Animator & VFX Artist
Creative
Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
- 2Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
- 3Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
- 4Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
- 5Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
- 6Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
- 7Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.
- 8Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
- 9Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.
- 10Assemble, typeset, scan, and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.
- 11Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.
- 12Create pen-and-paper images to be scanned, edited, colored, textured, or animated by computer.
- 13Use models to simulate the behavior of animated objects in the finished sequence.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- Artist
- Animator
- 3D Artist
- FX Artist
- 3D Modeler
- 3D Animator
- 3D Designer
- Game Artist
- Anime Artist
- 3D Specialist
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
Typical entry
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Computers and Electronics99%
Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies
- English Language88%
English
- Design84%
Visual Art (PSV)Technical Comm. GraphicsEngineering Drawing
- Communications and Media82%
EnglishBahasa Melayu
- Customer and Personal Service79%
- Sales and Marketing77%
BusinessEconomics
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersHigh
- Handling conflict situationsAlmost never
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentRarely
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
TalentCorp and ILMIA's Critical Occupations List — evidence of a real hiring shortage in Malaysia right now.
Animation and Visual Effects Professionals · Shortage indicators met: INSUFFICIENT DATA
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Special Effects Artists and Animators
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org