Animation

Animation is the art of giving life or the "illusion of life" to moving images. The industry continues to grow because of advances made in technology for 2D and 3D computer-based animations. The tools used maybe getting easier to use and are more affordable to the average user today than in the past, but the ability to animate well is one of the keys to a successful animation. Animation on the web, for example has become popular these days, but the average person creating these animations has no formal background in animation. To create the "illusion of life" into these moving images, one must have at least a general understanding of the classical animation theory.

Becoming a Good Animator

This site will cover many different areas in the classical animation process for you to become a good animator. Topics discussed will be story design, character design, and animating your characters correctly. Additional resources will be given, such as books to read and the many different types of software out there to help you animate. But before you start your journey on this site, here are some items that you should know or try to develop in your animation efforts:

• Do life drawings -- understand the human form and its relationship to its surroundings
• Study cinematography -- understand camera/shooting techniques
• Look at the classic animation films -- study the way they animate
• Do some acting -- to get the motion right or to get a better sense of giving life to your work
• Study graphic design -- to get a better sense of layouts, color, and design techniques
• Read books on screen writing -- to get a better understanding to writing a good story