Animator Resume examples & templates

Written by: 

Adam

Build Your Resume Now
Copyable resume examples

Copyable Animator Resume examples

Ever wondered what it takes to bring characters to life frame by frame? Animation is that perfect blend of artistic vision and technical precision where storytelling meets visual magic. From traditional hand-drawn techniques to cutting-edge 3D modeling, animators transform static concepts into dynamic worlds that captivate audiences across films, games, apps, and marketing campaigns. The field has evolved dramatically since its early days—with real-time rendering technologies now allowing animators to see their work instantaneously rather than waiting hours for scenes to render (a game-changer that's cut production time by roughly 37% for many studios).

What makes animation particularly exciting right now is how accessible it's become. Independent animators with decent hardware and software can create content that rivals major studios from just a decade ago. The rise of streaming platforms has created unprecedented demand for animated content, while emerging AR/VR applications are opening entirely new canvases for animation professionals. Whether you're drawn to character animation, visual effects, motion graphics, or stop-motion, there's never been a more interesting time to build your animation career—or more ways to make your creative mark on the world.

Junior Animator Resume Example

OLIVIA CHEN

Los Angeles, CA | (323) 555-7612 | olivia.chen@email.com | linkedin.com/in/oliviachen

Junior animator with a fresh eye for character movement and storytelling. Recently completed internship at Little Spark Studios where I refined my skills in 2D animation and character rigging. Quick learner who’s comfortable with tight deadlines and last-minute changes. Seeking to bring my creative perspective and technical skills to a collaborative animation team.

EXPERIENCE

Animation Intern – Little Spark Studios, Los Angeles, CA (Jan 2023 – Present)

  • Assist senior animators with in-between frames for 2D animated short film “The Last Lighthouse”
  • Create basic character rigs using Adobe Character Animator for promotional content
  • Collaborate with 4 other interns to deliver 3-5 seconds of animation per week
  • Participate in weekly review sessions with art directors to receive feedback and implement changes

Freelance Animator – Self-employed (Sept 2022 – Present)

  • Produced 6 short animated clips for small business social media accounts
  • Created a 45-second animated explainer video for a tech startup
  • Managed client relationships and project timelines while delivering work on schedule

Student Animation Assistant – CalArts Student Film Project (Jan 2022 – May 2022)

  • Supported lead animator with cleanup work on 6-minute senior thesis film
  • Helped with color correction and compositing in After Effects
  • Film won “Best Student Animation” at campus film festival

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Character Animation
California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
Graduated: May 2022
GPA: 3.7/4.0

Relevant Coursework: Character Design, Storyboarding, 2D Animation Principles, Digital Animation Techniques, Life Drawing, Color & Design

SKILLS

  • Software: Adobe Animate, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, ToonBoom Harmony (basic), Blender (basic)
  • Animation: Character rigging, keyframing, tweening, squash & stretch, anticipation, follow-through
  • Art: Life drawing, character design, storyboarding, color theory
  • Technical: Frame-by-frame animation, basic scripting for animation, lip syncing
  • Personal: Quick learner, takes direction well, meets deadlines, team player

PROJECTS

“Moonlight Melody” – 2D Animated Short (2022)

  • Created a 90-second animated short as senior thesis project
  • Handled all aspects from concept to final render
  • Featured in student showcase and school’s online portfolio

Animation Demo Reel (Updated March 2023)
Available at: oliviachen-animation.com/demo

Mid-level Animator Resume Example

NINA PETERSON

Los Angeles, CA • (213) 555-7890 • nina.peterson@email.com
www.linkedin.com/in/ninapeterson • www.ninapeterson.art

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Versatile Animator with 5+ years crafting engaging visual narratives across 2D and 3D platforms. Experienced in character design, motion graphics, and digital storytelling for streaming platforms and indie game studios. Known for bringing unique artistic vision while meeting tight production deadlines—most recently leading a team of 3 junior animators on an award-winning short film that garnered 124K views in its first week.

EXPERIENCE

Senior Animator – DreamWave Studios, Los Angeles, CA
January 2022 – Present

  • Lead character animator for “Moonbeam Chronicles,” a children’s series averaging 2.3M viewers per episode on StreamFlix
  • Developed and implemented a rigging workflow that cut production time by 31% while maintaining quality standards
  • Mentor 3 junior animators, conducting weekly critique sessions and technical training on Maya and Blender
  • Collaborate with writers and voice actors to ensure character movements authentically match narrative intentions and vocal performances
  • Created a custom Python script that automates repetitive animation tasks, saving roughly 9 hours per week for the team

Animator – Pixel Pulse Games, San Francisco, CA
March 2020 – December 2021

  • Animated character movements and environmental effects for “Woodland Warriors,” an indie game with 800K+ downloads
  • Designed and executed 47 unique character animations using Spine and Unity for a mobile RPG title
  • Partnered with UI/UX team to create fluid menu transitions and reward animations that increased user engagement by 17%
  • Contributed to art style guide development, establishing animation principles that maintained visual consistency across projects

Junior Animator – Vibrant Motion Graphics, Portland, OR
August 2018 – February 2020

  • Created motion graphics and animated explainer videos for clients including Northwest Health Network and TechStart
  • Assisted senior animators with storyboarding, asset preparation, and animation cleanup on 12+ commercial projects
  • Developed my first solo animated short “Bubble Thoughts,” which was featured in 3 regional film festivals
  • Learned After Effects, Cinema 4D, and Toon Boom through hands-on project work and weekend training sessions (I still have nightmares about those deadline weekends!)

