How to hire special effects artists and animators

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Apply 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.
• Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
• Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
• Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
• Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
• Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree]
• Strong active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension, speaking, active learning and writing skills
• Working knowledge of computers and electronics, English Language, design and communications and media
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $49.06 an hour ($102,030 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for special effects artists and animators

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to apply 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. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
6. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
7. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What special effects artists and animators do

• Apply 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.
• Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
• Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
• Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
• Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
• Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.

Skills that matter most

Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive LearningWritingComputers and ElectronicsEnglish LanguageDesignCommunications and Media

Education, experience and outlook for special effects artists and animators

• Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
• Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
• Job outlook: -0.3% over ten years, little or no change · about 4,200 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay special effects artists and animators

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See special effects artists and animators pay in every state

Related hiring guides

• Art Directors
• Craft Artists
• Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators
• Artists and Related Workers, All Other
• Commercial and Industrial Designers
• Fashion Designers
• Floral Designers
• Graphic Designers
• Interior Designers
• Merchandise Displayers and Window Trimmers

Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.