Multimedia

Animation is the use of various technology and drawing skills to create movement of non-living characters on screen. This involves creating a lot of still frames and creating an illusion of movement. It is a more focused part of the industry. Animation involves the concepts of 2D and 3D animation and the necessary concepts involved. Some of the job roles/profiles include character modelling, rigging, story board formation, rendering etc.
Multimedia means the use of multiple forms of media including images, text, videos, drawings, audio etc. This as a domain includes design of web designing, video games, photography, web application sound management etc.
As a career, although the choice depends more on the interest of the student as these fields are very closely related but at a larger scale multimedia has wider career growth opportunities as one can decided where and how to use the choice of media applications.

Multimedia is being offered by the following courses: Diploma course, Certificate course, and Undergraduate course and Post Graduate course. These courses do not vary in large measures, but each one has its own specifications.
Certificate courses and Diploma courses are short term courses while the other three are quite longer duration courses. Ultimately, these courses would direct you in the field of multimedia.
In case of undergraduate and post graduate courses, you can learn more about the program in depth as well as more professional.
As certificate courses are short term courses, they don't involve much of depth in teaching and so one needs to put in a lot of efforts.
Certificate courses are generally to provide an additional skill to a person whereas the other courses are dedicated towards the career path.
Thus, the courses do not differ in the type of education, but they differ in the way of teaching and the curriculum.

Visual communication field is focused on communicating with clients and customers through any visual means available. That means, students will learn graphic design, illustration, animation, photography, and even the modification, or airbrushing, of photographs to better illustrate a given point. These skills are considered broad and comprehensive, and they prepare graduates to enter a number of exciting fields within the communications industry. Available career paths include graphic design, professional photography or retouching, illustration and professional animation, advertising, website design, and visual marketing departments.
Students in a visual communication program are generally either encouraged or required to choose an area of concentration, which can help them target their skills more broadly. Concentrations do include graphic design, but also include digital animation, professional digital photography, animation, computer illustration, mixed visual media, and advertising.
Graphic Design: A narrow focus for highly specialized skills.
The key thing to remember about graphic design, especially when compared to visual communication, is that it's a narrow, highly specialized field that focuses only on the creation of key graphics for a broader advertising campaign, website, or print materials. Graphic designers do not come with the broad set of skills that covers everything from animation to photography, nor do they produce a completely finished, visual product for clients. Instead, they focus on creating key graphical elements that fit within a broader visual communication process.
As a result, graphic designers typically learn a larger number of key computer applications. They learn how to put their graphics onto websites, print media, digital and print ads, and broader marketing efforts. They also learn the intricacies of colour selection, communications team collaboration, and new file formats that make images smaller in file size and more portable overall. These skills will scale well as graphic design standards and best practices change over time, and will set up graphic design graduates as key, expert advisers to visual communicators without a specialized skill set in this particular field.

Multimedia is course related to computer in which student learn about text effects, graphics, drawing, audio and animation. This course helps student to learn how to use programming and create interesting material. In India, there are many college which offers study course in this field. Here are few best college for multimedia:
1. Picasso Animation College:
This is one of the best college for multimedia study. This college has link with Toronto Centennial College. This college offers various certificate, diploma and Bachelor course in Multimedia.
2. ICAT Design & Media College:
This college offers Diploma, Bachelor's and Master's degree in Animation and multimedia department. College has 3 campus Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, Est. in 2004 and collaboration with Indian and UK University.
3. Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute:
This is one of the best college under the name of big Indian film director. This college is est. in 1994 and funded by central government. This college offer Animation and multimedia course.
4. Arena Animation Bangalore
5. Wiztoonz College of Media and Design

Perhaps, you've discovered you possess the natural characteristics to succeed in an animation career. But, you are not quite clear yet. Those qualities are useless, if they aren't accompanied by the requisite technical skills for animation.
In order to give life to their creative ideas, animators must utilize, both the artistic right and analytical left side of their brains. You'll need to possess the perfect combination of practical skills and software savvy to flourish in this field.
Skill in animation itself is a must. 3D animation skills are very key to animation at the moment, Bowers says. Becoming skilled in programs such as, 3DS Max and Maya are important to succeed in this field.
We used real-time job analysis software to examine nearly 8,000 animator job postings from the past year. The data revealed the top 10 skills employers are seeking in candidates:
Here is what we found:
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Indesign
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Acrobat
UX wireframes
Prototyping
User interface (UI) design
JavaScript
MAYA
3D modeling
Don't be intimidated by the list above. Many of these skills are covered in the curriculum of an animation program.