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation – California Institute of the Arts
Graduated May 2018

  • Senior thesis: “Movement & Emotion” – Received department excellence award
  • Animation Club President (2017-2018)

Certificates & Training

  • Advanced Character Rigging Masterclass – Animation Mentor (2021)
  • Certified Toon Boom Harmony Professional (2019)

SKILLS

  • Animation Software: Maya, Blender, Toon Boom Harmony, After Effects, Cinema 4D, Spine
  • Game Engines: Unity, Unreal Engine
  • Technical Skills: Character rigging, motion capture cleanup, Python scripting, procedural animation
  • Art & Design: Storyboarding, character design, color theory, traditional drawing
  • Soft Skills: Team leadership, client communication, constructive feedback, time management

PROJECTS & ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Co-creator of “Noodle Town,” an animated short that won Best Animation at Portland Underground Film Festival (2022)
  • Guest speaker at Animation Nation Conference on “Breaking Physics: Stylized Animation in a Realistic World” (2021)
  • Volunteer animation instructor at Youth Digital Arts Program, teaching basics to underserved teens (2019-present)

Senior / Experienced Animator Resume Example

Michael “Mike” Barnes

Los Angeles, CA 90041 • (323) 555-8164 • mikebarnes.animation@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/mikebarnesanimator • vimeo.com/mikebarnesportfolio

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Senior 3D Animator with 10+ years crafting character performances and storytelling across feature films, TV, and games. Known for bringing authentic emotion to characters through subtle movements and expressions. Previously led animation teams at DreamWorks and managed pipeline transitions from Maya to Unreal Engine 5. Mentored 14 junior animators who’ve since worked on Academy Award-nominated projects.

EXPERIENCE

Senior Character Animator – Pixelscape Studios, Los Angeles, CA
April 2019 – Present

  • Lead character animator for “Moonbound Chronicles” series, personally handling 37% of all hero character animations while supervising a team of 5 animators
  • Developed animation style guides that reduced revision cycles by 4.2 days per episode while maintaining consistent character personalities
  • Pioneered hybrid 2D/3D animation workflow that cut production time 23% without sacrificing quality (now studio standard)
  • Transitioned team to Unreal Engine 5, creating training modules that brought 8 traditionally-trained animators up to speed in just 3 weeks
  • Collaborated with mocap team to refine performance capture data, establishing protocols that improved raw data usability from 61% to 89%

Character Animator – DreamWorks Animation, Glendale, CA
June 2016 – March 2019

  • Animated character performances for 2 feature films and 1 TV series, focusing on facial expressions and emotional beats
  • Created 12 minutes of final animation for supporting character “Grizz” in “Wild Forest” (2018), receiving special mention in credits
  • Worked directly with Animation Director to establish character movement libraries, reducing production time by 17%
  • Refined crowd simulation techniques that balanced visual complexity with render efficiency (saved ~$142K in render farm costs)

Junior Animator – Rogue Games, San Francisco, CA
January 2014 – May 2016

  • Created gameplay and cinematic animations for 3 AAA game titles with combined sales of 4.7M copies
  • Specialized in combat animations and enemy character behaviors, producing 240+ unique animation cycles
  • Built state-driven animation systems in Unity that improved gameplay responsiveness by 16ms
  • Contributed to motion-matching system that won studio a technical achievement award at GDC 2015

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Fine Arts, Animation – California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA
Graduated 2013 – Thesis: “Micro-Expressions in Digital Character Animation”

Certified Autodesk Maya Professional – Autodesk, 2015 (renewed 2021)

Advanced Character Animation Workshop – Animation Mentor, 2014

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Software: Maya, Blender, Unreal Engine 5, Unity, ZBrush, Substance Painter, Adobe Creative Suite
  • Animation: Character performance, facial animation, mocap cleanup, procedural animation, action sequences
  • Technical: Rigging basics, Python scripting, animation state machines, motion matching
  • Pipeline: Shotgrid, Perforce, Git, asset management, render optimization
  • Soft Skills: Team leadership, mentoring, client presentations, animation direction

SELECTED PROJECTS

  • “Moonbound Chronicles” (TV Series, 2019-Present) – Character Lead Animator
  • “Wild Forest” (Feature Film, 2018) – Character Animator (Grizz)
  • “Dragon’s Keep: Legends” (Feature Film, 2017) – Character Animator
  • “Frontline: Apocalypse” (Game, 2016) – Combat Animator
  • “Kingdoms of Alterra” (Game, 2015) – Enemy Character Animator

ADDITIONAL

Animation mentor for inner-city youth program “Digital Dreams” (volunteer, 2018-Present)
Occasional guest lecturer at CalArts animation department
Dog dad to Pixel, a three-legged rescue who sits under my desk during crunch time

How to Write an Animator Resume

Introduction

Landing that dream animation job starts with a resume that showcases your creative talents and technical skills. In a field where visual storytelling is everything, your resume needs to tell your professional story effectively. I've helped hundreds of animators—from fresh graduates to seasoned pros at places like Pixar and smaller indie studios—craft resumes that actually get callbacks. The competition is fierce (some studios receive 500+ applications for a single position), but with the right approach, your resume can rise to the top of the pile.

