The Future of Visual Effects is Bright (and Animated)

Not so long ago, animation wasn’t considered a viable career but that all changed with the success of Toy Story and Jurassic Park in the 90s. The boom has started, and despite still being quite small by international standards, the future of animation looks particularly bright in South Africa. It has government support and is starting to gain international attention, especially after the release of the Triggerfish productions, Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba.   

How do I know if it’s the right career for me? 

If you’re highly imaginative, detail-oriented, a natural observer of people and love working with technology, animation may just be for you. During a course like the one at Oakfields College, you’ll learn all the skills you need for a successful career in 3D animation and visual effects, from conceptualising, storyboarding and scripting through to production and editing.   

What can I do with animation? 

With so much of the world’s business and entertainment moving online, and the leaps in technology that online generates, animation and visual effects are now used in many different fields, for example:

• Movies
• TV
• Gaming
• Multi-media productions
• Digital design
• Advertising 

To get a feel for the many possibilities out there, check out industry events and film festivals. You could even volunteer to help at an event and start making some useful contacts for the future.   

Once I complete my studies, then what?

Whether you’d like to be a modelling artist, content developer, storyboard artist or animated video editor, one of the best ways to get your foot in the door after your studies is to do an internship with an established company in the industry. If hired, you’ll start as a junior animator where you’ll get hands-on experience across a number of different roles.   

Then, with the right degree of focus and dedication and some years in the industry, you could be a creative or technical director, or choose to go freelance and work on a contract basis with different companies. With enough experience under your belt, you could even end up at the helm of a movie like Avatar or the latest gaming evolution that rocks the world. Imagine that!