Apprenticeship training course

Junior animator (level 4)

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Information about Junior animator (level 4)

Create animated assets and content, by producing the motions, gestures, expressions and performance of two or three dimensional characters and inanimate objects.

• Knowledge, skills and behaviours:
  View knowledge, skills and behaviours

  Knowledge

  • The twelve fundamental principles of animation (including squash and stretch, staging and timing).
  • Methods and strategies for sourcing inspiration, including researching visual, written, empirical and physical references
  • Traditional and digital methods and techniques for producing animated sequences, for example hand-drawn, stop-motion or computer-generated animation
  • The creative style, overall concept and detail of animation required for the production
  • The purpose of breaking down briefs, specifications, scripts and technical and production requirements.
  • The evolution of the animation industry from cell animation through to computer generated animation, with reference to genre for example family, adult, experimental or information content.
  • The legislation, regulations, codes of practice, standards and guidelines governing animation.
  • Current and future trends in animation and how they affect junior animators.
  • Methods and approaches for identifying and reporting potential health and safety risks and hazards in the working environment.
  • Approaches to working individually and as part of a team
  • The complete animation production pipeline and how their own department and role interacts with this.
  • Technical and production parameters and client requirements including schedules, timelines, budgets, animation mediums, frame counts, field sizes, aspect ratios and formats.
  • Communication tools and methods for timely and targeted communication including presenting reference material and using storyboards.
  • The impact of brand, audience, market position and financial processes on animation productions.
  • The ways that live action reference can influence the ability to animate characters, objects and creatures.
  • Processes and approaches to character, object and creature development and junior animators’ role in that development.
  • The principles of anatomy and how these affect movement.
  • The principles of shot composition and framing.
  • The principles of shot breakdown and continuity.
  • The importance of adhering to standards, workflow and pipeline procedures.
  • The importance of evaluating progress and seeking feedback on your work in animation.
  • Performance guidelines for the character/object/creature they are working on, for example how they may react or behave in different situations.
  • The logic of physics, motion, resistance, weight, balance, texture and form.
  • Methods and strategies for using industry-standard animation software for an animation production according to the applications’ possibilities and constraints and requirements of the production.
  • Legal, regulatory and organisational requirements for maintaining data security, maintaining record systems of drawings, file structures for storage, copyright and intellectual property.
  • Production requirements and expectations of other team members who will use the animations you create, such as pre roll, file preparation and storage, intended format and required degree of quality of final image.
  • Techniques to simulate perspective and distance.
  • Creative blurring and transforms, techniques to achieve them and how they give the appearance of motion.
  • The importance of environmental sustainability and departmental processes for working on a production.

  Skills

  • Analyse documentation to determine requirements, for example briefs, specifications, visual references, scripts, animatics, x-sheets or dope-sheets, character/object/creature -, colour- and model references, soundtracks and technical and production parameters.
  • Undertake research to inform animation.
  • Update own animation skills for example by using new tools, recent software or data.
  • Adapt to the requirements of the animation style specified for the production.
  • Comply with the laws, regulations, codes of practice, standards and guidelines governing animation and how they affect junior animators.
  • Monitor the current priorities, constraints and opportunities of the client’s budget, production requirements and your work as a junior animator.
  • Adhere to legislation, regulations and organisational policies such as health and safety, confidentiality and security.
  • Work both individually and as part of a wider animation team.
  • Work in line with defined workflows within the animation production pipeline.
  • Move a character/object/creature in whatever style is required to meet the creative, narrative and technical demands of the production.
  • Respond to feedback about the animated material in a positive way, making refinements as requested by clients or supervisors.
  • Contribute ideas to aid the production.
  • Use given camera angles or make adjustments to camera animations according to the production demands and schedule.
  • Use tools to plan and communicate key ideas with colleagues or clients, for example pre vis and storyboards.
  • Present work in progress or completed animations to colleagues or clients.
  • Animate primary and secondary characters/objects/creatures and elements.
  • Interpret the personality or traits of a character/object/creature and convey the necessary performance within a scene.
  • Create animation in line with production demands, for example continuity or soundtrack requirements, and ensure the output is correct for the next stage of the process.
  • Adapt to the various techniques, procedures and software required by the animation production, selecting and using the necessary industry standard software packages.
  • Prepare and store files in line with production requirements, to enable the next stage of animation production to run efficiently.
  • Review output with relevant people and offer suggestions to assist others with the production.
  • Follow sustainable practices in line with industry standard recommendations.

  Behaviours

  • Works on own initiative, be proactive and inquisitive; if mistakes are made take personal responsibility to address them.
  • Acts in a professional and ethical manner, embracing equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
  • Takes the initiative and responsibility for own learning and development, working with and learning from peers.
  • Maintains commercial confidentiality and professional practice at all times, and in all settings.
• Apprenticeship category (sector): Creative and design
• Qualification level: 4; Equal to higher national certificate (HNC)
• Course duration: 18 months
• Maximum funding: £11,000 ; Maximum government funding for ; apprenticeship training and assessment costs.
• Job titles include:
  • Junior animator

View more information about Junior animator (level 4) from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.