1) Schedule
On-Staff Animator
- Fixed working hours
- Expected come to work every morning
Freelance Animator
- Flexible schedule
- Easier to work remotely or work from anywhere
2) Projects
On-Staff Animators
- Consistent streams of projects
- Can't choose projects you'd like to work on
- Don't have to worry about managing the business
- Do tasks assigned by the studio
Freelance Animator
- May experience inconsistent streams of projects
- Can choose projects and receive full animation credit for your work
- Can add projects to your portfolio
- No micromanagement
- Learn and manage the whole production process from start to finish
3) Workplace
On-Staff Animator
- An animation studio with great work culture and environment might feel like a family that looks out for one another
Freelance Animator
- Usually works alone
4) Income and Benefits
On-Staff Animator
- Receive compaany benefits like health insurance and retirement plans
- Sense of security and regular monthly income
- With income ceiling or set salary
Freelance Animator
- No benefits
- No income ceiling
- You can raise your rate and earn more as long as you work hard to find animation clients and promote yourself on social media
5) Training
On-Staff Animator
- Studios offer internal training and art/animation workshops wher eyou can learn a lot
6) Accessibility
On-Staff Animator
- More studio applicants than there are vacant positions
- Some require unpaid internships for 3-12 months
Freelance Animator
- Studios are now outsourcing work to freelance animators
- Freelancing may not be the best fit for everyone, but it's always an open option
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