What a typical day looks like for an Animator

Being an animator is a mix of creativity, technical skill, and efficient workflow management. Depending on the project, animators may work on character designs, motion graphics, or full-length animations. While every day brings different challenges, most animators follow a general routine that includes a balance of design, animation, collaboration, and post-production tasks. Here’s an overview of what a typical day might look like for an animator.

Morning: Planning and Preparation

The day usually starts with reviewing tasks, prioritizing work, and preparing for the creative process ahead. Planning is key to a smooth workflow.

• Review emails: Respond to client inquiries, feedback, and team updates.
• Check project schedules: Review timelines, deadlines, and deliverables for the day.
• Organize assets: Prepare storyboards, character sheets, reference material, and design files.

If it’s a client-facing day, animators may begin by meeting with clients to discuss feedback, revisions, or new ideas for upcoming projects.

Late Morning: Creative Work and Animation

After initial planning, animators dive into the core of their work—creating or refining the animation itself. This is the time when creativity flows most freely, and the majority of the animation work happens.

• Sketching or designing: For 2D animators, this may involve frame-by-frame drawing or designing character movements.
• Animating keyframes: For both 2D and 3D animators, setting key poses and defining the action is a key part of the process.
• Refining motion: Adding secondary actions, improving timing, and ensuring smooth transitions.

During this time, animators focus on creating fluid movement, working through animation blocking, and fine-tuning details.

Afternoon: Feedback, Collaboration, and Revisions

After working on animation, the afternoon is often dedicated to refining the work based on feedback or collaborating with other team members.

• Review with directors or clients: Share the progress made in the morning, and receive notes or feedback.
• Incorporate revisions: Adjust timing, movement, or other elements based on feedback.
• Collaborate with other team members: Work with compositors, sound designers, or 3D modelers to ensure smooth integration of elements.

Animators often work closely with directors to ensure the animation matches the vision, while also collaborating with other departments to maintain consistency across the project.

Late Afternoon: Refining and Finalizing

In the later part of the day, animators work to finalize their animations, ensuring everything is polished and ready for export or presentation.

• Cleaning up animation: For 2D animators, this means refining rough animations, filling in in-betweens, and adding final details.
• Compositing or rendering: For 3D animators, this includes rendering final scenes and preparing animation for post-production.
• Prepare files for delivery: Ensure the final output is the correct format, resolution, and meets client specifications.

This time is focused on adding polish, making the animation look seamless, and preparing it for presentation or client review.

Evening: Wrap-Up and Professional Development

As the workday ends, animators often take some time to wind down, organize their files, and prepare for the next day’s tasks. This is also a great time to invest in personal growth and professional development.

• Review and organize files: Archive assets, name files appropriately, and ensure everything is backed up.
• Research and learning: Watch animation tutorials, attend online workshops, or study industry trends to stay updated.
• Experiment: Some animators use this time to work on personal projects, trying new techniques or styles.

Conclusion

Being an animator is a multifaceted job that requires both creativity and technical expertise. A typical day may involve a mix of design work, animation, collaboration, and client management. While the tasks may vary depending on the project, the core of the animator’s job is to bring stories and ideas to life through motion. By maintaining a structured workflow and consistently improving their skills, animators can stay productive, deliver high-quality work, and keep evolving in their careers.