The world of animation is often seen as magical—bringing still drawings to life, building entire universes from sketches, and making characters move with emotion and purpose. But behind the magic are talented individuals whose hard work, dedication, and creativity shape the entertainment, marketing, and educational industries.
In 2025, as animation continues to evolve with new technologies, understanding the people who create it has become more relevant than ever. Whether you’re someone who wants to know how to animate a character, or a business seeking professional video and animation services, learning about the animators behind the scenes can offer new appreciation for this ever-growing field.
Let’s dive into 10 interesting facts about animators that will surprise and inspire you!
1. Animators Are Master Storytellers
While animation is a visual medium, storytelling is at the core of every successful animated piece. Animators don't just move characters—they infuse them with emotions, reactions, and a sense of timing that brings a story to life. They understand arcs, tension, pacing, and how to express emotion through body language.
Many animators also have backgrounds in scriptwriting, acting, or directing. Their role isn't just about drawing or rendering; it's about visual storytelling at its finest.
2. They Spend Hours Studying Movement
A key to learning how to animate a character is understanding how things move in the real world. Animators often spend hours observing animals, people, and even objects to replicate realistic or stylized motion. Whether it’s the sway of a ponytail or the bounce of a ball, nothing in animation is random.
Many animators even film themselves acting out scenes to capture accurate movements and expressions. This dedication to realism (or believable exaggeration) is what makes characters feel alive.
3. Animators Are Experts in Multiple Disciplines
Animation requires more than just drawing skills. Today’s animators must be proficient in design, color theory, timing, anatomy, and even psychology. In 2025, with hybrid animation techniques becoming mainstream, many animators are also skilled in:
3D modeling and rigging
Motion graphics
Sound design
Editing
Coding for interactive animation
If you're hiring video and animation services, you're getting access to a range of creative and technical expertise from animators working behind the scenes.
4. They Often Specialize in Different Animation Types
Not all animators do the same job. In larger studios or professional video and animation services companies, you'll find specialists such as:
Character animators – Focus on how characters move and behave
FX animators – Handle visual effects like fire, water, or magic
Storyboard artists – Create visual plans before animation begins
Layout artists – Determine scene composition and camera movement
Rigging artists – Build digital skeletons for characters
Understanding this hierarchy is essential when learning how to animate a character in a studio pipeline.
5. Some Animators Still Use Traditional Techniques
Even in 2025, some animators prefer pencil and paper over digital tools. Hand-drawn animation hasn’t disappeared—it has evolved. While most studios rely on software, traditional techniques remain highly respected, especially for stylized films, indie projects, or hybrid animation.
Artists who begin with traditional animation often have a stronger grasp of foundational principles, which they carry into digital work.
6. Animation Workflows Are Incredibly Detailed
Many people underestimate the sheer amount of work that goes into even a short animation. Depending on the complexity, animators can spend weeks working on a single minute of footage. A standard production workflow might include:
Scriptwriting
Storyboarding
Animatics (animated storyboards with audio)
Keyframing
In-betweens
Clean-up
Coloring
Compositing
Sound syncing
So, next time you see a 30-second ad or animated short, remember that a team of animators likely spent months bringing it to life.
7. Animators Have Inspired Countless Careers
One of the most interesting facts about animators is how influential their work is. From Disney classics to viral explainer videos, animation has inspired generations of artists, game developers, marketers, and YouTubers.
The ability of animated content to educate, entertain, and emotionally move people makes animators key players in media and communication.
8. Freelance Animation Is Booming in 2025
With remote work becoming the norm and tools like AI-assisted animation speeding up production, more animators are turning to freelance careers. Whether it’s creating animated ads for small businesses or crafting how-to animate a character tutorials on platforms like YouTube, freelance animators are in high demand.
This trend also benefits clients who can now access high-quality video and animation services from a global talent pool without relying on big studios.
9. Animators Often Work in Teams
While we often celebrate famous animators like Hayao Miyazaki or Glen Keane, most animation projects are team efforts. Collaboration is key—storyboard artists, riggers, voice actors, editors, and directors all work together to produce the final result.
If you’re learning how to animate a character, understanding how to work within a team (or at least deliver clean files and follow story direction) is crucial for success in professional environments.
10. They’re Always Evolving with Technology
The animation industry never stands still. In 2025, animators are using AI tools to auto-generate in-betweens, VR to storyboard immersive worlds, and real-time engines like Unreal and Unity to speed up workflows.
One of the most inspiring things about animators is their adaptability. They constantly learn new techniques, software updates, and artistic trends. This forward-thinking mindset is why animation continues to thrive across film, gaming, advertising, and education.
Final Thoughts
These interesting facts about animators show that they are not just artists—they’re innovators, storytellers, and technicians who shape the way we consume media in the modern world. Whether you’re a fan of animation or someone eager to learn how to animate a character, knowing more about the people behind the scenes gives you a new appreciation for this powerful art form.
And if you're a business looking to connect with audiences visually, consider partnering with professional video and animation services. Behind every successful campaign or engaging explainer video is a dedicated animator who knows how to bring ideas to life—one frame at a time.
