Explore the rankings
Creative & Media · Updated Aug 2026

Special Effects Artists and Animators

Create special effects or animations using film, video, computers, or other electronic tools and media for use in products, such as computer games, movies, music videos, and commercials.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
AI Exposure
71/100
High

How much of this occupation’s work can be materially affected by current AI systems.

Replacement Risk
60/100
High

How likely exposure is to translate into reduced human demand.

Includes provisional estimates for AI adoption pressure and labour-market resilience. How this is measured

Evidence quality
Confidence83/100
Task coverage87%

Confidence reflects task coverage, mapping and capability-evidence quality, and how much of the score rests on provisional inputs.

Task-level evidence

What is driving the score?

Occupation scores are built from the task mix—not a single prediction about a job title.

JVS 2.0.0-phase4b
TaskImportanceAI impactExposure
Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.High
73
Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.High
74
Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.High
75
Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.Medium
75
Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.Medium
74
Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.Medium
75
Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.Medium
75
Apply story development, directing, cinematography, and editing to animation to create storyboards that show the flow of the animation and map out key scenes and characters.Medium
74
Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.Medium
76
Assemble, typeset, scan, and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.Medium
40
Most exposed

Where AI can do more

Routine, digitized, and highly repeatable tasks face the greatest pressure.

  1. Convert real objects to animated objects through modeling, using techniques such as optical scanning.76
  2. Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.75
  3. Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.75
  4. Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.75
Hardest to automate

Where people still matter

These tasks score lowest on automation feasibility—physical presence, judgement, accountability and real-world variability all resist end-to-end automation.

  1. Assemble, typeset, scan, and produce digital camera-ready art or film negatives and printer's proofs.01
  2. Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.02
  3. Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.03
  4. Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.04
  5. Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.05
Where else this work leads

Related occupations

Occupations O*NET links to this one. Relatedness reflects shared work, not a claim that these roles are safer.

See all rankings →
Beyond AI capability

Adoption and labour-market outlook

Structural factors are kept separate from raw capability so you can see what actually resists automation. Adoption pressure and labour-market resilience are still provisional models—25% of this occupation’s replacement-risk weight rests on them.

Human dependency70
Physical dependency32
Adoption pressure57
Labour-market resilience54
Methodology & sources

O*NET 30.3 occupational data interpreted through the JobsVsAI capability, automation and structural-constraint models.

Confidence83/100
CalculatedAug 21, 2026
Read methodology →