Animaatorid

Animaatorid are professionals who create moving images by sequencing drawings, photographs, or digital frames. They work across media such as feature films, television series, commercials, video games, and online content. The term animaatorid is Estonian for animators.

Their work includes pre-production tasks (concept art, storyboarding, layout), production (modeling, rigging, animation, lighting), and post-production (compositing, rendering, editing). They collaborate with directors, scriptwriters, editors, sound designers, and other artists such as modelers, texture artists, and riggers. Animators may specialize in 2D or 3D, and may practice stop-motion or motion capture.

Techniques and tools: 2D animation can be traditional hand-drawn or digitally produced with software like Toon Boom Harmony or TVPaint. 3D animation uses programs such as Maya, Blender, or 3ds Max. Additional tools include After Effects for compositing and various rendering engines. Knowledge of timing, camera movement, anatomy, and acting is essential, along with a strong sense of storytelling and communication.

Education and career: Many animators complete art, animation, or computer graphics programs at universities, colleges, or art schools. The field is highly collaborative and rapidly changing, with ongoing training in new software and pipelines. Demand comes from film and TV production, advertising, game development, and virtual reality projects.