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College | City | State |
---|---|---|
Ball State University | Muncie | Indiana |
College for Creative Studies | Detroit | Michigan |
Columbia College Chicago | Chicago | Illinois |
DePaul University | Chicago | Illinois |
George Fox University | Newberg | Oregon |
Lesley University | Cambridge | Massachusetts |
Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minneapolis | Minnesota |
Pratt Institute | Brooklyn | New York |
Rhode Island School of Design | Providence | Rhode Island |
Rochester Institute of Technology | Rochester | New York |
School of the Museum of Fine Arts | Boston | Massachusetts |
University of California Los Angeles | Los Angeles | California |
University of Central Florida | Orlando | Florida |
University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst | Massachusetts |
University of Southern California | Los Angeles | California |
Stop motion animators use models, puppets, or clay to create animated films, television commercials, and branded entertainment. Stop motion animation is also called stop frame, model animation, puppet animation, and clay animation.
Stop motion animators combine the art of photography, narrative skill, and the ability to manipulate lighting and calculate angles to create stop motion animation without digitally manipulating it. The animator creates pictures of objects, characters, or scenes that show them in various positions. When the pictures run together, it appears that the object is moving on its own. This creates one of the most unique forms of animation, which is neither cartoon-like nor similar to computer-generated animations.
Some of the highest grossing stop motion movies ever made include Chicken Run (2000), Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005), The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012), Coraline (2009), Corpse Bride (2005), The Boxtrolls (2014), ParaNorman (2012), Shaun the Sheep (2015), Frankenweenie (2012), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Isle of Dogs (2018), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), Early Man (2018), and James and the Giant Peach (1996).
Stop motion animators work primarily in animation and film studios, for game design studios, and advertising agencies.
Employment for stop motion animators (included in the multimedia artists and animators group, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics - BLS) is expected to grow 8% for the 2016-2026 decade. This is as fast as average for all occupations. The projected employment growth for animators and multimedia artists will be the result of increased demand for animation and more realistic visual effects in video games, movies, and television. However, job growth may be slowed by companies hiring artists and animators who work overseas for lower wages. The increasing demand for computer graphics for mobile devices may counter slow growth by creating more job opportunities in the massive mobile industry.
Despite average job growth, competition for job opportunities in animation will remain strong. The BLS says, “opportunities should be best for those who have a wide range of skills or who specialize in a highly specific type of animation or effect.” Additionally, the U.S. is home to an impressive population of 73,700 multimedia artists and animators, making it one of the largest career fields in the world of art and design.
While job opportunities for animators can be found all over the U.S., five states and five industries have the highest employment levels.
Within the top five states with the highest employment levels for animators, along with several others such as Illinois, Washington, and Massachusetts, are the top 10 metropolitan areas with the highest levels of employment. They include:
Other Animation Schools to Consider:
The median annual wage for animators is $72,520. The mean annual wage is $78,230. The lowest average salary (for less than 10% of the animator population) is $40,870. The highest 10% earn more than $124,310. At $86,080, multimedia artists and animators working in the motion picture and video industries have the highest annual wage of the top five industries with the highest employment levels for animators.
However, the top five highest paying industries for animators are:
It is important to note that salaries for animators also vary by experience, type and size of company, and even geographic location. For example, Connecticut-based animators average $102,630 per year—the nation’s highest average salary for this profession—while South Carolina-based artists average $36,270—the lowest salary for this profession.
In addition to Connecticut, the top five highest paying states for animators are Washington ($90,700), District of Columbia ($89,210), California ($87,960), and New York ($86,490).
Most employers of stop motion animators prefer to hire artists with a bachelor’s degree or higher. Common degree paths include a BA, BFA, or BS in Animation, Animation & Digital Arts, Media Arts & Animation, Computer Animation, Computer Graphics, Media Arts & Science, Fine Art, and Computer Science with an Emphasis in Animation. In addition to stop motion, courses common to these degree paths include Drawing, 2-D Animation Production, and 3-D Animation Production. Animators also study anatomy to explore how animals and humans move in order to make character movements more realistic.
In addition to a 4-year degree, many employers look for at least two years’ experience in the industry. Entry-level positions may require only a degree and experience through an internship or other support position. Senior level positions may require at least five to seven years’ professional experience in the industry and possibly an advanced degree. Fortunately, more schools than ever before now offer MA or MFA degrees in Animation, Animation & Visual Effects, Animation & Digital Arts, and more.
Some schools in the U.S., and many in Europe and Asia, even offer specialized degree programs in Stop Motion Animation and PhD programs in Digital Arts & Animation, Multimedia & Animation, Computer Science with an Animation Emphasis and more.
Awesome Animation Fact: Listed among the best stop motion movies of all times, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) was not only visually stunning for its time—it was silent. Rendered in filigree detail, this arresting, silhouetted fairytale featured a cameo by Aladdin and his “wunderlampe,” a magical flying horse, a desperate damsel in distress, winged creatures, an evil sorcerer, and a gallant prince made of movable cardboard and metal cutouts postured in front of illuminated panes of glass.