How To Write an Animator Resume

A strong animator resume should highlight your technical achievements and illustrate the nuances of your animation background. Demonstrate your ability to collaborate cross-functionally with artists, directors, animators, and production teams to bring film, television, and gaming projects to life.

Showcase your experience creating dynamic character animations using a variety of keyframing and motion capture techniques. Align your animator resume with the job description, and consider these tips and examples to help you craft a compelling document that effectively tells your professional story.

  • Entry-level
  • Mid-career
  • Senior-level
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1. Write a dynamic profile summarizing your animator qualifications

Create an engaging snapshot of your animator career to draw in the reader and display your expertise. Begin by listing your job title, years of experience, and three to four specializations that align with the job posting. This is especially important for animators because you might specialize in feature films or gaming but have experience in both areas. So, when applying to a company like Pixar, you’d focus more heavily on feature film character animation experience.

In the subsequent sentences, establish yourself as an exceptional, dynamic animator by including major milestones in your profile. For example, if you worked on films like “Toy Story 4” or created character animations for a top-selling Nintendo Switch game, highlight that information.

Entry-Level Profile Example


A dynamic Animator with five years of experience in game development specializing in Maya, motion capture, and 3D modeling. A proven track record of coordinating with creative teams to develop complex human character animations for game cinematics and sequences.

Senior-Level Profile Example


A Senior Animator with 10+ years of experience within the film industry specializing in character animation, 3D modeling, rigging, and storyboarding. A strong history of developing high-quality character designs for feature films by Pixar and DreamWorks.

2. Outline your animator experience in a compelling list

To craft an accomplishment-driven professional experience section, create bullet points emphasizing your career achievements rather than job responsibilities. Companies are interested in results, and as an animator, it is best to demonstrate your success by incorporating data, metrics, and monetary figures.

For example, include that sales number if you worked on an animation team for a premiere video game that fetched $2 million in sales within a year of launch. Or, you might highlight that a game you designed earned 93% positive reviews.

Also, emphasize your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams because as an animator, you will work with other artists, designers, technical experts, producers, and directors. Interpersonal communication skills are key.

Entry-Level Professional Experience Example


Animator, Excelsior Games, San Francisco, CA

July 2019 – Present

  • Create animation content and visual assets during pre-production to design character animations to capture complex human emotions for action RPG titles generating over $5M in sales, including Revenant Sun, Arcadia Lost, and Starfall
  • Create gameplay animations using Maya and keyframing techniques within the in-game engine, perform bug fixes and quality assurance testing, and support redesigns
  • Perform 3D modeling and rigging and identify opportunities to enhance workflows and ensure alignment with strict game development deadlines

Senior-Level Professional Experience Example


Senior Animator, Pixar, New York, NY

October 2016 – Present

  • Oversee the design of characters for feature films such as Moana, Soul, Onward, and Toy Story 4, provide concept drawings, perform 3D modeling and testing on character designs, and ensure alignment with the director’s vision
  • Create dynamic character animations for film sequences and coordinate with the director to align character personality and expressions with acting delivery
  • Manage a team of 20+ animators, coordinate with artists, conduct reviews on shots and sequences, and identify continuity issues with the director

3. Include education and certifications relevant to animators

In addition to your education, feature relevant certifications you’ve achieved throughout your animation. Although most employers will be more interested in your professional experience, obtaining other credentials won’t hurt your chances of landing the interview.

For instance, having Adobe Animator or FinalCut Pro X certifications demonstrates a higher level of expertise and might position you ahead of other animator candidates lacking these credentials. It also shows prospective employers you are committed to advancing your career and continuous learning.

Education

Template

  • [Degree Name]
  • [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]

Example

  • Master of Science (M.S.) Animation
  • Columbia University | New York, NY | 2013

Certifications

Template

  • [Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]

Example

  • Final Cut Pro X Certification | Apple | 2013
  • Adobe Animator Certification | Adobe | 2012

4. List key skills and proficiencies for animators

Most organizations rely on some form of applicant tracking system (ATS) to identify qualified candidates for job openings. To get your resume through the initial screening process and into the hiring manager’s hands, incorporate keywords from the job description directly into your profile, professional experience, and skills section. Below is a list of key terms and skills you may encounter while applying for animator positions.

Key Skills and Proficiencies
2-D animation 3-D animation
Adobe After Effects Adobe Animator
Animation Art design
Character animation Cinematography
Computer animation Cross-functional collaboration
Final Cut Pro X Game development
Gameplay design Handkey animation
Human character animation Keyframing
Maya Motion capture
Motion graphics Rigging
Storyboarding  

5. Highlight communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

Animation requires much more than bringing characters to life. Emphasize your technical expertise. It’s also important to show hiring managers your leadership and communication skills. Employers are looking for candidates who collaborate effectively across teams and departments. Illustrate how you coordinate with other animators, artists, directors, producers, and technical experts so hiring managers recognize the value you can bring to their organization.

