Vancouver's animation boom sparks talent search

As film and television contracts continue to roll in, animation studios in Vancouver are facing a talent crunch.

“It’s pretty widely known that there is a shortage of labour supply in Vancouver,” said Scott Hanley, a human resources generalist at animation studio Bardel Entertainment. 

“Bardel and other animation studios are working collaboratively to try to increase the amount of training that junior animators are getting, and the outreach to high schools to ensure that they realise there is a career in animation.”

Bardel has hired 125 more staff since January to work on television shows like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rick and Morty and Veggie Tales. In the last few years, large Hollywood studios such as Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain, Rhythm & Hues and Sony Pictures Imageworks have set up shop in Vancouver, bringing the number of studios to around 20. 

Vancouver is now one of the world’s largest animation and visual effects hubs, industry insiders say. Competitive government tax credits have been key to the growth of the industry.

Animators usually specialize in either 2D or 3D animation; junior animators are usually paid between US$27,000 and US$31,000 a year, while senior animators makeUS$47,000 to US$59,000, said Hanley. 

In the past three years, wages have gone up in both visual effects and animation as studios attempt to attract workers.