An interview with Pixar’s head of research. Worth a read. I found DeRose’s answer to a question about the kind of skills/training animators should ideally have especially interesting.
We need people that are mathematically sophisticated, especially in areas like linear algebra, numerical analysis, differential geometry, and differential equations. We also need people that can implement their ideas in software. It’s really important that candidates are well versed in reasonably modern software development, being able to implement in languages like Python and C++.
DeRose is essentially saying they[Pixar] looks for strong software engineers with a strong mathematics background. Seems to be the same requirement I’ve seen in other industries, from finance to tech.
Scattered Notes 