APPLICATION:

It is desirable, but not essential, that you have a degree in animation or a related field. The key thing is to have a portfolio or showreel that shows your skills and abilities. You should include examples of character animation, special effects animation and other relevant types and techniques of animation. Through your portfolio/showreel, you should demonstrate that you can animate (and draw) in different styles, such as cartoon, realistic, or stylized, and that you are skilled at animating (and drawing) different types of characters, including humans, animals and fantastical creatures.

In addition to technical skills, you should demonstrate good communication skills, as you will closely collaborate with other team members in game development. You should be able to take direction and incorporate feedback into your work, as well as offer your own creative ideas. Attention to detail and the ability to work effectively within tight deadlines are also key traits for a successful 2D Animator, so consider how you can showcase them through your CV or portfolio.

INTERVIEW:

In an interview for a 2D Animator role, you can expect to be asked a series of questions about your skills, experience and ability to work in a fast-paced, team environment. In later stage of the interview, besides the Recruiter, an Art Director or Lead Animator usually attends, often asking you to explain how and why you chose certain solutions after demonstrating your skills through practical exercises. Some common questions in a 2D Animator interview are:

1. Can you describe your experience with 2D Animation and how it applies to gaming?
2. How have you collaborated with other team members, such as Game Designers, Programmers and Art Directors?
3. Can you provide an example of a challenging animation problem you faced and how you solved it?
4. What software and tools do you use for 2D animation and how do you stay updated on the latest trends and techniques?
5. How do you balance creativity and technical requirements when creating animations for games?

TECHNICAL TASK:

The technical task typically involves demonstrating your animation skills by completing a short exercise. This exercise may involve animating a character or object based on a given brief or scenario. The exercise may be timed to simulate the fast-paced environment of game development, which is often bound by deadlines. Usually, the task comes with pre-existing visual material that needs to be animated.

The purpose of the technical task is to assess your skills, attention to detail, ability to work effectively under pressure and follow instructions. Additionally, the task evaluates your problem-solving ability and your capacity to make creative decisions on the fly, as game development often requires Animators to collaborate with other team members to create high-quality animations that align with the game’s vision and technical requirements.