Also called: Camera Tracker, Tracking Artist
Recreates the exact movement of a real camera in 3D software so CGI objects stay locked into live footage.
A matchmove artist analyzes a handheld shot of a street and rebuilds the camera path in 3D, so a CGI robot later appears to stomp along the real pavement without sliding.
BLS special effects artists and animators (May 2024): median ~$99.8k, 10th pct ~$57k, 90th ~$175k. Role-specific figures are estimates.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. VFX training; math and spatial skills help.
Ways in: Certification, 4-year college, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Visual Effects, Computer Animation, Mathematics.
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years). Tracks VFX growth.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI camera tracking and phone-based scanning automate much matchmoving; tricky shots still need artists, but openings will drop.
Classes: Geometry, Physics, Computer science, Photography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-1014.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.