6. Showcase your technical achievements

Hiring managers want to see you have the technical expertise to succeed in the position and contribute to their team. The best way to highlight your technical knowledge is by giving specific examples of putting these skill sets into practice on specific projects. In the resume featured below, the job seeker uses specific examples to demonstrate their background in hand-keyed and motion capture techniques. This makes a much stronger impact on prospective employers than simply listing these skills in a vacuum without context:

  • Create animation content and visual assets during production lifecycles to capture a wide range of human emotions for action role-playing game (RPG) titles generating over $5 million in sales, including “Revenant Sun,” “Arcadia Lost,” and “Starfall”
  • Create gameplay animations using Maya and keyframing techniques within the in-game engine, perform bug fixes and quality assurance testing, and support redesigns
  • Perform 3D modeling and rigging and identify opportunities to enhance workflows and ensure alignment with strict game development deadlines

How To Pick the Best Animator Resume Template

When selecting your template, prioritize structure and readability over visual appeal. That said, as an animator, the presentation of your resume and its design aesthetic matters more than if you were applying for a job as an accountant. But remember heavy use of colors and bulky graphics can distract the reader from your content. Seek a template that organizes your content effectively and fits your brand. Hiring managers will always be more interested in your achievements and qualifications than the style of your template. You might also consider adding a link to your portfolio so hiring managers can see your previous work in animation.

Animator Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples

  • Example #1
  • Example #2
  • Example #3

Hideo Araki
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
123 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 12345

Profile

An Animator with eight years of professional experience specializing in character animation, game development, and storyboarding. A proven track record of coordinating with cross-functional teams to create high-quality animation sequences for premiere gaming titles.

Professional Experience

Animator, Obsidian Studios, San Diego, CA
June 2017 – Present

  • Collaborate with a team of art designers, animators, and directors to create storyboards, concept art, and animation sequences for premiere gaming titles, including the Outer Worlds, Pillars of Eternity, and Grounded
  • Develop dialogue, character, and cinematic animations using motion capture techniques to support innovative storytelling and narratives for RPGs
  • Identify opportunities to enhance facial animations and create compelling character designs by providing additional focus on key movements during dialogue delivery

Animator, Dark Star Studios, San Diego, CA
May 2014 – June 2017

  • Created high-quality character animations using motion capture data to develop gameplay and cinematic animation sequences for a first-person walking simulator, Shadows in Dust, which received a 93% positive rating on Metacritic
  • Interface with the art director and animation team to create character designs and animations for a choose-your-own-adventure game, Razia’s Dawn, which generated over $2M in sales within one year of launch

Education

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Animation
University of San Diego, San Diego, CA September 2010 – May 2014

Key Skills

  • Gameplay Design
  • Game Development
  • Character Animation
  • 3D Animation
  • 2D Animation

Certifications

  • Final Cut Pro X Certification, Apple, 2014
  • Adobe Animator Certification, Adobe, 2014

Frequently Asked Questions: Animator Resume Examples and Advice

What are common action verbs for animator resumes?-

As you craft your bullet points, you may run short on action verbs to convey your professional experience. Writing a resume is a complicated process. As a technical professional, you may find there are limited verbs you can use to describe your career achievements accurately. To keep your content fresh throughout the document, we’ve provided a list of action verbs you can use to build your resume:

Action Verbs
Analyzed Collaborated
Conducted Coordinated
Created Delivered
Designed Developed
Diagnosed Enhanced
Evaluated Executed
Identified Implemented
Led Managed
Oversaw Performed
Planned Provided
Supported  
How do you align your resume with an animator job description?-

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for animators and special effects artists are projected to grow 8% from 2021 to 2031, faster than average for most occupations. 3-D animators are in demand across a range of industries, from entertainment companies to corporations that hire professionals with animation experience to lead creative efforts.

Although these projections are optimistic, you must align your resume with the job description to secure interviews for the most lucrative opportunities. For instance, if you are applying for an animator position at a feature film company, highlight characters you’ve animated for various movies. If you’re pursuing an animator position for a game developer studio, display your expertise in motion capture and hand-key techniques.

What is the best animator resume format?-

Reverse chronological format is ideal for most resumes, including animation. This approach ensures your most recent and relevant experience is featured at the top of your document. Even at the entry level, it’s best to avoid functional resume formats. If you lack hands-on experience, you’d still be much better served by illustrating projects you’ve contributed to rather than only listing technical skills.

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Expert Advice
Include a cover letter with your resume

Crafting a strong cover letter helps your chances of landing an interview during a job search. The key to creating a compelling cover letter is to customize your document for the organization you’re applying to. Read our artist cover letter guide to learn how. For other related cover letter examples, see our graphic designer and production assistant cover letter guides.

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Frank Hackett

Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)

Frank Hackett is a professional resume writer and career consultant with over eight years of experience. As the lead editor at a boutique career consulting firm, Frank developed an innovative approach to resume writing that empowers job seekers to tell their professional stories. His approach involves creating accomplishment-driven documents that balance keyword optimization with personal branding. Frank is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PAWRCC).

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