There are five main fields of Animation that you can choose from as your major. You can pick from these specializations:
Motion Graphics
Bored of the typical show and tell? If you are always the cool person in presentations who added infographic videos and animations into their slides, you should explore your potential in Motion Graphics. Vital in film and television, Motion Graphics fuses the elements of visual animation, text, typography, and even music to provide creativity, depth and flow to a story. Motion graphics is used in branding, conceptualizing, creating film and television title sequence, advertising, and many more.
Computer Animation
As a branch of computer-generated imagery (CGI), Computer Animation produces both 2D and 3D digital animations. This includes rendering images of objects by moulding 3D versions using a computer. Some groundbreaking CGI examples were in movies like Avatar, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter. The methods differ in each project, so you’ll be working with different animation styles each time!
Video Game Design
Breathe life into the fictional world of video games. Here’s your chance to work with game developers to animate video game characters. Expect a lot of programming and coding in this field because you will be animating characters and objects to execute smooth movement and action. Some of the best works of character animation are Horizon: Zero Dawn, Uncharted (PlayStation), and Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation, Xbox, Microsoft Windows).
3D Animation
Gain valuable experience and build your portfolio through various industries that you will explore in 3D Animation. You can demonstrate product features in the retail industry and showcase a digital 3D prototype in the early stages of a project pitch. 3D animation is also a cost-effective way to provide simulation for high-risk occupations like firefighting, flying airplanes, and military operations.
Special Effects Animation
Animators in this field usually have a wide knowledge of various animation software like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, After Effects, and Dreamweaver. As a special effects animator, you will digitally craft lifelike imagery by altering and combining live-action footage. Some effects can also be entirely created with computer-generated images (CGI).
Marketing and Advertising
Animation is widely used in Marketing and Advertising for its effectiveness in captivating the audience. You will collaborate with advertisers and marketers to make creative yet relatable animated commercials. These commercials can be funny, witty, and inspiring to influence the target audience’s decision-making process, so it is important for you to understand your clients’ expectations as well as consumer behaviour.