Creating stunning 3D animation requires a unique blend of artistic talent and technical skills. But finding the right animator to bring your creative vision to life can be challenging. With so many potential freelancers, agencies, and animation studios out there, how do you even begin looking for top animators that fit your needs and budget?
The good news is that the internet offers many great resources to connect with talented 3D animators worldwide. You just need to know where to look and how to evaluate animators effectively. In this guide, I’ll share the online resources and tips I’ve used to build an animation dream team.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly where to go online when you need to hire a 3D animator for animation, motion graphics, VFX, or any other project requiring their specialized skills.
Freelance Marketplaces for Animators
Freelance and gig economy websites have become extremely popular for finding animators to hire for specific projects. Top sites like Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer give you access to large pools of animators from around the world. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of looking for a 3D animator in freelance marketplaces –
| Benefits of Hiring Freelancers | Drawbacks of Freelance Sites |
| Large Pool of Talent | High Competition |
| Freelance sites offer access to a vast pool of talented animators, making it easier to find the right fit for your project. You can browse profiles and portfolios to assess skills and expertise. | Popular animators may be quickly booked, requiring prompt decision-making to secure top talent for your animation needs. |
| Flexible Projects | Inconsistent Quality |
| Freelance animators typically work on a per-project basis, allowing you to scale your animation needs as required. This flexibility is beneficial for managing budgets and adjusting workloads. | Quality can vary since anyone can create a profile on freelance sites. It’s important to carefully vet animators to ensure their skills and style align with your project’s requirements. |
| Affordable Rates | Short-Term Relationships |
| Freelancers on these platforms often charge competitive rates, making them suitable for projects with smaller budgets. Additionally, you can compare rates across freelancers to find the best value. | Most freelance relationships are project-specific, and building long-term partnerships may be challenging. It’s common for the collaboration to end once the project is completed. |
Now let’s explore some of the top freelance platforms for hiring animators online:
Upwork
With over 12 million registered freelancers, Upwork is one of the largest and most popular sites to hire animators and other creative professionals. It’s easy to post your project needs, browse animator profiles, communicate with prospects, and ultimately hire the best fit.
Upwork offers lots of filters to find the perfect animator, including budget, skills, experience, and more. You can also access portfolios to view past work. Once you connect with promising animators, you can interview prospects before hiring.
Overall, Upwork makes it fast and efficient to hire animators for your project. It provides access to an enormous pool of talent, while still letting you be selective.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another household name in freelance services. Like Upwork, it connects clients with freelance animators offering their services starting at just $5 per job. Fiverr best suits smaller fixed-price gigs, not large complex projects.
The site is best known for its digital services gig marketplace. Search for “3D animation” and you’ll find thousands of animator profiles. Browse video samples, reviews, and packages to find the best fit. Messaging and payment are easy within Fiverr’s system.
While suitable for quick Animated Explainer Videos and Logo Animations, Fiverr may not be ideal for large-scale productions. But it’s a solid option for starter animation projects on a tight budget.
Freelancer
With over 50 million registered users, Freelancer is one of the largest global marketplaces to hire animators, programmers, designers, and more. Posting a project is simple – just describe your needs, set a budget, and the animators will start applying.
Freelancer has a reputation for affordable pricing, often cheaper than Upwork. It also offers integrated chat, time tracking, invoicing, and payments. Screen candidates carefully based on skills, reviews, and portfolios. Only hire those who seem qualified for the job.
For basic animation projects, Freelancer provides access to huge talent pools while keeping rates low. However, quality control is crucial given the open marketplace format.
Animator Portfolios
In addition to freelance sites, some animators list their services on portfolio websites to showcase their work and connect with potential clients. Here are some top portfolio platforms for finding animators to hire:
Behance
Owned by Adobe, Behance is one of the largest creative networks for animators and designers to share their portfolios. Many animators list their availability for hire on their profiles. You can browse portfolios by animation styles and skills to find the perfect match.
Unlike a freelance site, you’ll need to contact the animators directly to discuss project details and rates. But you get a great sense of their signature animation styles from their online portfolio.
ArtStation
ArtStation has become a hugely popular showcase platform for animators, illustrators, and other 3D artists. You can browse by skills like 3D animation and visual effects to find talent.
Many animators list their freelance or contact info on their ArtStation profiles. Spend time reviewing portfolio projects first, then reach out to animators who seem like a good fit.
Dribbble
Dribbble is a community popular among graphic designers and illustrators, but some skilled animators are active members too. The bite-sized portfolio shots let you quickly evaluate different aesthetic styles.
