4 Important skills to Master as an Animator (for beginners)

So, you want to be an animator? That’s awesome! With high salary, huge demand of professionals it is really a great career choice. But as you are just starting out, you need to know the fact that animation is more than just making characters move. It is also about bringing stories to life in a way that feels real and engaging. Remember,  the movies Wall-E, or Coco or Simba.  Whether you are just dreaming of working in movies, games, or ads, there are four important skills every beginner animator should master. So, without much delay, let us jump into the blog.

Previsualization (Previs)

Now, this is very important for you as you have just started your journey. Before you start animating, you need to have a clear vision of what the final scene will look like. This is where previsualization (or previs) comes in. Think of it like planning your road trip before hitting the road. But what does previs means? In very simple terms we can say that previs means to create a rough, basic version of the animation to test camera angles, character movements, and overall flow. Many professional animators use simple 3D models or sketches to block out scenes before going into detailed animation. 

Animation Planning – Thumbnails and Sketching

Can you imagine trying to draw a perfect portrait without a rough sketch first won’t it be a nightmare? Thumbnails are your blueprint. Great animation doesn’t happen by accident. It requires careful planning. Thumbnailing (creating small, rough sketches) helps you figure out the poses, movements, and expressions of your characters before you even touch your industry relevant animation tool.

Acting

Yes, you read that right. You should know the fact that acting is an very important skill for  the animators. Animation is all about performance. You need to make your characters feel alive which automatically means giving them

• Personality

• Emotions

• And obviously, realistic movements

Professional animators often record themselves acting out scenes to understand how the body moves naturally. Whether it is a simple wave or an intense battle scene, your character should feel like they have real emotions and purpose.

Storytelling

At the end of the day, animation is about storytelling. A technically perfect animation won’t impress anyone if it doesn’t tell a good story. Whether it's a funny short, an emotional moment, or an action-packed scene, your animation should make the audience feel something.

Great storytelling means:

• Clear Intent – What is your character trying to do or feel?

• Strong Pacing – Timing is everything! Too fast, and it’s confusing; too slow, and it’s boring.

• Emotional Connection – The audience should relate to your character’s emotions.

What is the Best Way to Learn Animation?

Learning all these things by your own can be tricky. It is better to learn animation with proper guidance of the mentors. The best way you can learn animation with the assistance of animation course in Kolkata. This course will help you to learn each and every aspect of animation from basics to advanced. And some courses also provides placement assistance to their students as well. So if you are someone who want to get into the industry as a professional then without much delay, enroll in an animation course and jump into the industry as a skilled professional animator.