There is no doubt that animation is exciting and entertaining. It makes you want to do it or, at the very least, hire someone who can do it for your business. It is one of the tools that continue to change the business landscape, bringing benefits that help engage customers. But the question is, “how do you find the right animator for hire?”
Animators wear many hats, or rather, have a lot of responsibilities to ensure the best animation. An animator’s main task is to produce multiple images known as frames and sequence them together, making the drawings look like they are moving. This illusion of movement is what you call animation.
Clients often have difficulties looking for an animation studio with the right skill set and pricing for their projects. Bunny Studio has worked delivered many animations across film, television, and commercials. This article is put together using that experience to help guide your search for the right animator for your job.
What Does An Animator Do?
An animator creates animation and visual effects for television, films, mobile devices, video games, and other media forms. The use of illustrations and software achieves the animated movements that bring life to the drawings and images. This job entails creating graphics and developing sketches, pictures, and storyboards.
Sometimes, it also includes planning and scripting animated narrative sequences for whatever project they are doing. Animators often work in 2D and 3D model-making, as well as computer-generated animation or stop-frame animation. While animation heavily relies on the artistic ability of the animator, technical skills have become increasingly necessary.
It shows that their creativity and familiarity with computers are the two main points to consider in your search for an animator for hire. But of course, the animation styles they specialize in are just as important. Knowing the different types of animations help you hire the right person for your project.
What Kind of Animator Are You Looking For?
You will find many types of people working in an animation studio. The team often includes a producer, director, creative director, scriptwriter, storyboard artist, and character designer or illustrator. But of course, the backbone of the group is the animator. The animator you are looking for may be any of the following, depending on your video project.
2D Hand-Drawn Animator
2D hand-drawn animators create an animation that is more artistic since they hand draw every frame instead of digitally drawing them. It also means the animation requires a lot of illustration, painstakingly drawn by the animator. If you want the charm of the classic animation style, the animator for hire you are looking for specializes in 2D hand-drawn animation.
3D Computer Animator
3D computer animators specialize in CGI or computer-generated imagery, the most popular type of animation used in feature films. It is also commonly used now in TVs and short films. Animators focusing on 3D animation are often tasked with creating video game animations and digital characters for movies.
Stop Motion Animator
Stop motion is a type of animation with several other variants, but all of them involve the manipulation of real-world objects. The animator slightly moves the objects, which are then photographed one frame each time. When the frames are shown in sequence, it creates the illusion of movement or animation.
Motion Graphics Animator
One of the most common types of animation today is motion graphics. Animators that specialize in this create dynamic presentations of basic illustrations and text logos that move interactively. A motion graphics animator could do 2D or 3D animation, which can be used in various projects such as explainer videos, commercials, or TV productions.
An animator for hire can be any of those mentioned above. Seeing as there are all kinds of projects that can benefit from animation, getting familiar with the different animation types is crucial. It is like having a goal in your search, effectively narrowing it to merely looking at the candidates’ credentials.
What to Look for in an Animator for Hire?
Looking for an animator for hire is a challenging task that requires you to be extra careful. You must know what exactly to look for, or the animator you find isn’t the one suited to your project. The video, game, or app you want to create must reflect your business and brand. The right animator is a crucial factor at that.
On that note, below are some tips that can help your search for a suitable freelance animator or animation studio.
Take a look at their portfolio
If you want to see the quality of an animation expert’s work, look at their portfolio. A portfolio of the videos or animations they made for past clients can tell you if they did well. When you look at it, check if their previous works fit with your needs. Animators must be great storytellers, so take a look if their past works convey a good story.
Check their completion rate
One factor that can tell you if an animator for hire is worth a shot is their project completion rate. It can’t trump skill, but experience tells you that the person you plan on hiring is truly an expert, especially if they have an excellent track record. A more experienced animator or animation studio is a more reliable option for your project.
Examine their animation style
While you may not be a professional, you can still examine the animation style and see if it fits your needs. When you check the animator’s method of animation, ensure that it has comprehensible graphics that are original, modern, and pleasing to the eyes. Consistency is also crucial, not to mention it should accurately reflect the design of your brand.
Analyze the quality of voice over
One of the essential parts of an animation is the voice-over, so examining the demo reel or past works’ voice-over quality helps you look for the best animator for hire. Listen to the voice-over, and you can tell if it is performed well. The best voice overs are clear, loud enough, not too fast nor too slow, and pronounced correctly in proper vocal tone.
Seek client feedback
The feedback of a former client says a lot. It is one of the biggest clues that tell you if an animator or animation studio can deliver what you expect. With that said, don’t forget to scour through reviews, testimonials, and ratings online about a particular animator. You can also ask them for this information, which they would willingly give if they are reliable and trustworthy.
Check their customer service
Creating an excellent animated video involves understanding the client’s vision. It’s impossible to do so without communication. This is where customer service comes into play, as it is the first thing that tells if you can truly work with an animator. Responsive customer service is already a good sign, but it’s still best to ask them if they can involve you in all stages of production.
Ensure they have passion for their work
Someone who loves what they do is sure to create the most magical things. An animator who is passionate about creating animated videos will always give their 100% in any project as if it’ i theirs. If you want to work with a reliable animation expert, someone always eager to animate projects is the one you want to hire.
Compare prices and check your budget
You already have an idea of which company or animator to hire, but can you afford them? Check your budget and compare it with their pricing to see if it works for you. Animation is not an easy task and involves rigorous work, whether by hand drawing or digital rendering. While some studios offer affordable prices, it might be a rip-off, so be extra cautious on who to hire.
How to Get a Quick Quote for Animation Services
You can quickly get an accurate quote for the services of an animator for hire by providing as much information as you can. This allows them to account for everything you are looking for, check if they can cater to it, and give a price estimate for their services. It would be great to include the following details in your email to get an accurate quote.
- A bit of a background about you, your brand, and your business.
- A detailed description of your project, such as your target audience, etc.
- Your preferred animation method or style.
- If you have any, a script, storyboard, or sketches of the message you want to convey.
- The estimated duration of the animated video.
- Milestones or target deadline for the project.
- A rough budget.
If you can write a creative brief that includes all this info and anything about your project, it would be a big help. You can save a lot of time during the negotiation process, allowing you and the animator to move forward at a quicker pace. Maintaining an open line of communication is also essential for this.
A Few Things to Consider When Hiring an Animator
If you are still unsure who to hire for your animation project, you have a few options available, such as:
Freelance animator
If you only need a few animated videos, then a freelancer is good enough. They can handle small jobs and are affordable. You can’t hire them for large scale projects, though. Keep in mind as well that you might run with problems regarding consistent quality and organization. If your projects are not time-sensitive, hiring a freelance animator might be fine for you.
Animation studio
Animation studios are great for bigger jobs since they often have a team working on every project. The team also includes not just the animator but a director and a designer. It may also include a scriptwriter to write the video’s narrative or a transcriptionist for providing subtitles. One thing you can expect is that hiring an animation studio will cost you a lot.
In-house animator
The advantage of an in-house animator is you have more control and flexibility. But this comes with budget issues and difficulties in looking for skilled employees, not to mention if the number of projects justifies hiring another staff. A permanent animator in your team is a good idea if you make videos regularly. Do think about whether it’s feasible with your company’s budget.
Look for an Animator for Hire with Bunny Studio
When looking for an animator for hire, skills, and experience are two of the most important factors to consider. Whether it is a freelancer, an in-house expert, or an animation studio, you want to hire someone skilled and know what they are doing. In that case, Bunny Studio is a company with a great team of creative professionals that can handle your animation needs.
