.  ITT Tech, University of Phoenix and The Art Institute all have physical locations in Nashville.

Working as an Animator in Nashville, Tennessee

Businesses all over Nashville, Tennessee recruit local animation artists. Animators produce interactive games, mobile apps, cartoons, websites, advertisements, medical animation and many other things.  Some Nashville artists work at local animation studios like Dream Works, Fivestone Studios, In Visible or Magnetic Dreams Animation.  Others work with local film producers who feature their own animation.  Noteworthy Nashville movie makers include 44-Production Designs, Crew One Productions, MVP Creative, Ryder-&-Greater-Logistics and Zoe Creative Service.  Some Nashville animators are employed by local info tech firms like Computer Sciences Corporation, Emdeon, Emma Incorporated, HCA Information Services and Qualifax Systems. 

According to data recently collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full time animators residing in Nashville, Tennessee earn, on average, about $52,500 per year, with a mean hourly wage of around $25.25.  Animation professionals in metropolitan areas like Nashville tend to earn slightly higher incomes than animators similarly employed in less populated areas.  

Skills of a Professional Animator

Animation artists are experienced illustrators with a knack for storytelling.  Their particular brand of imaginative genius allows them to create compelling story lines featuring expressive characters to whom we can all relate.  The best professional animators can make us all relate to anything you can possibly name, even a burger-flipping, pants-wearing synthetic kitchen sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea, and has a pet snail that meows. 

Animators are also innovative digital artists, entirely proficient in all relevant software design programs.  Other important animated production skills include photography, web editing and interactive game design.  Among the most preferred personal characteristics of professional animators are advanced communication skills and intense self-motivation, not to mention a playfully sly sense of humor.