What You Need to Know to Be an Animator in Sacramento, California

The city of Sacramento, California supports many local artists employed in the field of animation.  About a third of all jobs as animators in America are located in the state of California.  Sacramento is California's sixth largest city, with a population over 466,000 and as many as 75,000 local businesses.

Sacramento Schools and Training Programs for Animation

Universities, colleges and other adult schools in Sacramento, California offer various animation classes and professional degree programs.  Popular Sacramento animation schools include American River College, California State University, Maric College, Sacramento City College and The International Academy of Design and Technology. 

Nowadays, numerous Sacramento art students choose virtual learning programs, enrolling at one of many fully effective, accredited online schools.  Popular online colleges with animation divisions include Full Sail University, Stratford Career Institute, University of Phoenix, National University, The Art Institutes, DeVry and ITT Tech.  Numerous online schools also maintain local resource facilities.  Locations near you include University of Phoenix with campuses in Sacramento, Elk Grove, Roseville and Rancho Cordova.  Also handy are The Art Institute in Sacramento, ITT Tech in Rancho Cordova and National University in Sacramento and Roseville. 

Working as an Animator in Sacramento, California

The city of Sacramento is saturated with businesses in need of local professional animators.  In addition to multimedia entertainment, animation is used by medical facilities, colleges, real estate agents, local government offices, website designers, software developers, advertisers and many others. 

Some Sacramento, California artists work for local animation studios.  Others are employed by local movie producers who create their own animation.  Leading Sacramento movie producers include Firestar Productions, Frame-24-Films, KVIE Video Production, Simz Productions and Trapeze Limited.  Some animators are employed by local information technology firms.  Among the most successful Sacramento info tech firms are Matrix Ingenuity, Noble Image, Steiner Fine Art & Design, Softfile and Sytech Solutions, for example. 

Animators who work for U.S. businesses and live in Sacramento, California report an average annual salary of roughly $75,000, with a mean hourly wage of around $37.00.  In terms of average annual salaries for animation professionals, California is the highest paying state in America.  However, this data only applies to Sacramento animators employed full time at U.S. companies, and does not reflect the unreported wages of part time animators or freelance professionals.     

Skills of a Professional Animator

Professional animation calls for a college degree's worth of technical skills, which is why so many employers require one.  Essential qualifications for successful animated film work include advanced illustrative technique and masterful computer-generated art skills.  Animation software programs currently in widespread use are 3D Studio Max and Toon Boom Digital Pro.  Among the most popular, more affordable varieties are Maya for 3D animation and Toon Boom Studio for flat screen images.  Animated motion picture production can also require web design, interactive media design, programming languages and familiarity with different computer operating systems.  Above all, the key ingredient is genuine artistic talent.