Animator facts for kids

Animator drawing on film

An animator is a special kind of artist. They create drawings or models that seem to move. Animators make many separate pictures, called "frames". When these frames are shown very quickly, one after another, they create the illusion of movement. This is called animation. It's like magic, making still pictures come to life!

What Does an Animator Do?

Animators bring characters and stories to life. They work on many different projects. Their main job is to create the moving images you see. This can be for cartoons, movies, or even video games.

How Animation Works

Imagine flipping through a flipbook very fast. Each page has a slightly different drawing. When you flip them quickly, the drawings look like they are moving. Animation works in a similar way. Animators draw or create many tiny changes between each frame. When these frames are played at high speed, usually 24 frames per second, your eyes see smooth motion.

Where Do Animators Work?

Animators have many exciting places to work. You can find their creations in:

• Movies: From big animated films to special effects in live-action movies.
• Television: Cartoons, TV shows, and even commercials.
• Video Games: Animating characters, objects, and environments in games.
• The Internet: Short animations, web series, and online advertisements.
• Other Areas: They also work on educational videos, apps, and virtual reality experiences.

The Animation Team

Making animation is a big job. Animators usually work with a team of talented people. Everyone has a special role to play.

• Other Animators: They might work on different characters or scenes.
• Layout Artists: These artists design the backgrounds. They also plan the lighting and camera angles for each shot.
• Storyboard Artists: They draw a series of pictures, like a comic book. This shows the main actions and scenes from the script.
• Background Artists: These people paint the "scenery" or environments. This is where the animated characters will act.
• Voice Actors: They speak the words for the characters. They give the characters their unique voices and personalities.
• Musicians: They create the music and sound effects. This helps to set the mood and tell the story.

Related pages

• Animation
• Computer animation
• Computer graphics

Images for kids

• 

  Stop-motion animated character from 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957).

See also

In Spanish: Animador para niños