New “Career” Guide Offers Inside-Scoop on Working in Animation

Feb. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- Animation is everywhere—from the Internet to the silver screen—and due to the unprecedented growth of animation in virtually every field and industry, so are animation jobs. Now for students and professionals at all levels of experience seeking their first job or to move up in the industry, author Jeff Lenburg offers the inside-scoop on everything they need to know to enjoy long, successful careers in his new book, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN ANIMATION (Ferguson Publishing, $49.50).

“With high demand for qualified individuals to work in film and television animation, visual and specials effects, and online and video games, mobile gaming, digital media, and many more,” Lenburg said, “there has never been a better time to start or advance your career in the field of animation.”

Considered the most authoritative guide on the subject to date, Lenburg, who is an award-winning author of 30 books and nationally recognized expert on animation, exhaustively describes 60 careers in many fields of animation, including art, backgrounds and layouts, design, directing, engineering, film and television animation, game and Web design, painting and texturing, performing, producing, technical production, and writing.

Lenburg says his book will put job seekers “on the right track” toward a rewarding career in one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Extensively researched and written, he derived his information from more than 225 sources, including national job data banks, professional associations, unions/guilds, and the federal government, as well as interviews with 75 animation professionals in assorted positions within the film, television, and games industry.

As Lenburg noted, “Each job description is based on actual job posts, employment documents, salary surveys, and many other sources, including the personal testimony of professionals in the field spotlighted in this volume, and various studios and production houses within the animation industry throughout the United States, and reflect the current practice and structure of jobs in the industry.”

Divided in twelve sections, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN ANIMATION covers every key area of the industry: Animation (Film and Television), Art, Backgrounds and Layouts, Design, Engineering, Directing, Game Animation and Design, Painting and Texturing, Performing, Producing, Technical Production (Camera, Editing, Production Management, Sound, Special Effects, Visual Effects), and Writing. Prefacing the book is a complete and thoroughly researched and written “Industry Outlook” discussing at length career opportunities in the animation industry with an overview of how the field has changed over the years to date.

Furthermore, Lenburg’s book reviews the most sought after positions within the animation industry in all fields and provides job seekers with explicit details and information about each. “While job titles and summaries of responsibilities may vary from one company to the next, my book uses the most universal job titles and most common definitions and descriptions for such positions,” he explained.

Moreover, Lenburg said, each profile divides the full scope and responsibilities into specific components or sub-categories for ease of locating information for particular jobs in that area, he added. He covers common job titles and alternate job titles (where applicable); career ladders with common routes to landing a position; key responsibilities and duties; salary ranges, including average minimum to maximum salaries, established union scales and wages, and entry-level, median, and top hourly and yearly earnings; and the best geographical location(s) for employment. In addition, he highlights employment prospects, including current and projected trends of hiring and difficulties landing jobs; advancement prospects, including steps for promotion within the industry; and general prerequisites required, including levels of education, training, experience, special skills, personality traits, special requirements relevant to each position.  

“For both prospective and experienced job seekers, my book also includes information on related unions/guilds and professional associations, access to employment information, requirements, wages, benefits, and other useful resources by position,” Lenburg said. “Practical tips and suggestions from professionals in the field on preparations for obtaining a specific job or career in each category are also offered.”

Five appendixes in this comprehensive new resource, including Educational Institutions; Major Trade Periodicals, Newsletters, and Other Publications; Professional, Industry, and Trade Associations; Guilds and Unions; Recommended Animation Industry Web Sites; and U.S. Animation Studios and Production Companies, to aid job seekers are also featured.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN ANIMATION by Jeff Lenburg is available in both hardcover and trade paperback and sold through local and independent bookstores, including Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and national wholesalers, including Ingram Book Group and Baker and Taylor, or can be purchased from the publisher on the web at http://www.infobasepublishing.com.

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Jeff Lenburg is an award-winning author of more than 30 books, including two national bestsellers, and nationally recognized expert on animation. His work includes many critically-acclaimed celebrity memoirs and biographies, entertainment histories, and popular references.