Key Skills to Look, Before Hire Freelance 2D animators.

• Training in 2D animation, cel & computer graphics. 
• Ability to visualize abstract concepts 
• Experience with storyboarding, clean ups and layout design 
• Drawing ability, artistic mindset.
• Visual Storytelling
• Ability to draw in a variety of styles & genres
• Familiarity with a range of animation software and techniques. 

Roles and Responsibilities of 2D animators?

• Liaising with writers, directors and clients regarding the style, method, and execution of the animation to be produced. 
• Developing storyboards based on the script 
• Preparing presentation of rough sketches for clients 
• Creating models, drawings and illustrations
• Designing frames and characters. 
• Choosing color palettes, styles, and general look of the animation. 
• Establishing artwork for the backgrounds and layouts. 
• Setting up exposure sheets, divided into actions and timing, dialogues and music, animation layers, backgrounds, view perspective.
• Setting up exposure sheets, divided into actions and timing, dialogues and music, animation layers, backgrounds, view perspective. 
• Drawing rough sketches and animations.
• Illustrating keyframes and producing inbetweening 
• Integrating images, characters and many more into background graphics. 
• Preparing all animation elements for compositing, including delivering in set formats
• Enhancing animation with special effects at the post-production stage. 

What are the Interview questions for 2D animators?

1. How would you describe your animation style?
2. Can you describe your creative process?
3. What experience do you have on collaborative projects?
4. How do you respond to feedback and what does your revision process look like?
5. Why do you think you are a good fit for this studio/company/firm?

How to Hire the Best Freelance 2D animators?

1. Identify your needs - you should determine what your animation project you need from the 2D animators. By gathering and knowing this information it will now help you to establish a list of potential candidates.
2. Research and Find Potential Candidates - once you understand your goals, target audience and desired project, you can now start researching potential 2D animators who will fit for the role.
3. Create a job posting that outlines the Scope of Work and Compensation - this is an additional step to finding skilled 2D animators. You should write an appealing job posting to get noticed. 
4. Review Applications and Portfolios to Identify the Best Candidates - To ensure the best results, you should be able to take a thorough approach when reviewing their applications, testimonials and portfolios. 
5. Schedule Interview - when you’ve gathered all the information you need from the candidates, you are now ready to schedule an interview with your top choices and it will allow you to get to know them better. 
6. Make a final decision and extend an offer - You can now make an offer to the chosen 2D animators after careful consideration and thorough review. Making sure that the chosen 2D animators best fits the role and will be able to help and contribute to the growth or your organisation. 

What Challenges will you face when hiring 2D animators?

1. Planning and Storyboarding - 2D animators having a hard time to define their vision, story, style and workflow. They should have a clear idea of what they want to achieve, what they want to convey and what tools or techniques they should use. 
2. Timing and Spacing - 2D animators having a hard time on determining how fast or slow their animation moves, how it poses from one place to another and how it will create a sense of weight, energy and emotion. 
3. Feedback and Critique - another challenge is that 2D animators where they receive comments and suggestions from their clients, collaborators and audiences. They need to accept those feedback and critiques so that they can learn from their mistakes, improve  and grow as an animator.
4. Technical Issues - another challenge is that 2D animators encountered problems with their software, hardware and data. They should have a good technical knowledge and troubleshooting skills in order to solve technical issues. 
5. Creativity and Innovation - having a hard time on generating new ideas, experiment with different styles, and push boundaries of their animation. They need to have good creativity and innovation skills to stand out from the crowd. 

How do you negotiate rates and terms with your freelance 2D animators?

1. Do your Research - You should understand the market rates of 2D animators, their level of expertise and the type of service they provide. Every different expertise demands different pay rates. This will always give you a good starting point for negotiations. 
2. Set a Budget - You should have a clear budget in mind based on the existing skills, experience and knowledge of a 2D animator. This will help them stay within your financial limits while still providing fair compensation. 
3. Focus on Value, not Price - you should always consider the value a 2D animator brings to their service instead of focusing on the cost. High quality may cost much, but it can always deliver better results, saving time and money in the long run, 
4. Be clear about your requirements - you should clearly outline the scope of work, deadlines, animation projects and any added expectations. This will help 2D animators to understand your expectations and allow them to provide more accurate animation projects. 
5. Establish Long-Term Relationships - you should be able to offer more work or even bring them on full-time. This can provide 2D animators more stable income. 
6. Make payment terms clear - when discussing agreement on rates, client’s should also discuss other things such as payments platforms, upfront payments, milestone payments and payment upon completion. 2D animators may be more willing to negotiate rates if the payment terms are clear and well discussed.