As an Animator, there are unique career opportunities available to you that are specific to certain industries. These ‘opportunities’ are called animation niches. Think of your successful animation career as your destination and your animation niche as the vehicle that gets you there.
In this article, we will explore and analyze the potential impact of animation in the Sports Industry as well as in other niches. Choosing the correct niche could be the make-or-break factor in your journey as an animator so sit back, put on your thinking caps and enjoy the ride!
Sports Animation - Your Next Animation Niche
Sports is an ever-evolving industry. What was once seen to be purely physical and tactical, has developed into a complex progressive industry. Sports clubs and teams have noticed that they are able to use technological developments to get an edge on their competition.
Now, these technological developments are not just putting animators into the ‘game’. Developments in technology give animators the opportunity to make their impact on a $75b industry. Yes, that’s a billion with a b.
Animation Niches Such as Animated Sports are Important
You may be asking yourself, why should I develop an animation niche? Good thing we’re here to straighten things! Developing your animation niche not only fine-tunes your guitar but also puts you in front of the correct audience!
Your animation niche is the way in which you will combine your animation education with your passion and ultimately where you will find your place as an animator. Think of it as the primary focus of your animation skill set. Here are a few more benefits of an animation niche:
5 Benefits To Carving Animation Niches Such as Animation Sports
Besides the positive impact finding your animation niche will have on your career, there are some great personal benefits for you to experience. You want a career that fulfills you both in your work and your personal life and your animation niche helps you do just that.
Here are 5 other benefits to developing your animation niche:
Establish Your Authority in Animated Sports
Developing an animation niche gives you an opportunity to dominate your ‘scene’. Great animators have consistently used their animation skill sets to push the boundaries on what value quality animation can provide. Establish your authority and dominate your niche!
Be At The Forefront Of Sports Animation and other Industries
Animation niches allow you to become a front-runner in the industry at an early stage in your career. Being at the forefront of your animation niche means you will have a huge influence on your career focus and will make you a valuable asset to any animation company!
Dominate Sports Through Animation
One of the pit stops on your animation journey is finding your animation audience. Like anything new, your niche might require some explaining and demonstration. By introducing a new niche in your own unique way, you get to tap into your potential animation audience.
People remember quality and who introduced it to them. Once you have got your animation clients to interact with your product, you are one step through the door. Show them your animation talent and get them walking towards the till!
Grow Your Animation Portfolio with Sports Animation
Behind every great animator is a great animation portfolio. This is where you showcase your work and can be used to display your skillset to possible clients and/or potential employers. Adding your niche to your portfolio will add unique value.
Your niche will not only show potential employers and/or clients what your focus is but will assist in directing your career path. This could help you find animation jobs with a focus similar to yours which just makes your career that much more aligned!
In animation, you should never feel as if every stone has been turned. Technology mixed with great animators reinvent content creation methods and uses regularly and there is always room for the next big thing. Dominating your niche will help you make an impact!
Find an Animation Niche like Sports Animation
GIF by King of Boys via GIPHY
Choosing your animation niche could be a tricky decision. Good thing we’ve got you covered! There are a few things you should take into consideration before deciding on your animation career direction. Here are a few things to think about before choosing your niche:
Which Animation Projects Warm Your Heart?
As an animator, there will be certain tasks and projects that ‘hit different’ to others. These assignments evoke your passion in a unique way. Write down what you enjoy doing most as an animator and get ready for the next steps in choosing the correct niche.
Does Animation in Sports Have Any Competition?
Once you understand the niche directions you could pursue, it is important to study the markets they fall under. There could be a large supply of animators in that specific niche or the complete opposite. Understanding your market and competition will help you navigate your niche.
Is Your Animation Niche Profitable?
As much as you want to combine your work with your passion, you need your career to make a living. Research the economic potential of your niche. Do this by looking up animators’ salaries currently working in similar niches or analyzing current animation vacancies.
Animation In Sports - Where To Start?
When choosing the starting point of your animation journey in sports, you must take your personal preference into account. Is there a particular sport that always keeps you glued to the television? Look no further than that!
Applying your animation skills in a niche that you understand, follow, and genuinely have an interest in will have a big impact on your career. So be sure to choose a sport you know and get ready to combine it with your career. Sounds like a dream right?
5 Sports That Could Benefit From Animation
Once you have decided on the sport you wish to apply your animation education at, you must decide on the niche service you will provide. Different sporting codes will present different challenges. This means that opportunities will differ from sport to sport.
Once you understand the challenges of your chosen sports code, you can use your animation talent to overcome them. Here are a few sporting codes and how animators could add value before and during a match:
Basketball Sports Animation
Ranking 3rd popular for sports in the US, Basketball could be a great choice for aspiring animators. Complex plays, difficult moves, and tactical developments have created a space for animators to add value by displaying these concepts in easily digestible animation work.
GIF by Anna Viget via GIPHY
Animated Chess Strategies
Often referred to as the ‘royal game’, Chess has mesmerized its players even before the release of ‘The Crown’. Animators can use their skill sets to translate specific strategies into animation videos that educate and develop players. Make the right move!
Animated Sports Soccer Plays
Soccer/football is the most supported sport in the world. In the last few years, technological systems like VAR have facilitated great change in the game. Animators can use their animation training to assist these systems in showcasing findings through animation videos.
Golf Sports Animatons
Another extremely popular sport, Golf stands to benefit from animation in ways unique to the nature of the sport. Animators can assist golf players by creating animation videos that illustrate course requirements. Quite soon you might find caddies with animation education!
GIF by louis16art via GIPHY
Animated Body-Building Forms
Yes, even Arnold himself would have benefited from having an animator by his side. Being a sporting code where the correct form could save you from painful injuries, body-building would be so much easier with animation videos that explain complex exercise techniques.
Animation Niches Other Than Sports
Not big on sports? There is a niche waiting for you too! As big as sports might be, other animation niches could match your interests. Your niche could be completely untapped, meaning you could pave the way! Here are a few animation niches other than sports:
Animation in the Medical Industries
Going to the doctor in the future could include some animation with your medication. Now, this doesn’t mean animators will perform medical examinations but their work could be used to provide valuable illustrations on life-threatening procedures. Use animation in the frontline!
Courtroom Animations
Law and Order fanatic or just a general interest in the judicial system? Courtroom animations could be the niche you thrive in. Courtroom animators translate complex cases into compelling videos that make it easier for viewers to understand and digest.
Educational Animations
An industry that stands to gain great value from animators is the education sector. Animation has always had a way of grabbing the attention of people and more specifically children. Animators help educators engage their pupils through illustrations that excite and inform.
Animated Drivers Aid
Animation in your driving lessons? Yes, instructor! Driving schools could use animation to show new drivers what to do in tricky situations on the road. Animators do this through illustrations and provide valuable danger training without being in any actual danger.
Find an Animation Niche of Your Own!
Your animation niche is almost as big a step in your animation career as your animation education is. Now that you are ready to choose your niche, let's get you the animation skillset needed to make a success in it.
Join our FREE online animation masterclass and download a copy of our FREE marketing handbook! This is your ‘ticket’ to a quality animation education and career. Claim your seat on the train to a successful career as an animator today by starting your class
