ShikshaTopQuestions-Animation

Steps to become an animation designer.
Animation designers, also referred to as animators, create the visual effects and animation featured in video games, movies and TV shows, as well as on websites. Created from computer software programs, 2D or 3D animations are used to replicate the features and movements of people, animals, places and things to tell a story or advertise a product. Animators often work long weeks and nights. Working weekends might also be necessary to meet deadlines.
Let's take a look at the steps needed to become an animation designer.
Step 1: Learn to draw
An animation is based on traditional drawing skills, so aspiring animators will want to develop observational drawing skills, especially the use and control of line.
Step 2: Earn a Bachelor's degree
Earning a Bachelor's degree in animation can prepare students for a career in media arts, illustration, Web design, film and television. Students take fundamental courses in drawing, graphics, storyboarding, character motion and art design.
Step 3: Put together a demo reel
While in school, students usually create a portfolio, DVD or website to showcase their best work. Some educational programs feature a senior project for students to demonstrate their creativity, artistry and proficiency in various software programs.Step 4: Consider industry certification
Earning a certification can be a good way to stand out, as only a Bachelor's degree is required for senior animator positions, according to job postings. Certifications in this career field are typically offered by software publishers, such as Adobe.

1. Animation course content: Students looking for a quick route to the animation industry are often lured by the "short-term" courses that claim to teach the nuances of animation over a short span of a few weeks. You should make sure that the college you choose offers quality content that teaches all aspects of animation. An education in animation is quite different from simply learning about animation software. However, you should also confirm if the institute teaches the basic tools and software required by animators.
2. Quality of faculty: Take your time deciding if your teachers are qualified and experienced enough to mentor and train you for the next few years. In medical education, the best surgeons train the medical students in surgery techniques. The field of animation is no different. You should learn from the best and preferably with people who have had industry experience doing the real thing.
3. Placement facilities: The job placement facilities of a college can directly reflect on the quality of the education it imparts. Having professional animators as faculty may also play an important role in the institute's track record for placing students.
You can talk to former students or final year students and understand the college's reputation in the animation industry. Find out if the college alumni are well-placed in the industry. A good alumni network and industry connections may prove invaluable once you graduate with a degree in animation.
4. College infrastructure: You should visit your shortlisted animation institutes and take a tour of their campuses to get an idea about the quality of their infrastructure-computer labs, library, classrooms. Find out if the institute provides internship opportunities or workshops with animation studios or film production houses.

Some more information on what type of animation you wish to pursue would help.
In the absence of that information, I'll assume that you wish to pursue 3D animation, the type that you see these days from the likes of Pixar, Disney, etc.
If so, then you will not be required to have good drawing skills. Instead, you'll probably need to study the art of acting more than anything else.
A 3D animator is different from a traditional (2D) animator in that while the latter was required to draw individual plates/cels, the former is usually handed a model by another artist (a modeller) for animation.
Here is a description of the stages in the creation of a typical (modern) animated movie:
Pixar's Animation Process
A good set of free tutorials on animation can be found on Jason Ryan's website here:
Ramp Up tutorials
Though he uses 2D tools to explain the concepts, it is these basic principles of animation that every animator should focus his energies on first.
If you meant something else entirely, do update your question. I'm sure you'll receive more helpful replies.
Good luck.

The best 3D rendering software products are determined by customer satisfaction (based on user reviews) and scale (based on market share, vendor size, and social impact) and placed into four categories on the grid:
Products in the leader quadrant are rated highly by G2. Crowd users and have substantial market presence scores. Leaders include: Cinema 4D, 3Ds Max Design, and Maya.
Good performers are highly rated by their users but have not yet achieved the market share and scale of the Leaders. High performers include: Thea Render, Blender, and KeyShot.
Contenders have significant market presence and resources, but have received below average user satisfaction ratings or have not yet received a sufficient number of reviews to validate the solution.
Niche solutions do not have the market presence of the leaders. They may have been rated positively on customer satisfaction, but have not yet received enough reviews to validate them. Niche products include: ZBrush, LightWave 3D, and V-Ray.

Designers may need a Bachelor's degree, especially if they're planning to work for a large game studio. Although some schools offer a degree in game design, aspiring game designers can get the necessary training in computer science, software engineering, or related degree programs. The coursework for a game design program covers subjects like 2D and 3D modelling and animation, level and interface design, storyboard rendering, drawing, and scripting.The average salary across the entire game industry is $81,192, hovering near the same level as 2010's $80,817 (reported average). In India, joining salaries are around Rs 4 lakh (Rs 400,000) per annum for programmers and designers and Rs. 3 lakh (Rs 300,000) for graphic artists and game developers. Even within this speciality, there are different types of designers, including lead designer, level designer and content designer. Additionally, game designers have a diverse array of responsibilities that may not immediately be obvious, so aspiring professionals in this field should consider what type of game design career they want to pursue.

