Animation and visual effects jobs often require working from the home as well as the office. Therefore, both employers and employees will not only need supplies for animation and visual effects jobs, but must make sure they have the same supplies so they are compatible.
As animation and visual effects look to keep pushing the envelope, those in animation and visual effects careers will certainly need the right software to create images by computer. A lower-budget animation job, however, may need to go the old-fashioned route. There are three basic forms of animation jobs that you can require supplies for:
1. Simple paint-on-celluloid animation jobs
2. Full computerized animation films and programs
3. Animation and/or visual effects added to live action
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Get supplies and equipment for basic animation jobs
The earliest mainstream animation style involved drawings or painted images on flip-book-style paper placed before the camera. An animation company with a low budget can take these simple, old-fashioned approaches. If you're just starting out with a career in visual effects, basic supplies for animation and visual effects jobs are key.
I recommend: CartoonSupplies.com has a variety of animation supplies for those starting out in an animation career, including paper, drawing boards, lightboxes and drawing utensils.
Lightfoot Ltd. has a wide range of animation supplies, equipment and lessons, including tapes and DVDs.
Find software for the computer animation job field
Like everything else in the world, the animation industry is now heavily computer driven. The animation industry relies on computers and software, and anyone in animation employment must know how to create 2D and 3D images on a computer. There are many types of animation software available for all computer systems, and you may need to know as many of them as possible.
I recommend: Toon Boom Animation advertises itself as the world's animation software leader, with multiple animation software applications available for sale, like Studio, Digital Pro and Storyboard.
Studica offers many different animation software programs available for download from leading designers like Quest3D and Softimage.
Use specialized high-end software for more advanced visual effects jobs and animation
Careers in visual effects require special equipment. Visual imaging tasks involve creating lifelike images and transplanting them onto live-action images to make them look realistic. You'll need the best software out there and have full working knowledge of it for any career in visual effects.
I recommend: Adobe's
After Effects software supports an industry standard for motion graphics and visual effects, and it is available straight from the creators.
GuyGraphics.com sells software from creators like Boris, DigiEffects and Pixelan.
FXhome's catalog of visual effects supplies includes full software packages, photographic effects software and plug-ins for third party software.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Make sure you select the right operating system for your needs. Many in the creative artistic fields, like animation careers, find Mac computers work best for them.
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