Interview with a animator in the Game Industry

I interviewed one of my former university classmates, who is now working in the marketing department of a game company in ShangHai. His main responsibility is creating short promotional animations for TikTok. Before our conversation, I only had a vague impression of what this kind of work involved, but hearing him describe his daily routine completely changed my understanding of animation beyond traditional production.

He told me that compared to the conventional animation industry, where projects often take months or even years to complete, the workflow for short-form promotional content is much faster. A single animation may only require a few days from concept to final output. Because of this speed, the process becomes more flexible and spontaneous. There is less pressure from long-term planning, and animators can experiment freely without being tied to highly structured storytelling or strict visual consistency.

What fascinated me the most was how few limitations there are on themes and styles. In traditional animation, content must often fit the expectations of investors, audiences, or established branding. However, on platforms like TikTok, the priority is creativity and engagement rather than strict narrative rules. My classmate said he is encouraged to draw whatever feels interesting—even abstract shapes, surreal transitions, or playful character loops that may not make sense in a conventional storyline. This freedom allows him to maintain his personal artistic voice while still contributing to a commercial project. Listening to him speak made me realize how refreshing this kind of work can be for animators who want both creativity and practicality.

We also touched briefly on the topic of salary. He mentioned that traditional animation can sometimes come with unstable income, especially for freelancers or those working on long project cycles. In contrast, his position in the game industry offers consistent pay and a predictable schedule, which gives him a sense of security without sacrificing artistic exploration.

After the interview, I found myself thinking seriously about alternative paths in animation. It reminded me that creativity does not have to exist only in large-scale productions—sometimes, small and experimental work can feel even more alive.