3D animation is widely used in different fields, not only in the creation of fantasy films or video games. This article describes some spheres in which there are jobs for 3D animators. Perhaps it’s this material that will give you the idea of a life change and allow you to find your dream job.
3D programs and equipment are used in different industries and occupations. Each field of 3D animation is used in a completely different way. The goals and approach to its implementation are very different.
Science and entertainment are the main consumers of 3D animation and visualization. Science includes highly specialized projects, the purpose of which is to visualize any scientific processes. For example, 3D-animation is used in physics, medicine and forensics. In the film and game industry 3D-animation is used to create characters, modeling scenes, creating futuristic or historical worlds and special effects. It’s a whole separate industry employing thousands of 3D professionals.
3D animation in filmmaking
The film industry is the largest industry that uses 3D animation. Movies can be made entirely in 3D (Shrek, Toy Story) or with 3D visual effects (Jurassic Park, Tron: Legacy).
Usually the production of a film lasts from 6 months to 4 years, and from 3 to 300 professionals work on a single project.
It takes longer to produce a fully animated feature film: 2 to 4 years. Studios, with a staff of several hundred professionals work on a project on their own.
Short films, lasting up to 40 minutes, are usually created by one person or a small studio. In large studios, short films are usually used to test new technology.
Films that use visual effects differ from fully animated in that they are shot in the hall, and then the footage falls into the hands of visual effects and they add the necessary effects and elements.
The studios that work on visual effects can be small or large, depending on the type and amount of work they do.
3D animation on TV
As with film production, there are a number of television products that are fully animated. For television, creating such programs, is an expensive and time-consuming process. For example, the American children’s show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is produced entirely in 3D programs.
Television broadcasters are more likely to use 3D animation and visualization to augment shows with effects or to create splash screens.
Video games and 3D
Profits from the production of video games are significant and measured in hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of dollars. In terms of profitability, video games can only compete with film production. 3D animation is used to create game worlds in which the player enters. Video games are close to the movie industry, only 3D designers work much faster. Mobile games are developed quickly, but the production of a video game can take longer from 2 to 3 years.
3D animation in advertising
The advertising industry is quick to embrace new opportunities that allow it to capture the audience’s attention and influence it. 3D animation is very positively perceived by the human eye and its effectiveness is 5 times greater than that of 2D advertising animation. Sometimes using 3D animation is the only visualization option. 3D animation gives marketers more opportunities to show the benefits of products.
3D animation in VR
Virtual Reality is a fresh trend in the world of content, which is winning new hearts of users every day. At the moment, this is one of the fastest growing trends in IT. Of course, right now our devices and VR technology are far from perfect. Every now and then the processor or video card slows down, and the sensors do not always respond to the movements of the user. That’s why we still can’t do away with controllers (joysticks).
Medicine and 3D animation
The results of the 3D designer’s work, made for scientific purposes, are rarely seen by a mass audience. Medicine, forensics, architecture – this is the specialization that can be a 3D-animator.
In medicine, 3D animation is widely used: from creating visualizations of medical events to biological reactions. For example, it is difficult to reproduce the process of how a disease blocks blood flow to the heart and causes a heart attack. 3D animation allows you to visually recreate a picture of what’s going on, and that’s a significant advantage for medicine. 3D visualization is used more in education and marketing.