ACR Staff

Scope of Program: Created by professionals from the cinema, animation, visual effects and video game fields, ARTFX is well renowned private, higher education school for digital arts and video game training in Europe. The diversity and singularity of the teaching proposed at ARTFX combines knowledge of traditional arts and advanced training in the latest digital art techniques.

With close to 300,000 salaried professionals working in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media (ADESM) occupations, California has the highest population of artists in the U.S. and the number is growing. Just a few years ago, the state was home to just over 280,000 ADESM workers. While the population may have changed over the past few years, the top industries for these professionals have remained the same. The motion picture and video industries, radio and television broadcasting, publishing, and advertising are just a few. Fortunately, the State of California houses thousands of employers in these fields. Just a few DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures Animation,  Walt Disney Feature Animation, Saatchi & Saatchi, J. Walter Thompson, Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB), SAGE Publications, Alfred Publishing, WB Studio and CBS Studio Center.

Animators create animation and visual effects for films, video games, television, mobile devices, and other forms of media using illustrations and software programs. Adobe After Effects, Adobe Premiere, Autodesk3ds Max, and Autodesk Maya are just a few leading software programs for animators. Animators also create graphics and develop storyboards, drawings and illustrations. They create, plan, and script animated narrative sequences, and assist with background design and production coordination.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) combines multimedia artists and animators into one career group. According to the Bureau, “multimedia artists and animators often work in a specific medium. Some focus on creating animated movies or video games. Others create visual effects for movies and television shows. Creating computer-generated images (CGI) may include taking images of an actor’s movements, which are then animated into three-dimensional characters. Other animators design scenery or backgrounds for locations.”

According to the BLS, animators and multimedia artists work in the following industries:

• Motion Picture and Video
• Computer Systems Design and Related Services
• Software Publishers
• Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
• Specialized Design Services

The BLS also mentions that 57 percent of animators were self-employed in 2012. This is the most current figure for self-employed animators. These professionals, not just the self-employed, often work from home. Others work onsite at film, animation or video game production studios, cartoon networks, advertising agencies, web design and graphic design firms, mobile technology companies, and more. 

New York is home to the nation’s second largest population of professionals working in Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media (ADESM) occupations as categorized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. California is home to the largest group. While many New York artists still work with paint, plaster, and fibers, many artists today rely heavily on computers and software to create art. Digital artists belong to this group and their technical skills and creativity are in high demand at ad agencies, media firms, animation studios, game design firms, web design companies, and more.