Maya is a proprietary scripting language. MEL is highly customizable, and that is one reason why Maya can be found a lot in the film industry because studios like to be able to create their own set of tools that can help them achieve their job much easier. Maya has really been know as the go-to app for 3D animators in the industry for its robust rigging and animation tools and its animator friendly workflow. You also have the choice of Maya LT which is a huge benefit among new game developers as it's a relatively cheap subscription cost, of course, you don't have access to as many of the features of the full version of Maya, but you still have the most important to a game designer, like modeling, animation and texturing.
Where 3Ds Max shines:
3Ds Max has been known for its powerful modelling tools, allowing you to create complex 3D models with a very fast workflow and robust modifiers, with the entire poly modelling tools contained in one area of the UI. It also has some really great architectural visualization capabilities that Maya really doesn't have. If you're brand new to CG 3Ds Max can be a little simpler to grasp, and can seem a little less daunting than Maya, making it a bit more user-friendly.
The big factor:
The biggest factor in choosing between the two actually has nothing to do with the application's toolset, but your operating system. Maya is available for Windows, Linux, and OSX platforms. 3Ds Max, on the other hand, is only available for Windows operating systems, which means if you're a Mac or Linux user, 3Ds Max is probably not the best choice.
The verdict:
You should really know what you're going to use the app for because this can help you decide which program to choose, and each program has different strengths when it comes to the different tasks, like modelling, or animation. If you want to get into character animation, Maya may be the best choice. However, 3Ds Max still has great animation capabilities, but Maya has a slight edge over it with its deeper list of tools. When it comes to modelling, either software is going to get the job done; it really comes down to which workflow you like more. 3Ds Max has a robust modelling toolset, but Maya has recently enhanced their tools as well. 3ds Max has typically been seen as the 3D app for the game industry, and it is known to have a bit more flexibility and options. However, Maya LT is also a great cost-effective choice when it comes to game development.

Our education system is too old in which students just run for a job. Only a few of students get chance or follow their passion. In this case, as aspirants are getting decent salaries in banking jobs so there is no pressure on them to get a job. At that time he or she wants to follow his/her dream then it is not a bad decision. If he or she has interest in animation and want to work in this field then there is no need to leave their job and join this field. There are many institutes in India who provide distance learning in animation or any other multimedia course. He or she can join any institute in the city in which they are without leaving their jobs. So, I think if all the students follow their passion then definitely they will rise. Just take an example, India is producing, right now, the highest no. of engineers in the world and still India is not able to make motorcycle, smartphone, etc., as India is still using these engineers top assemble the parts rather than making them and I think this problem generated only because of not following their passion and just following the what others are doing. So, following one's own passion after getting a job is the best step because there is no more pressure on them.

About Texture Artists
A texture artists job is to paint surface textures on animated characters, environments, and props. The number of textures animators work with is endless and may include things such as wrinkles, fur, scales, sweat, and mud. In some cases, the textures used in animation cannot be found in real life. In these instances, the texture artist invents his own textures using his imagination and creativity skills.
Texture Artist Jobs
Texture artists use a variety of software, platforms, and rendering environments to create textures for environments, characters, objects, and props for animated films, television shows, and video games. Some of the most common types of software, platforms, and rendering environments used in animation include Photoshop, 3D Paint, UV Layout/Editing, RenderMan, Mental Ray, Maya, Shaders, and Houdini. Texture artists also use digital matte painting techniques to create textures and they work with advanced surface types, subsurface scattering, and global illumination.
Texture artists work in animation studios, film and video production studios, for game companies, web design companies, graphic design firms, advertising firms, and even mobile technology companies.
Texture Artist Salaries
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports salaries for fine artists and animators. These salary averages will give you an idea of what you can expect to earn as an entry-level, intermediate, or senior level artist. Median annual wages of salaried fine artists were $44,850 as of May 2015. The lowest 10 percent earned $19,190 and the highest 10 percent earned $89,720.
In May 2016, the mean annual wage for animators overall was $62,810 per year. The lowest paid animators earned $32,360 per year and the highest paid animators earned $99,130 per year.