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:
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:
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:
Also, briefly write:
A small request
To ensure we understand that you have read the project description carefully,
please start your response with the word:
MAP