Most Dribbble animators are focused on motion and graphic design more than 3D. But it’s still a good spot to discover talented motion graphic animators for certain types of projects requiring their specialized skills.
| Advantages of Browsing Portfolios | Limitations of Portfolio Sites |
| Visual Discovery | Fewer Project Details |
| Immediate visual assessment of an animator’s skills through curated projects and reels. | Portfolios typically provide limited information on client histories, project timelines, and budgets. It may be challenging to gather comprehensive details about past work. |
| Unique Styles | No Direct Contact |
| Appreciate and identify distinct animation and motion graphics styles, helping you find animators whose work aligns with your project vision. | Direct communication with animators may be required, as portfolio sites may not facilitate messaging through the platform. You’ll need to reach out independently. |
| Specific Aesthetics | |
| Easily find animators whose styles match the specific visual aesthetics you’re looking for in your project. |
Animation Job Boards
There are also several niche job boards and listing sites tailored specifically to the animation industry. These sites connect studios and publishers directly with animators seeking full-time, contract, and freelance roles.
| Benefits of Job Sites | Drawbacks of Job Boards |
| Full-Time & Contract Roles | Less Freelance Listings |
| Access a variety of roles, including both full-time positions and contract opportunities, providing flexibility in hiring for different project needs. | Job boards are typically more focused on permanent positions and long-term contracts, making it less suitable for those seeking freelancers for short-term or one-off projects. |
| Industry-Specific | Slower Hiring Process |
| Job listings are tailored to animation, VFX, and related industries, ensuring that the roles are relevant to professionals in these fields. | The traditional job application and interview process can be slower compared to hiring freelancers directly. The extended hiring timeline may not be ideal for projects with urgent deadlines. |
| Reliable Opportunities | |
| Job listings come from reputable employers and studios, providing a level of reliability and credibility in the opportunities presented. |
Now let’s look at some top animation-focused job boards and marketplaces:
CG Creative
CG Creative focuses specifically on connecting studios and publishers with top VFX, animation, and game design talent. Big employers like Pixar, Blizzard, and Ubisoft frequently recruit on CG Creative.
While many roles demand on-site relocation, they do post quality remote and freelance opportunities regularly. Sign up for custom job alerts so you never miss a relevant new posting.
Animation World Network (AWN)
With over 200,000 registered members, Animation World Network is a long-trusted career site in the animation industry. Major studios post jobs alongside smaller boutique and startup studios.
Alongside full-time roles, AWN lists plenty of freelance gigs and short-term contract work perfect for qualified animators. Browse by role type or location to find the best opportunities.
Creative Recruiters
Creative Recruiter places talent into creative agency roles across multiple disciplines like animation, VFX, motion design, and more. They work with big brands and studios to fill permanent and contract roles.
The site lets you search animation jobs by specialization, location, and other filters. You can also set up email alerts for new jobs matching your criteria.
While mainly focused on full-time positions, Creative Recruiter is a helpful site for animators seeking contract work with major studios and publishers. The roles require professional experience but can be remote or freelance.
Additional Ways to Find Animators
Beyond job sites and freelance platforms, there are a few additional creative ways to discover talented animators to hire.
Social Media for Animation Jobs
Many animators promote their services on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit. Search relevant hashtags like #animator, #3danimation, #motiongraphics, and browse profiles for potential hires.
Subreddits like r/animationjobs, r/gameDevClassifieds, and r/forhire are good spots to post about animation project needs. You can also browse animator profile submissions.
LinkedIn is great for connecting with professional animators and studios. Look for animators in your city or those who work remotely. Don’t be shy about reaching out directly to discuss your project
School & Community Networks for Animators
Animation schools and communities can be your ideal place to pick up some fresh 3D animators. Most cities have animation clubs, co-working spaces, industry events, and other networking opportunities.
For example, you can check out Animation Mentor aka the Online Animation School. From there
you may be able to find recent graduates or hobbyist animators willing to work on affordable projects to gain experience and build their portfolios.
Animation Events & Conferences for Networking
Attending animation and VFX conferences like SIGGRAPH, CTN, or NAB can help you meet talented animators in person. Conferences host recruiting events and are great places for networking within the industry.
Handing out business cards and discussing open projects with event attendees could lead to your next great animation hire. The face-to-face connection forms stronger relationships.
Wrapping Up
Hope that you’ve got the inside scoop on where to look. Use freelance marketplaces for quick gigs, browse portfolios to discover unique styles, and leverage your networks to find hidden gems. Combining online platforms and real-world connections is the best way to build an animation dream team for any project or production need. With these tips, you’ll easily connect with animators that perfectly match your vision. Time to bring those animation ideas to life!
