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Occupation Description

Create special effects, animation, or other visual images using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products or creations, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

State and National Wages

Wage Table

Hourly Wage Chart

Yearly Wage Chart

Location	Pay Period	2008
		10%	25%	Median	75%	90%
United States	Hourly	$15.18	$20.06	$27.08	$37.02	$48.27
	Yearly	$31,600	$41,700	$56,300	$77,000	$100,400
Texas	Hourly	$11.64	$15.35	$23.48	$33.65	$41.09
	Yearly	$24,200	$31,900	$48,800	$70,000	$85,500

Wage Table

Hourly Wage Chart

Yearly Wage Chart

• High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
• Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
• Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Wage Table

Hourly Wage Chart

Yearly Wage Chart

• High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
• Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
• Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Occupation Wages FAQs

Median Wage by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey
State Data Source: Texas Wage Information

State and National Trends

Note: The data for the State Employment Trends and the National Employment Trends are not directly comparable. The projections period for state data is 2006-2016, while the projections period for national data is 2008-2018.

Occupation Trends FAQs

Employment Trends by Occupation Across States
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Employment Trends by Industry and Occupation

National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections
State Data Source: Texas Workforce Commission, Labor Market & Career Information Department

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The most important knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are listed for Multi-Media Artists and Animators.

Knowledge:

• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Operations Analysis - Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

Abilities:

• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Source: Occupational Information Network: Multi-Media Artists and Animators.

Tasks and Activities

Occupation specific tasks and the most important generalized work activities are listed for Multi-Media Artists and Animators.

Occupation Specific Tasks:

• Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
• Assemble, typeset, scan and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.
• Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.
• Create and install special effects as required by the script, mixing chemicals and fabricating needed parts from wood, metal, plaster, and clay.
• Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
• Create pen-and-paper images to be scanned, edited, colored, textured or animated by computer.
• Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
• Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
• Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters and slide shows.
• Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
• Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
• Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design and progress tracking.
• Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
• Use models to simulate the behavior of animated objects in the finished sequence.

Generalized Work Activities:

• Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Detailed Work Activities:

• achieve special camera effects
• achieve special lighting or sound effects
• create art from ideas
• cut, shape, fit, or join wood or other construction materials
• determine locale or period of story
• develop budgets
• distinguish details in graphic arts material
• edit video film scenes
• edit written material
• establish pace of program or sequence of scenes
• establish production schedule
• identify color or balance
• mix paint, ingredients, or chemicals, according to specifications
• operate cameras
• operate film or sound editing equipment
• operate scanner
• operate special visual effects equipment
• organize story elements
• prepare artwork for camera or press
• proofread printed or written material
• provide customer service
• review assembled film or video tape on monitor
• schedule work to meet deadlines
• set page layout or composition
• set type in compositional sequence
• shape clay
• sketch or draw subjects or items
• use characteristics of graphic design materials
• use computer graphics design software
• use computers to enter, access or retrieve data
• use creativity in graphics
• use creativity to art or design work
• use film production techniques
• use graphic arts techniques
• use knowledge of multi-media technology
• use object-oriented computer programming techniques
• use oral or written communication techniques
• use project management techniques
• use word processing or desktop publishing software
• write story copy

Source: Occupational Information Network: Multi-Media Artists and Animators.

Tools and Technology

Multi-Media Artists and Animators  View Detailed Report

Tools:

• Digital cameras - Panoramic digital cameras
• Graphics tablets - Digital paper
• Personal computers - Personal computers
• Pressure stylus - Digital pens

Technology:

• Computer aided design CAD software - AutoDesSys formZ, Autodesk 3ds Max for Design Visualization, Autodesk Alias Design, Autodesk Alias Surface, solidThinking
• Development environment software - ActionScript, Adobe Systems Adobe AIR, Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Suite software, C, Code libraries
• Graphics or photo imaging software - ACD Canvas, Ability Photopaint, Adobe Systems Adobe After Effects, Adobe Systems Adobe Fireworks, Adobe Systems Adobe Flash
• Video creation and editing software - Adobe Systems Adobe Director, Adobe Systems Adobe Premiere Pro software, Apple Final Cut Studio, Chaos Group V-Ray software, TechSmith Camtasia
• Web platform development software - Adobe Systems Adobe Flex, Adobe Systems Adobe Shockwave Player, Cascading Style Sheets CSS, Extensible Hypertext Markup Language XHTML, Hypertext Markup Language HTML

Source: Occupational Information Network: Multi-Media Artists and Animators.

Education and Training

Occupation: Multi-Media Artists and Animators
Most Common Educational/Training Level: Bachelor's degree
Related Instructional Programs:

• Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics and Special Effects
• Drawing
• Graphic Design
• Intermedia/Multimedia
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design

WIA Eligible Training Provider List: https://services.twc.state.tx.us/PROVIDERCERT/dispatcher?link=HREF&pageid=PUBLIC_SWL_SEARCH

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections (Education/Training Level, Educational Attainment); National Center for Education Statistics (Typical Instructional Programs)

Related Occupation Profiles
Occupations with similar skill requirements

There is no information about Related Occupations. This may occur because data has not been collected or because this is a composite occupation (e.g., ""All Other"").

Web Resources

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