43 Animation Interview Questions (Plus Example Answers)

Updated 17 March 2023

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If you love visual art and storytelling, you might consider working as an animator. These professionals develop image sequences that, when played in quick succession, create the illusion of movement and tell a story. If you are interested in becoming an animator, understanding how to succeed at an animator job interview may help you distinguish yourself from other candidates and impress the hiring manager. In this article, we explain what animation interview questions are, list 40 common questions and provide three more questions with example answers for guidance.

What Are Animation Interview Questions?

Animation interview questions are inquiries a hiring manager or interviewer might ask you to assess whether you are a good candidate for a job. The hiring manager may ask general questions about your professional experience and desires, or specific questions about past projects or animation techniques. As a candidate, the interview is a great opportunity to share your personality with your potential employer. You can also demonstrate your professionalism by providing clear and informative answers to the questions.

Consider researching the company and role before the interview. You can review the job listing to learn more about the role responsibilities and visit the company website to learn about the company culture, mission and values. If you know someone who works at the company, you can also set up an informational interview to learn more about the company and what it is like to work there before your interview. You can include what you find in your answers to demonstrate your qualifications and specific interest in the company and position.

General Animation Interview Questions

First, the interviewer may ask you some general animation interview questions to get to know you and your work. Here are some common questions for which you can prepare:

Tell me about yourself.
How did you learn about this position?
Why did you decide to work in animation?
Why are you interested in working for our company?
What motivates you at work?
How do you define success?
What are your greatest strengths as an animator?
What are your greatest professional weaknesses and how do you manage those weaknesses?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
What skills make you a valuable candidate?

Questions About Experience

An interviewer might ask you about your experience to learn more about whether your qualifications and skills make you an ideal candidate for their open animator position:

Tell me about your most recent project.
How has your education prepared you for this role?
In what way have your professional experiences prepared you for this role?
How do you keep your animation skills up to date?
Have you ever worked on a project that received negative reviews? If so, how did you respond?
Do you have more experience working alone or in collaboration with others? Which method do you prefer?
With what style of animation do you have the most experience?
Do you have experience with large workloads? If so, how do you manage them?
What is your favourite thing about your last position?
What is your least favourite thing about your last position?

In-Depth Questions

In-depth interview questions can help the interviewer assess your skill level and whether it is sufficient to perform the responsibilities of the open position. Here are 20 commonly asked in-depth interview questions:

What animation tools are you familiar with using?
What is the definition of rigging in animation?
How do you create a storyboard?
What editing software are you familiar with using?
What is a key frame in animation?
How has the animation industry changed over the last 10 years? What have the effects of that change been?
How do you imagine the animation industry might change over the next 10 years? What are the likely effects of that change?
How do you manage multiple projects with a busy schedule?
Name and define three important animation terms.
Tell me about your experience with 2D versus 3D animation.
Tell me about your creative process.
How do you turn an idea into a visual product?
What is your favourite animation project that you have worked on and why?
What inspires you creatively?
Who are your greatest animator influences and what do you appreciate about their work?
Why is animation an important art form?
How do you balance creative freedom with client requests or manager feedback?
What is your favourite animation product from our company, and why?
What type of product are you most interested in creating? Consider movies, television, video games and corporate videos.
What types of stories are you most excited to tell?

3 More Animation Interview Questions With Example Answers

When preparing for an interview, it can be helpful to review common questions with example answers to understand how best to structure your own response. Here are three common questions with example answers you can reference for guidance:

1. What is your greatest strength as an animator? What about your biggest area of improvement?

Hiring managers may ask you about your greatest strengths and areas of improvement to learn about your animation skills and to find out how you're continuing to improve your skills. When answering this question, it is important to discuss both your strengths and areas that you want to improve, while also discussing the specific steps you are taking to improve them.

Example: "I consider my ability to manage projects to be one of my greatest strengths as an animator. I find it simple to plan out the required tasks and allocate the necessary time to each one. My skills in problem solving and leadership also help me meet timelines in an efficient manner.

I have found that my biggest area of improvement is delegating tasks. I pay close attention to detail with each animation, which sometimes makes it challenging to delegate to someone else. After a few years, I have learned that it is important to trust my team members and let them help with a project."

2. Tell me about a time when you had a challenge at work.

When answering, it is important to discuss your problem-solving skills and the specific actions you took to overcome the problem. Use the star technique when answering behavioural questions. This is a method includes a situation, task, action and result.

Example: "In my previous position at Anand's Animations, I was assigned to work on a project to create an animated advertisement. The client was very specific about their requirements, including a request to implement an outdated practice that we no longer used at the company. During the initial meeting, I was unsure sure if we had the necessary resources to fulfil this request.

I was clear with the client and told them I would contact them after further research. While I found that we did not have access to the tools, I was able to find a good alternative solution. I made a mock presentation for the client, who agreed to try it out. We went ahead with the animation adjustment and the client was satisfied with the outcome."

3. Tell me about a time in which you exceeded a client's expectations.

A lot of animators work closely with clients to understand the needs of a project. This question requests information on how well you work and communicate with clients. In addition to providing the interviewer with an example of a time in which you exceeded a client's expectations, provide them with the outcome. Use the STAR method with this answer too.

Example: "My team and I were creating a sales pitch of animations for a potential client. Instead of creating animations based on the industry the client works in, I did further research to learn more about their style. I found they had a unique style that they were consistent with across all animations.

I then set up a time to meet with the client to better understand their goals. When my team and I presented the project, it was exactly what they had been planning. They expressed how impressed they were with the level of research and preparation we put into understanding the goals of the project before beginning."