Male and Female Artists. A winning combination for the digital entertainment industry

The animation industry was valued at $259 billion in 2018 and a great possibility of shooting up to $270 billion in 2020. The industry is filled with creative and innovative people, male and female who think outside the box to make people laugh, catch fun as well as feel relaxed while watching the animation. On a gender basis, you'll surely want to know who takes the lead, either men or women?

Statistics according to ‘animation guide’ shows that men take the lead when it comes to taking the juicy positions in the industry, with a 75% population in the industry in 2018. This causes a growing concern bearing in mind that women constitute 40-60% of the population when studying animation courses in online animation school such as VANAS, animation schools in Canada, however, they lose interest and a massive drop occurs giving men the upper lead.

Doing it Differently

This concern is also shared by the animation director and Bafta winner Nina Gantz, who observe that the near-balance population shared during animation class became tilted during the transition to a career. Then the question why do women decide to take the back seat and opt out of taking a career in animation after the massive number that studied animation? (60% in Europe and the USA)

"Though the animation industry there are several female pioneers, and their works cannot be forgotten"

A notable factor causing this is the inadequate or lack of self-confidence that makes women opt out as they transition from academics to career. Anna Ginsburg, reports that a greater percentage of those she had partnered with as a movie producer are women while the movie directors are mostly men. Possibly, there is more to it than the lack of self-confidence. The gender imbalance is also a product of the social-historical view of men as the most suitable for certain roles such as compositions, Fx artist and generalist.

The media is giving a close attention on the female and this is having a significant effect in the animation industry already. Additionally, the history of several animation pioneers is shared to serve as inspiration for the upcoming generations of female animators.

Though the animation industry appears to be male-dominated there are several female pioneers, and their works cannot be forgotten. They laid the rocky foundation on which the fun-filled, creative animation industry that exists today was built. The works of heroine such as Lotte Reineger who shot 40 films in her career using the silhouette technique, Reiko Okuyama, Lillian Friedman and a handful of several others are shared to inspire women to believe in their limitless potential and see the true power that lies within them.

Brenda Chapman-the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film

Media giant such as Oscar has been of great help to ensure that the sharp increase experienced in the number of women noticed in the animation industry is made feasible. Oscar has given several awards to women in recent times after Brenda Chapman; the first women to win an animation Oscar award in 2014. A great number of women have been nominated for Oscar awards with four each coming in the year 2015 and 2016. This inspirational act has propelled an increase in the number of women seeing taking up a career as an animator. This is evident in Natalie Busuttil speech where she acknowledged that the number of women in the animation studio of an average number of 40 has increased over the years, notably in areas such as character design, concept art and 2D animation.

Older women in the industry are also not left behind in the vision. The recent appointment of women to head Walt Disney and Pixar animation studios is worth commending and celebrating. Walt Disney animation named Jennifer Lee as the Chief Creative officer while Pete Docter was named the Chief Creative Officer of Pixar animation studio and describe them as one of the most creative.

It will happen. It's just a matter of time

Such news is long expected in the animation industry because it helps to calm the nerves of several women who have always questioned why women are only a few in executives position. Before the appointment of Lee, Walt Disney had earlier experienced a protest in form of an open letter questioning and voicing out against sexual harassment and assault going on in the industry. The purpose of the protest was further made necessary by the rejection letter of a certain girl as shared by VOX who was turned down on the basis of being a female.

The result of the appointment has been telling in the increased turn out of women who take up animation program and animation course, and are determined to take up an animation career as they also believe it is possible for them to make it to the top and become chief executives directors, a post previously believed to be retained only for men. Tides are changing and women are beginning to let their confidence radiate as seen in the animation class.

Jennifer Michelle Lee-chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios

To sustain this growth and development, Online animation school like Vancouver Animation School is running an animation program where the potential animators are taught from the basis to the professional. Vancouver animation school (VANAS) have several animation program to train both men and women with both simple and sophisticated equipment to provide a familiar ground for animation students as they prepare to enter into the market.

Final Thoughts

Online Animation schools are presently making the choice of studying animation course easier for people. This is to ensure that both male and female grow beyond the societal limitation that envelops them and makes them settle for the status quo.

"The number of women in the animation industry has increased"

Additionally, as opposed to the past where women use animation course to gain insight into the entertainment industry, women are coming up, inspiring one another and perhaps gaining the trust of the industry. How long would this last be a question that is difficult to answer? The answer to this is subjected to several factors such as the continuous availability of online animation schools such as Vancouver Animation School (VANAS), in Canada for all gender to where animation class is made accessible for people to study any choice animation program or animation course. Animation schools in Canada serve as a solid foundation where people would gain the needed knowledge as they make preparation to have a full life practical ever after.

On a final note, be it, men or women, a collaborative effort is what is needed to sustain the productivity of the animation industry. This can be better described in Jennifer Lee's word ‘animation is the most collaborative form of art, and it is with the partnership of my fellow filmmakers, artist and innovators that we look ahead into the future…’