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Animating cartoons is not always a graceful task. Just ask animation supervisor Emily Cooper.

"The weirdest thing was working on shows like Pirate Express and Camp Lakebottom where the humor is a bit more crude," says Cooper. "There were days where I spent the whole day animating farts and burps and had to listen to the farting and burping audio all day long!" Cooper supervises a team of animators who work on shows like Jake and the Neverland Pirates, DC Superhero Girls, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and more.

"I organize and distribute scenes to my team and then once they have completed their scenes, I review and either approve the scene or I send it back to the artist with a revision for them to complete," she says.

"After the shots have been approved by me, then they go to the director of the show to approve. I also make sure the team has everything they need to complete their shots, even if it's me jumping on some of the shots to complete them myself."

A career in animation can be demanding. Successful animators need a strong work ethic, an ability to focus and a lot of patience.

"It's not always easy being creative," says Todd Ramsay. He co-owns an animation studio that has done work on TV shows like Rocket Monkeys, Max & Ruby, and Angry Birds. "It's really important to shut out all of the distractions around you. Animation takes a lot of focus. Turn off your phone; don't check social media when you're animating. You really have to get into a groove and focus on the task at hand."

And remember: it's not all about you.

"Artists need to remember that they are not working on their own creations, so they need to do as the director asks," says Cooper. "Which can be difficult for artists, because they often take it as their art isn't good enough. Which is never the case, their vision is just different from the director's or the studio's."

But despite the stresses, the end results make it all worthwhile.

"It's a very rewarding job, especially when you see the finished product on cable TV or Netflix and your name is in the credits," says Ramsay. "You shouldn't decide to be an animator for the money. You have to be passionate about working in this field or chances are you won't last long.

"When I was a kid, I drew all the time," says Ramsay. "As I got older I was told that I could never make a living creating art. I get to draw all day now; what's not to like?"

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