The world of multimedia is exploding. Everyday more websites and companies use multimedia to attract visitors to their websites. People flock to You Tube in droves to see the latest videos. Some videos get millions of hits inside of a week or two.

People are driven to multimedia. They are also fascinated by animations. The movie industry is the most popular industry which utilizes these art forms, but we see it in a number of other places too. With the increase in the use of mobile technology, there is no doubt, it will continue to increase.

So, how do you start a career in the fun and fascinating world of multimedia creation and animation? Here are some tips to get started.

REQUIREMENTS/QUALIFICATIONS

Just as is true for many professions, there are many different levels of the career which you could strive to obtain. Some run their own multimedia business and charge a fee for their services. Some work for a company in their local area creating animations for commercials or other purposes.

Multimedia artistry and animation are related, but they are not the same thing. Multimedia includes any type of media such as video, audio, website content, or any other medium which uses sound, video, or other means to get a message across or perform an artistic work. In this way, animation falls under this category. But animation is also a separate field of study.

To be an animator, you should find a school which focuses on building custom animations from scratch, using any of the popular animation programs, such as Adobe Flash Pro, or others. Often someone can get training in both animation and multimedia production, and be able to do both for a company, work in the movie industry, game design industry, or other fields.

Someone who is creative and talented and likes to think of new ideas would be well-suited for this field, with a focus on either animation, multimedia creation, or both. The two work hand-in-hand with the right training, and offer more versatility in locating jobs.

If your goal is to be a game designer, for example, getting a multimedia artistry and animation education would be the best background possible to prepare you for this field.

TYPICAL EDUCATION

The typical education of a multimedia artist and/or animation specialist would include at least a 2-year certificate or degree from a real world or online college or specialty school. There are many online programs which give you a broad education in this field.

The best program would specialize in audio and video creation and animation and how these components work together in different contexts with practical hands-on experience, when applicable.

STEPS TO BECOMING A MULTIMEDIA ARTIST OR ANIMATOR

1) Get a 2 or 4-year degree or certification from an accredited school which focuses on multimedia creation and production and animation.

2) Build a portfolio. Just as in other artistic fields, this is the kind of area that requires people to see your work before they commit to hiring you. So build a portfolio while in school and add to it as you gain more experience.

3) Get a professional animation software. Look into what the professionals are using, and try to purchase that type of software. If you want to work in a competitive field, such as the movie industry, you will have to offer the same skill set they work with every day. So, if you can afford it, buy the same software program Dreamworks uses. They used Adobe Premiere After Effects for the movie “Shrek,” and an animation software. Find out what the “big guys” are using and learn the program well.

4) Connect to others in the field. As with any profession, it helps to network. Find out who the movers and shakers are in the animation industry, or join an online multimedia group and share creations through Sky Drive or other means. You can learn from others, and they can learn from you. Also, they may know people they can connect you to which may lead to possible jobs.

5) Have a passion for your work. Anyone who is successful tends to be doing something they love. So, if you love creating characters and stories, producing audio and video for business or fun, being involved in movie production, or other areas, then this is a good field for you. Let your passion show. Do what you love and love what you do.

A multimedia production artist or animator is an artist. They create original art work, graphics, videos, audio files, or animations for movies, commercials, marketable sales materials, game design, or other purposes.

They can work in a variety of fields and the limits are only their imagination. To make money with this field, you should be passionate but practical, determined to achieve, and versatile in your skills. With a good background in education in this area, you CAN do it!

Here are two resources with more information on these fields:

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/graphic-designers.htm

http://artbistro.monster.com/benefits/articles/10876-5-steps-to-becoming-an-animator