Animation writers play an essential role in the film industry. These creatives are of high value, especially for entertaining kids. While most cartoon writers are degree earners, the role doesn't entirely require bagging a certificate, but entails more creativity and imaginative thinking.
Succeeding as an animation writer requires a combination of talent, skills, passion, and experience. In this article, you'll learn how to become an animation writer.
What Are the Skills of an Animation Writer?
Successful animation writers boast of certain skills that make them stand out in the film industry. Showcasing the following skills makes them reliable and bankable.
1. Writing
You must be a good writer to be an animation writer. It takes the ingenuity of a writer to conceive interesting stories and turn them into award-winning scripts. Although some scholars believe that writing is innate, others argue that people can learn how to improve their writing over time when they put their minds to it.
2. Drawing / Sketching
Animation, in general, is very visual. As you write your scripts, you must visualize your story in your head and capture those visuals, so others can see what you have in mind. Being able to draw or sketch comes in handy, so you can easily interpret your characters and subjects.
3. Communication
An animation writer doesn't work alone; they work with a creative team to transform their ideas or scripts into motion pictures. You need to have good communication skills to thrive in collaborating with other people.
4. Graphic Design
Since we live in a digital era, drawing or sketching your characters with a pen on paper isn't enough. You must be able to use digital tools for your drawing, and you need graphic designing skills to do that successfully. With graphic design skills, you can customize free animated graphic templates to suit your animation needs.
5. Time Management
Film production is very big on time management. The entire production must follow a timetable to save costs and meet release schedules. As an animation writer, you will be working on strict deadlines to deliver, so it's important that you have good time management skills.
Directors or producers may need you to make quick changes to your script, and you must do that within the allotted time to keep the production circle running.
What Are the Steps to Becoming an Animation Writer?
Once you acquire the above skills, you may proceed with the following steps to build a career as an animation writer.
1. Study Animation Materials
Animation writing is quite different from other writing types. You don't just jump into the field without equipping yourself with knowledge. Read through comics and have an understanding of what makes an animation piece different and unique.
Spend time connecting ideas and studying the structure of other animations. Study colorful scenes and actions. Above all, an animator writer should know how to input two or more characters in a single scene.
2. Take Courses
Animation writing isn't something you verge into and be successful out of the blue. Just like every other career, it requires utmost training and a gradual learning process. Although you don't necessarily need a college degree to thrive as an animation writer, you need some training.
The internet is full of several platforms offering courses in writing. Platforms like Udemy and Coursera will connect you to the root of this writing type. During your animation course, you'll engage with other like-minded writers, zealous and committed to learning. Don't skip classes; take up assignments and attend to every task at hand. And then watch how your writing improves.
3. Practice and Build Your Portfolio
Having a solid training background increases your chances of becoming a successful animation writer, but not as much as your samples. In the film industry, a portfolio speaks volumes. People want to see what you've done and how well you did it.
It's advisable to start building your portfolio as early as possible. While you spend time developing yourself as a guru, ensure you don't miss out on opportunities.
4. Create a Script Bible
To get your breakthrough as an animation writer, you need to write an interesting script. This is called a Bible in the animation industry. If you are writing a series, your bible should include the first 13 episodes. The storyline is very important. It must be trendy and relatable to catch people's attention.
Map out the plot for the entire story, and write each episode in line with the overall plot. Since animation has a lot to do with visuals, create illustrations for the major characters and subjects to give the people you'll work with an idea of what they'll look like.
5. Pitch Your Story to Film Executives and Studios
Becoming a successful animation writer requires lots of accomplishments. It also requires that you start somewhere and avoid lurking around. Having created a script bible, you have to pitch it to the people that matter. You can contact network reps directly or have an agent do it for you.
Note that agents for animation writers collect a cut from their earnings. However, their connection and experience in the industry help to pave the way for starters. They can either help seal a new filming project or secure a role for you in an ongoing series.
6. Develop Your Skills Continuously
There's always room for improvement as an animation writer. Like you, hundreds of writers are out there, striving to become the face of the industry. You snooze, you lose.
As a passionate animation writer, you must seek more knowledge of your craft and understand every bit of it. You can join forums and animation communities online to learn more about this type of writing and replenish your thoughts with fresh ideas.
Online Resources for Animation Writers
Here are some online resources to help kickstart your animation writing career.
- Animation World Network: An online platform for trends, news, and events in animation.
- Animation: A peer-reviewed journal for animation research.
- Animation Magazine: A resource for animation news, trends, and films.
- Udemy: A platform for taking animation courses.
- Coursera: A resource for taking animation courses.
How Much Do Animation Writers Earn?
According to Ziprecruiter, animation writers in the United States earn an average salary of $72,555 a year, resulting in $34.88 an hour and $1.395 a week. Expert animation writers earn as high as $148,000. As a beginner, you can earn as low as $21,500.
Monetizing Your Skill as an Animation Writer
Many animation writers are driven by passion. While it's good to be passionate about something you do, you must make money from it.
When you acquire the right skills, training, and experience, you will be in a good position to earn the pay, recognition, and accolades you deserve as an animation writer.