Is Coding Necessary For Animation?

Coding is a vast field growing fast and improving the lives of people who work with computers in any industry. Traditionally, the animation used to be done by drawing the figures with minimal change of movements or any area animators wanted to animate. The process was, of course, tedious as for 1 second, 24 frames needed to be drawn (using 24 fps frame rate), and then they were merged on a film and played to give a sense of motion. Gradually with the development of IT, animation became computer oriented. Programming languages use algorithms that can create animations through a series of commands. Although it is not necessary to learn in-depth programming languages to make a career out of animation, it is always helpful to know some of them, so you know what is going on in the background. Learning the way to code will be beneficial when you want to be an animator. With the progress in technology, computers were able to minimize the use of manual effort when creating animation.

Any animation, VFX, or game production company these days is always hard-pressed for time and money, so they are looking for any kind of help to speed up their process or make things cheaper. Artists who know how to code can contribute to that in many ways. If we know just a little bit of code, we already have a better understanding of what might be happening behind the scenes, which will immensely reduce your stress levels when something breaks or doesn’t provide the required output. If you know how to code, you can write your tools for yourself, which becomes a great value add to your company. Other details, apart from programming, can make us better animators. As we all know, animators work as a team, and you need to be a good team player. We should keep an eye for detail and suggest small details that can benefit the project. Having a good hand at drawing is always welcome in animation.

Let us now discuss some animation tools which are used commercially as well as by personal freelancers for animation:

• 3ds Max (Autodesk). Autodesk is a commercial animation software tool that allows animators to create or produce 3D animations.
• After Effects (Adobe). Digital artists use this commercial tool to add visual effects and motion graphics elements to film, TV, video, online content, presentations, etc.
• Blender (The Blender Foundation). It is a free, open-source 3D graphics creation suite where you can create animations, digital art, visual effects, any kind of model whether it is 2D or 3D with the use of a comprehensive feature set.
• Maya (Autodesk). This commercial software provides digital artists with a complete platform and an extensive feature set, including modelling, simulation, and rendering, to create 3D computer animations.

Frequently Asked Questions on Animation:

• What does an Animator do?

Ans. In simple words, Animators create 2D and 3D models, moving images, and visual effects for television, movies, video games, and other forms of media.

• What skills do animators need?

Ans. Besides creativity, animators should have good drawing skills and understand colour, texture, and light. They must also have communication and presentation skills, time-management skills, and attention to detail. Coding and drawing skills are an add-on that enhances someone’s career and works in the field.

• What qualifications/degree is needed to become an animator?

Ans. Employers require a bachelor’s degree in animation, computer animation, computer graphics, or other related areas. Certificate or diploma courses are also applicable.

• What are the few animation software for beginners?

Ans. Cartoon Animator 4, Stop Motion Studio, and Blender are the few software that can help kickstart a career in animation. Moreover, they are all open-source software.

• What are the companies that use animation?

Ans. Some world-famous companies use animation. Walt Disney Studio, DreamWorks Animation, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, Paramount Animation etc., are some of them.