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# UK CG training

Learn 3D, VFX, animation, and motion graphics.

Independent UK reviews of Blender, Maya, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Escape Studios, CGMA, and every serious CG course in 2026. Read before you spend a pound.

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01 Independent editorial

02 UK salary + career context

03 Affiliate-disclosed on every review

04 Updated 2026

# careers / animator

How to become an animator in the UK.

Animator is a broad title in the UK: feature animation (Aardman, Blue Zoo, Locksmith, Lupus), TV animation (BBC / Sky commissions, Cartoon Network Europe), VFX creature animation (Framestore, DNEG, MPC), game animation (Rockstar North, Sumo, Creative Assembly). Each hires differently. This is the honest route.

# UK salary band

Junior: £24,000 to £30,000. Mid (3 to 5 yrs): £34,000 to £48,000. Senior (6+ yrs): £48,000 to £70,000. Lead / animation director: £70,000 to £100,000.

Three required skills.

  • Body mechanics and acting: the two skills UK animation supervisors test at portfolio review. Nothing else compensates for weak fundamentals here. Study Richard Williams, Animation Mentor’s first-term material, or Aardman’s public workshop content.
  • Software fluency in Maya (or Blender for indie / TV): rigging basics, graph-editor control, curve cleanup, constraint work. AAA games work also expects Unreal MotionMatching or MotionBuilder for cinematics.
  • A 60-90 second showreel that shows range, not clutter: three shots. One dialogue-driven, one physical, one creature or stylised. UK studios reject reels over 90 seconds. Framestore’s reel-guide page is the canonical spec.

Typical 3-year progression.

  1. Year 1: junior animator or animation runner at Blue Zoo, Aardman, Framestore or a smaller TV / commercial house. Expect freelance contracts and 12-month rolling deals. Junior comp £24,000–£30,000.
  2. Year 2: solid credited work on 1 to 2 features / series. Specialisation locks in (creature vs character vs cinematic vs body-mech generalist). Salary band moves to £32,000–£40,000.
  3. Year 3: mid-level animator role, PAYE at a Tier 1 studio, or freelance day rate £350–£500. Beginning of lead-shot responsibility on features.

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