Although there are permanent/full time positions in studios, most animators work on a contract basis.
An employment contract is a legal document which states the terms of your employment including your salary. This contract is an agreement made between you and the employer before you start work.
I know, you want to hear about those permanent/full time positions. (and I use the word “permanent” loosely). I’m going to sound cynical here, but few jobs in the animation industry are really secure…or permanent.
Most studios have a core staff. These individuals are usually the people that were hired when the company started up and have been there since the beginning. Sometimes, they are folks who start later but who are exceptionally talented. They are usually the last to be layed off in harder times and therefore have a more secure job than someone who was hired after the company was established.
It comes with at bit of luck – you have to get hired at a new studio right at the point when they are doing they’re initial hiring. How do you find out about new studios?…..other people. Keep you lines of communication open with people in and around the animation industry to catch wind of these rare opportunities.
Just to sprinkle in some reality here – I was part of a core staff in a studio at one point. It lasted for a few years but I’m working somewhere else now. The company ended up closing down, but that’s not all that uncommon for animation studios. For many different reasons, some stay around for a very long time, and some do not. It’s just the nature of this volatile industry.
I wouldn’t concentrate on getting a permanent job in a studio as your first job because you’ll end up chasing your tail and never starting your career. That “permanent” position can come later – a contract will likely come much faster, so for now just try and land your first gig.
Once you’ve gotten through the interview/follow up, and a studio has decided they want to hire you, they will extend an offer of employment to you. Basically letting you know how much they are willing to pay you. The offer is usually in the form of an email.
If this is going to be your first job, take what ever they offer – don’t try and make a deal by counter offering with no experience because you’re likely to loose the opportunity to get some.
Studios usually offer the industry standard/going rate for your experience. I usually accept unless it’s ridiculously out of the ball park (on the low side of course 
. At your first job your annual salary should be somewhere between 30,000 – 40,000.
Contracts
Sometime after you accept the offer (usually after your sitting at your desk), you receive the contract. The contract can run for any length of time but are usually between 3 – 12 months long.
The reason studios hire production staff on contract is because animation work is project based. It’s a set amount of work – then it’s finished. Studios then have to find the next project. They usually plan ahead and have future projects lined up.(you hope!)
Most of my contracts have been around 8 months long because I work in series animation. 8 months is generally the amount of time scheduled for the animation teams to complete a season of a show. A season often runs about 24 episodes(22 min. long each). That’s a half hour show without the commercials.
Once your contract is up – hopefully the studio your working at has another project to put you on (assuming you’ve done a good job and they want to keep you). In which case you’ll receive another contract or an extension to your existing contract. As long as they have enough work they usually keep you on board.
It’s not uncommon to get extended multiple times at one studio. I’ve been extended at every studio I’ve worked for at least once – My longest run was three years at one studio, worked on three different projects back to back (so extended three times). There are plenty of animators who have worked at the same studio for 10 years or more.
Animators Salaries In Canada (but probably similar to U.S.)
This can be a bit of a touchy subject for some people because it really does depend on your experience and quality of your work, but also the budget that your employer has to work with and what they’re willing to pay you.
Once it’s been decided that you would be a good fit for the project, studios will often place you in a category of junior animator, intermediate animator, or senior animator based on your experience and skill level. There is a set salary range for each category – an offer is then extended to you (as discussed above).
Series animators generally make between 30,000(to start) and 70,000 per year depending on your experience and skill level you will climb closer to (around) the higher amount of 70K. Of course this is very general and there may be some that make less or more than this, but the majority of series animators are somewhere in this range.
Leads make upward of 70K, Supervisors up from there and of course directors make somewhere around 90K and can get into 100k’s. I won’t get too specific here because it does vary with different studios and projects.
3D animators salaries are usually a little higher than Digital 2D animators. Although this is usually the case, on rare occasion I’ve seen it the other way around.
