Animation Director - Career Profile | Animation Career Review

What Does an Animation Director Do? Where Does an Animation Director Work? ACR Takes a Look.

Top Schools for Animation
College	City	State
Brigham Young University	Provo	Utah
California Institute of the Arts	Valencia	California
Cleveland Institute of Art	Cleveland	Ohio
DePaul University	Chicago	Illinois
DigiPen Institute of Technology	Redmond	Washington
Kansas City Art Institute	Kansas City	Missouri
Loyola Marymount University	Los Angeles	California
Minneapolis College of Design	Minneapolis	Minnesota
Pratt Institute	Brooklyn	New York
Purdue University	West Lafayette	Indiana
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy	New York
Rhode Island School of Design	Providence	Rhode Island
Ringling College of Art and Design	Sarasota	Florida
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester	New York
San Jose State University	San Jose	California
Savannah College of Art and Design	Savannah	Georgia
School of Visual Arts	New York	New York
The DAVE School	Orlando	Florida
The Ohio State University	Columbus	Ohio
University of California Los Angeles	Los Angeles	California
University of South Florida	Tampa	Florida
University of Washington	Seattle	Washington

What Does an Animation Director Do?

Animation directors recruit and coordinate animation teams. They lead each team from the beginning to the end of an animated film production. Animation directors typically have years of experience in the art and animation industries. For this reason, among others, animation directors are the most sought after professionals in the entertainment industry.

In addition to recruiting, coordinating and managing animation teams, animation directors work with the director (the person managing the production overall) by interpreting briefs and communicating them to the animation team. During the production process, animation directors review all work produced by animators and assistants. They answer to the production department on longer projects regarding schedule, budget, and output.

It is the animation director’s job to make sure the creative desires and production requirements are met, which means, the animation director must be able to negotiate with both departments to reach the best agreement for the good of the production.

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Where Do Animation Directors Work?

Animation directors work in a variety of settings such as animation studios, television production studios, film production studios, gaming companies, and advertising agencies. Some animation directors work on a project-to-project basis as independent contractors. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the largest employers of animation directors (producers and directors) are:

Motion picture and video industries, 30%
Radio and television broadcasting, 20%
Self-employed workers, 16%
Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries, 8%
Advertising, public relations, and related services, 6%

Most animation directors can also be found in five states including New York, California, Florida, Texas, and Georgia.

Other Animation Schools to Consider:

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Full Sail University

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Winter Park, FL & Online

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Animation Career Review Rankings:

Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2024
Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#12) - 2024
Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#36) - 2024

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Southern New Hampshire University

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Online

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Animation Career Review Rankings:

Top 50 Private Graphic Design Schools in the US (#46) - 2024

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Image Campus

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Buenos Aires, Argentina & Online

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Animation Career Review Rankings:

Top 25 International Animation Schools - 2024 (#23)

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CG Spectrum College of Digital Art & Animation

Selected Campus Locations:

Online

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Animation Career Review Rankings:

Top 25 International Animation Training Programs (#18) - 2024

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Arizona State University Online

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Online

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Is Animation Directing a Stable Career?

Employment for directors and producers is expected to grow 12% for the 2016-2026 decade. This is faster than average for all occupations. The salaried workforce currently consists of 134,700 artists. By 2026, this figure will increase to 151,200. The BLS says, “some job growth in the motion picture and video industries is expected to stem from strong demand from the public for more movies and television shows, as well as an increased demand from foreign audiences for U.S.-produced films.”

“Consumer demand for reality shows on television is likely to increase, so more producers and directors will be needed to create and oversee editing of these programs. In addition, the volume of TV shows is expected to grow as the number of Internet-only platforms, such as streaming services, increases along with the number of shows produced for these platforms. This growth should lead to more work opportunities for producers and directors.”

How Much Do Animation Directors Make?

The median annual wage for animation directors is $71,680. The lowest 10% average less than $34,450 per year and the top 10% average more than $163,540 per year. Note than salaries vary greatly by company, geographic location, and even employment status (i.e. salaried, freelance, independent contractor). For example, independent animation directors have the second highest average annual salary of the top five industries for this occupation. They average $118,190 annually, while New York- and California-based directors earn the top two highest salaries in the industry at $115,610 and115,080, respectively.

How Do I Become an Animation Director?

Animation director is the highest position in the animation industry. Talent, creativity, and management ability are essential, as well as a bachelor's or master’s degree in animation, film or related area. The right degree, talent, and management ability are just the beginning.

Animation directors usually have a minimum of five to seven years’ experience in the industry before advancing to this position. Because they must be familiar with how all departments work, animators on the path to becoming animation directors will likely perform tasks in all departments ranging from in-betweener to entry-level animator and up.

Awesome Animation Fact: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) was one of the earliest promoters of animated films. Two of their in-house animators—icons William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, launched the Tom and Jerry films in 1940. The now famous films won a whopping five Academy Awards. Later, the duo created a considerable collection of characters that went on to become some of the world’s most recognized animated figures. Just a few include the Flintstones, Scooby Doo, the Jetsons, and the Smurfs. - Encyclopedia.com

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Animation Director - Career Profile

What Does an Animation Director Do? Where Does an Animation Director Work? ACR Takes a Look.

What Does an Animation Director Do?

Where Do Animation Directors Work?

Is Animation Directing a Stable Career?

How Much Do Animation Directors Make?

How Do I Become an Animation Director?

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