Forensic Animation As a Career: Explore the Unexplored!

With the word animation, the first thing which flashes into the mind is games, cartoons or movies. However, these days the wide world of animation is not restricted to mere entertainment and has made its way to the court rooms. Yes, this is what is known as Forensic Animation. Forensic animation encompasses the reconstruction of events, which facilitate the investigators to understand an event. It is created with the help of eyewitnesses, thereby making a case stronger and easier for judges.

A forensic animation expert can recreate suicides scenes, road accidents or murder. With the help of animation techniques, even the weather conditions at the crime scene can be created. These forensic specialists also make the incident richer by showing the perspective of a driver, in a moving car. The entire sequence can be seen both from the ground level to an overhead view. This advanced version helps the jury to watch the entire event, rather than relying solely on the verbal account given by the eyewitness or party in question.

All these animations are done with the help of a variety of software, like iCloneG3, Pencil, 3D and various other modelling software. In any court, the animated themes are presented and scrutinized by the jury with utmost caution. This is because of the fact that software can create a fictitious reality and animation takes the audience to the imaginary level, which is practically not possible.

Salary of a Forensic Animation Expert

Salary of any Forensic Animation expert largely depends upon his qualification, experience, education, position (independent contractor or staff member) and also his employer.

Employment Prospects As Forensic Animation Expert

A qualified individual in forensic animation can work in or with law enforcement agencies, Private, sector and Law firms. On various occasions animators are hired on the hourly basis and lot depends upon the level of detail required in the given project and number of scenes animator has to create.

Apart from this, there is a growing demand for professional animation, required in court trials, regulatory hearings, arbitrations and other similar fronts. Specialists in forensic science or animation has to interview clients like medical doctors, attorneys, law enforcement officers, trainers and others. Such professionals also work in tandem with clients and fix what concepts are needed to be shown in a particular visual.

Where to study Forensic Animation:

Animation in India is growing by leaps and bounds and various institutes are offering 2D and 3D animation courses. All these colleges cover various major animation streams, which in turn can help the students in securing their dream jobs. Aspirants can find the list of animation colleges here!

Qualifications Demanded of a Forensic Animation Expert:

• Formal training in graphics design, art or computer graphics
• Excellent 3D Modeling/Animation skills
• Adobe After Effects and Adobe Photoshop
• Detail oriented approach
• Good sense of humor

A Forensic Animation Expert must have knowledge about:

• Modern law enforcement practices and methods
• Specifications, stock materials, equipment, and inventory
• Techniques of criminal identification
• Basic art forms, especially the human body and face;
• Graphic design, including layout, paste up, camera-ready art work, type
• Basic drawing which includes proportion, perspective, cranial-facial anatomy, biological
• Race, sex, ethnicity, ancestry and age
• Drafting and drawing systems

Source: Prachi Srivastava (Shiksha Team)

Date: 11th May, 2011