Gaming is an enormous industry that generates billions of dollars. However, video games don’t just come alive because of the amazing graphics and architecture; game animation is what brings video games to life! Without game animation, these games would be nothing more than lifeless screens with flickering text. To explore this interesting field a bit further and find out how you can become a game animator yourself, read on!
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Definition of Game Animation
Game animation is the art of making your game characters come to life with realistic movements and animations. It involves the use of traditional animation and motion capture techniques, sometimes in combination with 3D modeling. A game animator works closely with the director to ensure that the characters in the game are realistic and move according to their original design. The animator plays a significant role in the game design process. In the gaming industry, game animators don’t just animate characters – they animate entire scenes. They are responsible for determining how the characters in a particular scene will move, as well as how they will interact with each other and with the environment. Game animation is also used to create special effects (for example, explosions) and camera movements.
Understanding Video Games Animation
The first step toward becoming a video game animator is to understand what video games are all about! You need to know what gaming is all about – the tools used for creating games and developing characters, etc., so you can see if it’s something that fits you.
If you’re interested in becoming a game animator, you’ll need to find out which kind of games you want to work on. You might be looking for a field where you can create your own characters and stories, create your own game engine, or even write codes or create your own 3D application.
Some games have already been created so that it’s easy for game animators to find good projects. For example, the Unreal Engine (UE4) was developed by Epic Games specifically for use by game developers who are interested in beginning their careers as video game artists and programmers. This engine allows game artists to create their own 3D models for video games and has access to literally millions of assets (including models, textures, materials, etc.) that have been created by professionals in the industry. However, if you want to work on a game from scratch and develop the characters and environments from the very beginning, don’t expect much help from UE4!
The most important thing to remember is that you need to be passionate about what you do. According to industry professionals, good game developers are observant people who can easily see what’s wrong with existing designs. They won’t stop until they’ve fixed every imperfection
Game Animation Outsourcing
Game animation outsourcing is becoming a more common practice in the gaming industry. Game developers work with an external team of animators to create a game’s character animations and special effects; however, game development is still a field that requires deeper knowledge. Here is how to start game animation outsourcing.
1. Create a portfolio
For this, you will need to create professional-looking material. Make sure your work has some “wow” factor, such as using lighting effects or using more than one background effect (for example, a blue sky while the characters walk in front of the sky). Additionally, you should take into account how your artwork will be presented in print. If you’re working on a game that was developed by UE4 and is used by other developers, make sure your materials are editable and carefully crafted.
2. Set up your business
You need to set up your business in order to get contracts with companies. You can do this by either setting up a freelancer website or by using the site of an existing studio. Be aware that if you take this approach, you’ll be competing with many other animators, so you need to market yourself well. Also, once you make a good name for yourself in the gaming industry, make sure to continue upgrading your skills! You can do this by attending game development conferences or by creating your own website as an online portfolio.
3. Market yourself
Once you’ve gotten a good start, make sure to market yourself well. You can do this by setting up a social network or joining networking clubs related to gaming. Social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn are great places to stay in touch with the gaming industry professionals who are looking for animators. In addition, you can enroll in art classes and workshops related to video game creation, because they will help you improve your skills while learning from more experienced animators!
4. Get the job
Once you create your business and market yourself well, you’ll probably be contacted by companies that want to hire you. At this point, make sure you’re ready to work hard! Getting a job as a game animator is certainly not an easy task, but if you persist and are passionate about what you do, it will pay off in the end! Most animation outsourcing companies don’t want to hire people who have enough of knowledge when it comes to video games. If you have no experience in the gaming industry, you need to get yourself educated before applying for a position as a game animator.
What are the best Game Animation outsourcing companies?
When it comes to using the services of an animation outsourcing company to start your career as a game animator, you need to choose the best one for your needs. In order to do so, you should take into account what kind of project you want to make and also how much time and effort you can tolerate towards achieving that goal.
If you’re looking for a company that has a large database of game art assets (characters, monsters, weapons), then you should use the services of a special game art outsourcing company. Working with these types of companies is probably the easiest way to get started – you only need to create your own projects and they will provide all of the background images and 3D/2D models that you need to create your video games. However, if you’re interested in creating your own characters and environments from scratch, using the services of an animation outsourcing company will be more challenging – in this case, it’s best to start working on your own portfolio first!
Offering game animation services is a great way to get started with the gaming industry. Setting up your business as an animation outsourcing company and becoming a game animator has many challenges, but if you’re willing to learn and be patient, you’ll be able to build your own career!
