Working with an Animation Studio Members  

Much of the content we consume these days moves. Social media, YouTube, digital billboards, App Store banners - the list goes on. It?s a fantastic time to be an animator, and many illustrators are finding themselves either dipping their toes directly into animation software, or being asked to work alongside an animation studio. 

This resource will introduce the process of working with an animation studio. It will help you to manage expectations, understand a few industry terms and techniques, and highlight crucial questions to ask that will save you time and energy. Let?s get started by discussing the various forms of animation, as each will require a different approach to your illustration work and specific expectations.

Cel Animation

?Cel Animation?, sometimes referred to as frame-by-frame, is a traditional form of animation in which the animator draws every unique frame of movement. So for a film that is 24 frames per second, each second will require 24 drawings. Your role here may be to supply a few key frames - or key poses - and your animator is likely to be responsible for drawing the ?in-betweens?. 

In the world of cel animation, you are likely to hear the term ?working on twos?. This simply means your animator has made the decision to create 12 drawings for each second, each drawing remaining on screen for 2 frames. Animators love working on twos as it takes half the time to animate.