Tips on Becoming an Animator in Jacksonville, Florida

The city of Jacksonville, Florida is rich with opportunities in the field of professional animation.  With as many as a hundred thousand commercial businesses, Jacksonville is home to many fine artists pursuing successful careers in animation arts.

Jacksonville Schools and Training Programs for Animation

Colleges, Universities and training centers in Jacksonville, Florida offer an assortment of classes and certifications for professional animation design.  Jacksonville artists acquiring these skills typically attend local accredited design colleges like Florida Community College, Jacksonville University, Sanford-Brown and Fortis Institute.  Art students studying animation at Jacksonville art schools typically major in film photography or communications design.

Some Jacksonville artists learn the tricks of the trade at virtual animation colleges.  Accredited schools offering online training programs for aspiring professional animators include the Academy of Art University, Full Sail University, Stratford Career Institute, DeVry, University of Phoenix, The Art Institutes and ITT Tech.  Some cyber art schools supplement their educational offerings with local campuses and resource centers near you.  No, seriously, they know where you live.  The Art Institutes, University of Phoenix and ITT Tech all have campuses in Jacksonville.

Working as an Animator in Jacksonville, Florida

Hundreds of Jacksonville corporations hire local professional animators for many assorted purposes.  Jacksonville businesses in need of animators include software developers and TV producers, as well as advertisers, colleges, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, TV stations, online news syndicates, web designers and more.  Some Jacksonville artists work for local animation studios.  Others join local movie production companies that feature their own animation.  Merit-worthy Jacksonville film producers include Ring Productions, Video Law Service, Red-E Productions, NlightN and Tiger Lily Media.  Some animators are employed by graphics-based Jacksonville info tech firms.  High-revenue examples include Customer-Does-Nothing-Technologies, Fidelity-Information-Service, Intuition-Systems, TC-Delivers and Link-Bright-Technology. 

Full time Jacksonville animators employed by U.S. companies earn, on average, about $55,000 per year.  The mean statewide hourly wage for a professional animator in Florida is around $26.50.  However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides no info regarding the incomes of part time animators, freelance artists and Jacksonville professionals employed by foreign businesses.  

Skills of a Professional Animator

Important qualifications for professional animated film work include superb illustrative technique, digital graphic expertise, solid photography skills, web page design and interactive media.  Most professional animators are also fluent in one or more programming languages and proficient with many computer operating systems.  The personal trait most preferred by employers is project management potential.  Employers seek talented, independent multitasking perfectionists, familiar with every aspect of animated film production.