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Animator skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Animator Example Skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical animator skills. We ranked the top skills for animators based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 35.7% of animator resumes contained animation as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an animator needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 animator skills for your resume and career

1. Animation

Here's how animators use animation:
  • Created character performances and attacks for in-game, mini-games and fatality cinemas using a combination of motion capture and hand-keyed animation.
  • Assisted with development of proprietary animation tools and user interface design

2. Motion Capture

Here's how animators use motion capture:
  • Developed and implemented motion capture pipeline for all in-game ambient animations.
  • Performed clean up animation on motion captured characters using MotionBuilder.

3. Storyboards

Here's how animators use storyboards:
  • Quadruped and biped character animation for mascot spots with James Madison University Participated in company critiques Worked from storyboards and style frames
  • Interpreted written scripts and storyboards to create engaging, accurate, and easy-to-understand medical animations.

4. Motion Graphics

Here's how animators use motion graphics:
  • Created 60-second internal motion graphics video highlighting the automotive fleet management company s features and statistics.
  • Animated characters and motion graphics for educational shorts.

5. AAA

American Automobile Association, commonly pronounced as AAA or triple A, is an organization in North America. AAA is a privately held non-profit driven public party affiliation and administration association with more than 60 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA offers types of assistance to its individuals, including emergency aide.

Here's how animators use aaa:
  • Animated camera and props for a AAA client reveal video.
  • Created AAA performances for God of War.

6. Graphic Design

Graphic design is the art of making visual content to communicate messages. Designers apply different page layout methods and visual hierarchy by using letters and pictures to meet the need of end-users. Most companies use graphic design to sell their product or services and to convey complicated information by using infographics.

Here's how animators use graphic design:
  • Realize a digital 2D animation The Willow Tree and graphic design for the DVD cover Let's all Make a Circle.
  • Create and distribute graphic design art for ceremonies, websites, and presentations for the Athletics Department of SCAD-Atlanta.

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7. Game Engine

A game engine is a type of game framework where a 3D Artist creates animation, graphics, three-dimensional models, visual effects, and models with special effects using computer software and program.

Here's how animators use game engine:
  • Implement animation assets into proprietary and commercial game engines including Unity3D.
  • Modeled and textured over 100 low-poly assets for the real-time game engine Unity3D.
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8. Cinema

A cinema is a place where motion movies are shown to people for public entertainment. Cinemas not only offer relaxation and entertainment but also create awareness and education.

Here's how animators use cinema:
  • Utilized Cinema 4D and Unity to model, animate and texture over 90 low-poly characters for use in a mobile game.
  • Help introduced a Cinema 4D department and Net Render Pipeline.

9. Adobe Photoshop

Here's how animators use adobe photoshop:
  • Animate characters and backgrounds using both Adobe PhotoShop and Flash.
  • Created graphics for various uses utilizing Painter, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.

10. Sketch

Here's how animators use sketch:
  • Created many logos for a YouTube sketch.
  • Recognized for educating others about the conventions, anticipating issues before they arose and overseeing the sketch contest.

11. Video Games

Video Games are a form of entertainment where the player interacts with a virtual space. The subject and strategies for video games vary depending on the kind of game. For example, some video games require the player to solve a puzzle in addition to exploring the virtual world, while others encourage combat strategies.

Here's how animators use video games:
  • Created retro video game style character animation for music video
  • Created artwork for video games including building and animating 3D models in Animation Master, Maya and LightWave.

12. Adobe Illustrator

Here's how animators use adobe illustrator:
  • Use of graphics tablet with both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Affects
  • Create vector graphics from scanned images using Adobe Illustrator.

13. VFX

Visual effects or, as it is known more often, VFX is a term used to describe the special imagery as well as the process of creating and applying said effects onto a visual piece of media, such as a photograph, a video, or a film. VFX is used in filmmaking to replace activities, actions, settings, objects, and animals that would otherwise be too expensive or dangerous or otherwise difficult to work with, create, or use.

Here's how animators use vfx:
  • Designed and developed 3D models, environments, symbols, textures, lighting and VFX.
  • Managed cinematic animation production, and gave direction to outsource Lighter and VFX artists.

14. Adobe Premiere

Here's how animators use adobe premiere:
  • Edited videos for various YouTube celebrities using Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, and Adobe After Effects.
  • Sequence video for interviews and instructional video using Adobe Premiere and Final Cut.

15. Animation Pipeline

Here's how animators use animation pipeline:
  • Assisted and supported other animators and artists in technical animation pipeline and art.
  • Led up a team to produce an animation pipeline for an HP app project.
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List of animator skills to add to your resume

Animator Skills

The most important skills for an animator resume and required skills for an animator to have include:

  • Animation
  • Motion Capture
  • Storyboards
  • Motion Graphics
  • AAA
  • Graphic Design
  • Game Engine
  • Cinema
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Sketch
  • Video Games
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • VFX
  • Adobe Premiere
  • Animation Pipeline
  • PC
  • Animation Style
  • Autodesk Maya
  • Concept Art
  • Traditional Animation
  • Character Design
  • FX
  • CG
  • YouTube
  • Logo
  • Production Pipeline
  • Stop Motion Animation
  • Adobe Flash
  • Facial Animation
  • Computer Animation
  • Game Play
  • Feature Film
  • Game Assets
  • Web Series
  • Game Design
  • Music Videos
  • Art Assets
  • Promotional Videos
  • Documentaries
  • User Interface
  • ABC
  • Toon Boom
  • PBS
  • DVD
  • Clips
  • Xbox
  • Comics
  • TV Series

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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