Resume Structure and Format

Keep your animator resume clean and scannable—just like a well-organized scene. Art directors and hiring managers typically spend just 6-8 seconds on their first review of your resume!

  • Length: 1-2 pages maximum (1 page is preferable for those with under 5 years of experience)
  • Format: PDF only (maintains your formatting across all devices)
  • Font: Clean, professional fonts like Helvetica, Arial, or Calibri at 10-12pt size
  • Sections: Contact info, summary, experience, skills, education, portfolio link (this is crucial!)
  • White space: Leave breathing room—cramped resumes feel amateurish
Always include a prominently displayed link to your animation portfolio or demo reel. No matter how impressive your resume, hiring managers want to see your actual work before anything else.

Profile/Summary Section

Your summary is like the establishing shot of your career. Make it count! In 3-4 sentences, highlight your animation specialty, years of experience, key technical skills, and what makes you unique.

For example: "3D character animator with 4+ years creating expressive performances for mobile games and streaming content. Experienced in Maya and Blender pipelines with a knack for conveying emotion through subtle movements. Brought 17 original characters to life for Backyard Studios' 'Moonlight Creatures' series."

Professional Experience

For each role, include the company, your title, dates, and 3-5 bullet points showcasing your contributions. Start each bullet with a strong action verb and focus on results, not just responsibilities.

  • Quantify achievements when possible (frames per day, project timelines, etc.)
  • Highlight collaborative successes (worked with story teams, character designers)
  • Mention specific animation techniques you've mastered (squash and stretch, anticipation, follow-through)
  • Name software and tools you've used professionally

Education and Certifications

List your degree(s), school, graduation year, and relevant coursework. For animators, specialized training often matters more than traditional education. Include:

  • Animation workshops or bootcamps (Animation Mentor, iAnimate, etc.)
  • Software certifications (Autodesk Certified Professional)
  • Relevant online courses (Gnomon, School of Motion)

Keywords and ATS Tips

Most studios and production companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to filter resumes before human eyes see them. To get past these digital gatekeepers:

  • Study job descriptions and mirror key terms (if they say "character rigging" don't just write "rigging")
  • Include software names exactly as written in the job posting (Maya, Blender, After Effects, Harmony, Spine)
  • Avoid images, tables, headers/footers which can confuse ATS systems
  • Don't hide keywords in white text—it's an old trick recruiters recognize immediately

Industry-specific Terms

Sprinkle these throughout your resume to signal you speak the language of animation:

  • Animation styles: 2D, 3D, stop-motion, motion graphics, cel animation
  • Technical skills: rigging, modeling, texturing, compositing, rendering
  • Principles: timing, spacing, arcs, secondary motion, weight
  • Pipeline terms: asset creation, pre-vis, blocking, polish, final delivery

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Listing software without showing how you've used it professionally
  • Including an objective statement instead of a summary (outdated approach)
  • Focusing only on technical skills while ignoring storytelling abilities
  • Using generic terms like "hard worker" or "team player" without backing them up
  • Burying your portfolio link somewhere hard to find

Before/After Example

Before: "Responsible for creating animations for mobile game characters."

After: "Designed and executed 24 unique character animations for 'Forest Friends' mobile game, reducing animation cycle time by 31% while maintaining consistent quality that contributed to the game's 4.8/5 App Store rating."

Remember, your resume is just your ticket to the interview—your portfolio is what will truly sell your abilities. Make sure both work together to showcase the talented animator you are!

Soft skills for your Animator resume

  • Cross-functional collaboration with directors, writers, and technical artists (worked effectively on teams of 5-18 people)
  • Feedback reception – ability to take constructive criticism and implement changes without taking it personally
  • Storytelling through visual communication – translating abstract concepts into engaging visuals
  • Time management under tight production deadlines (juggled up to 4 concurrent animation sequences during crunch periods)
  • Mentoring junior animators while still hitting personal production targets
  • Adaptability between 2D, 3D, and mixed media animation styles as project needs change

Hard skills for your Animator resume

  • 3D modeling in Maya and Cinema 4D (character rigging, environment design)
  • Frame-by-frame animation using Toon Boom Harmony and Adobe Animate
  • Proficient in the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, After Effects, Illustrator)
  • Motion capture cleanup and integration (Vicon, OptiTrack)
  • Storyboarding and animatic development for pre-visualization
  • Facial animation and lip-syncing techniques (FACS-based systems)
  • Particle and fluid simulations for VFX integration
  • Python scripting for animation workflow automation
  • Unreal Engine 5 real-time animation pipelines