Introduction
As a freelance animator, your creativity, technical skills, and experience matter a lot. This can give you long-term success in VFX and animation industry. However, you must always keep refreshing your skills as per the latest requirements of this industry.
You could be at the top of your game by enrolling in the VFX and animation course from Frameboxx 2.0. Otherwise, get ahead with the in-depth knowledge and tips for succeeding as a freelance animator below.
How can you define animation skills for a freelance animator?
Animation skills include a spectrum of technical, soft, and creative skills that one must harness. As a freelance contractor or animator, you must have the knowledge of the foundation of the animated characters, objects, elements, etc.
You must also know how to create compelling stories and make them visually appealing with animator tools and software.
Skills like storyboarding, 2D/3D modelling, character designs, rigging, etc., bring more magic and realism to images.
Skills for freelance animators to learn for a successful career
- Storyboarding
Storyboarding is a skill that helps freelancers to bring more visibility and clarity to the narrative of the animated art work. It becomes the groundwork for the other artists in line to bring realism into the animation or VFX projects.
- Character design
A freelance artist learns to create compelling, complicated, and enduring characters to bring a strong sense of realism and brand identification to the animated work.
Characters designs are varied, depending on the client’s requirements and are hardly any same for two or more clients/projects.
This gives a competitive edge to the freelance artist to bring on their A-game while designing the characters.
- Frame-by-frame
Freelance artists and animators gain more control on the characters and elements by learning frame-by-frame skill. They can easily put together complicated scenes with mesmerising characters.
- 2D animation software
Learning and leveraging 2D software help freelance artists to up their productivity when it comes to creating compelling 2D graphics. Freelancers can offer wide range of services to their clients by learning to use software like Adobe Animate, After Effects, etc.
They use such software for creating ad shoots, explainer videos, marketing campaigns, digital campaigns, etc.
- 3D modelling
Becoming a master in 3D modelling is a must-have skill for freelance animators. This skill empowers them to create video game designs, architectural designs, product designs, etc.
- Motion graphics
Knowing motion graphics is an added advantage for a freelance animator who wants to create amazing digital artwork. They use motion graphics to make the animation dynamic, visually appealing, and pleasing to the viewer’s eyes.
These skills are the best for creating social media posts, marketing videos, explainer videos, short period animation videos, etc.
- Rigging
Rigging is a must-have animator skill to have for animating objects and characters to give them more lifelike feel. Rigging helps build the skeletons or skeletal frameworks for these elements or graphics.
Rigging can make the animated videos more expressive, layered, nuanced, and active.
- Colour theory
Freelance animators can make the designs more appealing by using the colour palettes. These colours help to enhance the look, feel, appeal and emotions to evoke from the audience.
Animators must know which colour tone to use on the screen to avoid irritating the viewers further. Mastering of colour theory or colour palettes help to design the story more realistically and make it more relatable to the audience.
- Animation principle
When freelancers learn the animation principles, they read more about the timing, sequencing, spacing, squashing, and stretching of the character, element, or the overall environment on the scene.
By understanding these concepts, freelance animators can boost their performance, productivity, and creativity to impress the client effectively.
Tips for building a successful career in VFX and animation for freelancers
- Keep honing your craft
One of the smartest tips in the lot for a freelance animator here is to keep honing your craft. You need to keep learning new tools, software, or apps that can make your work seamless, automated, and efficient. The less you work on mundane tasks, the more you have time to think creatively for the animation projects to lead.
- Get testimonials from your previous clients
To enjoy the success in VFX and animation industry, you need to gain testimonials from your clients. These testimonials help you to get more clients in the future. You come across more authentic, reliable, and trustworthy to the new client whom you may want to approach.
Also, with written or video testimonials, it is easier to convince a new production or marketing agency that you’re the best one for the job.
- Get references from your existing clients
If you get and entertain a client for a long term, your chances to enter their network are more. That means it is easier to get a reference from an existing client if they are already impressed with your work.
So, keep nurturing the bond and professional relationship with your existing client. This will take you far and help you unlock references and projects which earlier seemed impossible.
- Keep up with the industry rates
Keep studying the industry rates of freelance animators. You need to work it out as a business owner or entrepreneur. Do not keep offering the same rate for your expertise and services for years.
As a freelancer, you need to walk on a growth trajectory. That only happens when you keep evaluating and evolving your rates to match and beat the current market rates.
- Learn to network and collaborate
Do meet other fellow freelance artists and network with them. Enroll in expansive courses for animation, VFX, or more. Get to know others in your industry and try to collaborate with them on different projects.
This could give you an opportunity to reach to a new audience or market, which was earlier not known to you.
- Market yourself as a personal brand
Learn to market yourself without regret or guilt. Find social media marketing techniques that you can implement to market yourself, including:
- Showcasing your latest projects.
- Posting about the latest skills you’ve learned.
- Go on podcasts or interviews with the film, VFX, and animation experts.
- Post client testimonials and reviews on your social media channels to keep up the traction.
- Make your professional website live where you can highlight your certificates, skills, projects, etc.
- Be disciplined and organised with your portfolio
Keep your portfolio and projects aligned in a unified platform or place. Be disciplined when it comes to timely delivery, creativity, and unique ideas to incorporate in your projects and latest art work.
Conclusion
We gave you a brief on animation skills, freelancer skills, and tips for success in VFX and animation in the post above. Get ready to implement these once you learn the best course available from Frameboxx 2.0. Then, you can surely be on your way to the ultimate success in VFX and animation industry and keep a steady flow of references, clients, and their testimonials.