Tips on Becoming an Animator in Indianapolis, Indiana

The city of Indianapolis, Indiana features nearly a hundred thousand commercial businesses and swarms of resident artists pursuing careers in the field of animation design.  Recent advances in digital technology have multiplied the local demand for professionals in this field.

Indianapolis Schools and Training Programs for Animation

A variety of Indianapolis colleges, Universities and trade schools feature classes and professional training programs in animated film design.  Indianapolis artists earning degrees at local colleges typically study computer science, programming languages, mass media and visual arts.  Popular Indianapolis animation schools include Purdue University, Harrison College, Marian College and University of Indianapolis, among others.

Some Indianapolis artists opt for virtual training and degree programs.  Accredited online animation schools include National University, Academy of Art University, Post University, Full Sail University, DeVry, Stratford Career Institute, University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes and ITT Tech, for instance.  Many cyber design colleges provide supplemental local campuses and resource centers.  University of Phoenix, ITT Tech and The Art Institutes all have locations in Indianapolis.

Working as an Animator in Indianapolis, Indiana

Many commercial businesses in Indianapolis, Indiana recruit professional animation designers.  Local employers hiring animators include online news syndicates, real estate firms, promotional advertisers, product manufacturers, medical schools, software developers and many others.  Some Indianapolis artists land jobs with local animation studios like Beast Animation or Perennial Pictures.  Others work for local film makers who feature their own animation.  Important Indianapolis movie producers include Bowen Technovation, Full Blown Productions, Hammer Motion Pictures, Sanders Group and Stellar Video Productions.  Some local artists are employed by innovative Indianapolis info tech firms specializing in animated design.  Leading Indianapolis IT corporations include N2N Technologies, Pulse Technology, Site Technologies and Slingshot Technologies.

Indianapolis animators employed full time by United States companies earn about $46,500 per year on average.  Artists employed in major metro areas like Indianapolis tend to earn higher incomes than artist with comparable positions in other parts of the state.  

Skills of a Professional Animator

The ideal candidate for employment as an animator is a proactive, self-motivated perfectionist and a dedicated team player, not to mention an exceptionally talented visual artist with an inexplicably clever sense of humor.  Other essential attributes include superb communication skills, excellent attention to detail, ability to meet tight deadlines and calmness under pressure. 

So much for personality.  Let's talk technical skills.  Professional animators are extraordinary illustrators with lots of creative imagination.  They are also adept at producing beautiful, innovative, computer-generated artwork using any of a number of animation-related software programs.  Most professional animators are also skilled at photography, prototyping, set design and storytelling, as well as website design and interactive media.