So if your just starting out, anything less than 30,000 is on the low side. If you do start contract work, open a new savings account at your bank and put enough money away each pay cheque to sustain you for at least a month just in case you don’t get extended or served another contract. This should give you enough time to find the next job.
hi..i m a student in india but vthin 1or 2 months i ‘ll be there..as student..if possible so i search out abt job in canada for an animator actually i read everything but i cant get satisfied vth bcoz if a student is learn only n only character animation then what he or she can expect to get from employer in canada?and if i’ll be there for six months as a student so is there any chanses for a workpermit or permennant?
i wish u send me a reply to me…
Hi Viral,
So, you’ll be here in Canada for 6 months. Most provincial governments in Canada will only hire residents of their province because our government has a Film and Television tax credit program for employers. This means that employers benefit from hiring residents of their province.
I know Ontario has this in place for sure so you may run into some difficulty there. There’s also a Federal Tax credit for the entire country. It’s easier if you become a Canadian citizen.
If you have Maya or Flash character animation skills, and your demo reel (animation samples) look really good, you still may be able to get a job somewhere here. In terms of marketing yourself, it helps to have your animaton samples on the internet somewhere for potential employers to see – if not online then come ready with a resume and a DVD (with you work on it) to show.
I would start looking and emailing companies before you come. Make sure your english spelling is correct in all your correspondance – maybe use spell check in MS Work or something to help. Clear communication is important in the studio environment.
To,
Respected Chris,
I am really very Sorry 4 late reply,actually I am little busy with submission of 24Fps work & also I.E.L.T.S.exam.So I am very apologize,next time I try to reply as soon as..Now I am trying to get admission in character animation Program may be for January Intake at Vancouver.I already done 3D Studio Max with 24Fps competition Project experience as main Character Animator.So after complete this competition I get demo-reel of max character animation,which I will upload on youtube.com very shortly..Can you give little idea of “Marketing Yourself” on internet.I think that,the program is only for 6 month..so is there chances to get Work permit from Canadian High Commission.If yes then for how much time they give Work permit..I am very thank you to reply & aware me about Canadian Industry.May I request to get your Facebook or Orkut id if you are member there?I am really very happy to talk with you.You really nice PERSON,because you donot know me then also you guide me with a lot of Information.One more time,I am very SORRY for late reply.
Hi Viral,
That’s great that you did that competition. Marketing yourself just means advertising your work for potential employers to see it. Uploading your character animation to Utube is part of marketing yourself – so you’re already doing it. You can also post your work on your own web site or blog (blogs are free to create and use – try google’s blogger) and upload your resume/demo to AWN(Animation World Network). As far as work permits and Canadian government policies, I currently don’t have much knowledge about immigration and work permits, but I would go to http://www.gc.ca/ to find out, or at least who to contact.
Good luck!
To,
Respected Chris,
I am very happy to reply me & Thank you for your “Good Luck”.Now,I try for VFS/Centennial or may be BCIT for January intake,in their character animation program.Can you review them for which is first to try for applying admission?I really Impress by your blog..It help a lot in this industry people like me my friends.As per getting 24Fps experience,How much I expect from a employer as trainee or junior animator?My goal is to be a good Character Animator only.So,Is there any vacancies @ Canada in Game Industry or other productions for a Character Animator in this recession timing?Apart of EA how many Productions of gaming @ Canada?Now You think,I ask a lot of questions?So now here is “full-stop”.See you soon..
Thanks for the very informative article! Do you know where I could find a sample of one of those animation employment contracts you mentioned?
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hello sir,im uday
im an animation student in india n i wz planning to do post-graduation or post graduate diploma from canada. i need to kno certain things name of colleges which offer masters in post graduation n der criteria for selection . . .n will the graduation which im doin here will be counted over there . im doing animation from birla institute of technology mesra . . .and its a deemed university so i heard it shud be counted . . 1 more question .. around how much it will cost me to study over der including the cost of stayin over there .. . please give me a rough figure . . ..help me put