Today, there are so many industries that are using 2D animation in one form or another. You will find it from your television screen to your computer and mobile phone to video games. Due to this growing demand, you will find several colleges and universities that are offering 2d animation programs in Canada. In this blog, we will discuss the dynamics of this field and why there is a rising demand for 2D animators.
What’s 2D Animation?
2D animation is a collection of pictures systematically used in two-dimensional space to create an illusion of motion. When characters and drawings are sequenced together in 24 frames or so per second, it turns into a movie. Initially, there were fewer frames per second, and the characters were also usually drawn by hand-drawn drawings. However, with the advancement of technology, today we have more involvement of computer software or other digital methods to do the same technique. When 3D animation was introduced, some people thought that the demand for 2D would reduce over time. However, this did not happen exactly how it was predicted. After witnessing some ups and downs, 2D animation has made a comeback, and for the last decade or so, its popularity has only grown.
Types Of Jobs
2D animation is a diverse field, and by learning new skills, 2D animators can also do 3D work. Animators mostly work for television shows, films, documentaries, advertisements, mobile apps, video game development companies, websites, etc. Some of the common roles that animators take up are as follows:
- Concept artists
- Animation editors and compositors
- Storyboard artists
- Illustrators
- Game developers
- Graphic designers
- VFX artists
- Web designers
2D Software
2D animators use different kinds of software, though some software is very popular and usually called industry-standard software, such as Toon Boom Harmony, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, Flash, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, etc. Some animators try to master one software to get expertise and then move further, while others use more than one software at the same time according to the kind of work they have at hand. 2d animation software like Toon Boom Harmony is really popular, and most career colleges teach this software for 2D diploma programs in Canada. Other popular 2D animation software include Adobe Flash, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop. 3D animation software like Maya, Cinema 4D, and 3D Studio Max are also widely used in the industry.
Salary Expectations
The median hourly wage of a 2D animation artist in Canada is $29.60 per hour, while the low and high salaries are $19.23 and $46.63, respectively, according to the Government of Canada Job Bank. The highest median salary of a 2D animator is in Newfoundland and Labrador, which is $31.73, then come Ontario and British Columbia with $31.25 each. Whereas provinces where median salaries are low include: Saskatchewan ($23.00), Manitoba ($23.08), and Prince Edward Island ($24.52). However, 2D animators can expect a significantly higher salary of $65.93, $56.00, and $54.05 in Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia, and Alberta, respectively.
Join the 2D Character Animation Program at Edison College
If you want to join the growing animation industry in Canada, you can opt for a 2D animation program at Edison College. Edison College is Victoria’s oldest and largest animation college. The college has also been a Toon Boom Harmony Centre of Excellence since 2015 because of its excellent training and up-to-date curriculum.
Edison College offers a one-year intensive 2D Character Animation Diploma Program designed to prepare students for the job market by giving them practical tools through which they can immediately start their careers. Students with this 2d animation course will learn practical skills along with the theory part so that the students do not face any problems while entering the animation field. All courses in this diploma are designed to create a natural flow from one to another and end the program with two personal projects, including a demo reel and portfolio.
Conclusion
New technology has opened up many avenues for 2D artists to do experimentation. 2D animation has proved its worth despite so many challenges for almost a century, showing that it can make its position in all circumstances. Some of the strong points that have always supported 2D animation are its accessibility, versatility, and creative expression. It is easy to produce, which means it does not need big budgets to come up with any projects. It provides creative expression through endless possibilities of experimentation. Its versatility allows it to be used in a variety of mediums, such as films, television shows, online content, small and big video games, etc. All of these characteristics of 2D animation make it a strong contender to consolidate its position despite so much competition coming from the 3D animation industry.
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Pictures by Freepik
