Animation Producer

An animation producer is an entertainment professional who acts as the head of production for animated films on behalf of a company or a group of investors. As part of their job, these producers are an intermediary between the talent who makes the movies and the executives of the company who green light the budgets*.

In order to do the job more effectively, the producer oversees the costs of the individual projects and creates status reports for executives to review. The idea is to facilitate the creativity that makes animated films or series possible while also guarding against excessive spending or waste. Ultimately, it is the animation producer’s responsibility to ensure that a film gets finished on time and within the specified budget.

In order to do their work more effectively, animation producers should be able to manage people, money, and time wisely*. Having exceptional communication and business skills may be essential to ensuring that projects are completed on schedule for the right price. Stress has the potential to be particularly high, especially if the producer is subject to a tight schedule imposed on him/her by the executives in charge. Having to terminate relationships with talent as well as make difficult decisions as to the allocation of funds may also produce anxiety. But, seeing the final product of such hardships may often be rewarding enough to keep producers in the profession. If it is something you love to do and have a passion for, the good may find a way to outweigh the bad and stressful, like others things in life.

The majority of animation producers have college educations, although there isn’t a specific educational requirement for the job. Some producers come from business backgrounds, while others started as artists and worked their way to becoming animation producers. Regardless of the career path taken, several have shown a talent for reigning in needless spending while still producing wonderful works of art that make their companies money. Ultimately what separates animation producers who are sought out for work versus those who are not is a proven track record of success.

Salaries vary, although the majority is between $65,000-95,000 per year, depending on the experience required and the part of the country where the job is located. Those who seem to have a talent will often be rewarded with higher paying jobs that have the potential to be well into six figures. Job growth within the profession is expected to be slower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates an eight percent increase in jobs between 2010 to 2020 for multimedia artists and animation professionals. Still, devoted professionals may pursue the career path, as the perks of participating in the creative process for a living may be enough for someone to go after their dreams.

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*For more information, please visit: http://floobynooby.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-is-animation-producer.html

**For more information, please visit: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm