Fancy a career as a professional animator? Freelance Animator Lily Mae Kroese shares her journey so far…..

3/7/2025

For young creatives, bursting with ideas and a passion for storytelling, a career in animation could be a good step! This vibrant and dynamic field offers endless opportunities to bring your imagination to life and show off technical skills whilst captivating audiences of all ages.

Dive into a career within an ever growing and evolving artform that enables you to express your creativity whilst at the forefront of technological innovation.

We integrate animation and working with animators in our work often! We collaborate with several freelance animators across our projects; it’s such a fun artform to play with and we love providing opportunities for young people to have a go animating. Animators like artists, tend to develop a distinct approach and signature style, as they progress in their career.

And there are loads of types of animation – freelancer animators tend to become “experts” in one type:

Traditional Animation
Traditional animation, also known as hand-drawn animation, involves creating each frame by hand. This method was famously used by Disney in their early films. The process includes drawing individual frames on paper, which are then photographed and played in sequence to create the illusion of movement.

2D Animation
2D animation involves creating characters and backgrounds in a two-dimensional space. It can be hand-drawn or created using computer software. This type of animation is commonly used in television shows, video games, and online videos.

3D Animation
3D animation uses computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create characters and environments in three dimensions (think – Toy Story!). This type of animation allows for more realistic and detailed visuals and is widely used in movies, video games, and virtual reality.

Stop Motion
Stop motion animation involves physically manipulating objects or puppets and photographing them one frame at a time. When played back in sequence, the objects appear to move on their own. This type of animation includes techniques such as Claymation, puppet animation, and silhouette animation.

Motion Graphics
Motion graphics focus on animating graphic elements such as text, shapes, and images. This type of animation is often used in commercials, title sequences, and explainer videos to convey information in an engaging and visually appealing manner.

Cutout Animation
Cutout animation involves creating characters and scenes using flat materials such as paper, fabric, or photographs (Think early Southpark!). The pieces are moved in small increments between frames to create movement. This technique is often used in children's programming and educational animations.

Anime
Anime is a style of animation that originated in Japan and has a distinct aesthetic, characterised by colorful artwork, vibrant characters, and fantastical themes. Anime covers various genres and is popular worldwide.

Lily who has shoulder-length blonde hair and a warm smile sits in a cozy, dimly lit room filled with books, wooden furniture, and art supplies. She wears a rust-colored sweater and black pants, with her hands resting on her knee, surrounded by a creative workspace.

Meet Lily Mae Kroese

An animator that we know, love and work with often is freelancer Lily Mae Kroese. Lily is a community artist, specialising in co-production and collaborative art and film making. We recently asked her to write a blog for us – sharing her journey into the creative sector, her career as a full time professional animator and some top tips for young people interested in a career in animation…..

And Lily….as the creative brain she is, decided she wanted to share an illustrated visual storyboard blog; read and enjoy below.

Click here for the text only version of Lily's storyboard blog