We are looking for a After Effects animator to assist in creating historical maps for YouTube documentaries.

The job involves not design, but animating maps within an already prepared template.

All main assets are already ready:
map design, icons, character portraits, and basic project structure.

The main task is to carefully animate the map within the existing system.
In case of a successful project, long-term collaboration may be possible.

Examples of map animations

To better understand the work format, you can view examples of maps from our projects.

Animation examples:
(link to Google Drive)

This will help understand:

• animation style

• type of tasks

• level of map complexity

Examples of work

Projects

Working on historical documentary videos for large educational YouTube channels with an audience of millions of viewers.

Each episode uses animated maps showing:

• movements of armies

• course of campaigns

• changes in political borders

• locations of cities and fortresses

• historical figures

Tasks

The main work is animating maps in After Effects.

What needs to be done:

• animate movements of armies on the map

• animate arrows and markers

• add and animate icons of cities and fortresses

• place and animate portraits of historical figures (commanders)

• make simple camera movements (zoom / pan)

• work within the prepared After Effects template

Most tasks are production animation, without the need to develop the map design.

Requirements

• proficient in After Effects

• ability to work with shape layers

• basic understanding of keyframe animation

• accuracy and attention to detail

• ability to work with a template

• basic level of English

The context of the maps is usually provided in text form (script),
but it is important to at least roughly understand spoken English to match the text with the timing in the audio and correctly set the timings of the maps.

It would be a plus:

• experience in animating maps

• interest in historical themes

Payment format

Payment is per map, not hourly.

Maps are divided into several categories by complexity.

Micro — $5

Very simple map.

Examples:

• show one city

• small marker

• simple zoom

Simple — $10

Simple map with a small number of elements.

Examples:

• 1–3 movements of armies

• several city icons

• simple animation of arrows

• optional info box with brief information
  (for example: year, name of the campaign or battle)

Medium — $15

Map of medium complexity.

Examples:

• several armies

• several phases of movement

• more arrows and markers

• animation of changes in political borders
  (as a result of campaigns or conquests)

• appearance of several armies and portraits of figures (commanders)

• optional info box with key information
  (year, name of the campaign, name of the battle)

Complex — $25

Complex map.

Examples:

• large number of armies

• complex choreography of movements

• several stages of the campaign

• animation of changes in political borders

• large number of elements on the map

• several armies and portraits of historical figures

• optional info box with key information
  (year, name of the campaign, name of the battle)

Important

Most maps in our projects fall into the Simple and Medium categories.

Complex maps are encountered significantly less often and are usually used for larger stages of campaigns.

Work volume

Usually in one episode:

5–20 maps.

The number depends on the specific project.

If the collaboration is successful, the work may become regular and long-term.

Test task

Before starting work, there will be a small paid test task.

Usually this is:

2–3 maps from a real project.

This will allow us to understand how comfortable we are working together.

What to send in response

Please send:

• several examples of animation in After Effects

• preferably examples of map animation (if available)

Also, briefly write:

• how many years you have been working in After Effects

• whether you have previously worked with map animation

A small request

To ensure we understand that you have read the project description carefully,
please start your response with the word:

MAP