• Do you dream of making your own animated movies, TV shows, games, or ads? If you do, you need to learn some skills and techniques of this art form. But don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it sounds. In fact, it’s a lot of fun! In this article, we will share some cool tips and tricks from people who know a lot about this craft. They will help you make your work better and more awesome.
• What is Animation? It is when you make pictures or objects move on the screen. It’s like magic, but with computers. You can make anything you want come to life with it. You can make people, animals, monsters, robots, aliens, or anything else you can imagine. You can make them talk, sing, dance, fight, or do anything else you want them to do.
• It can be done in two ways: 2D or 3D.
• 2D is when you make flat images move on the screen. You can use old-fashioned tools like pencils and paper, or modern tools like computers and software. 2D can be used for web, games, apps, and more.
• 3D is when you make three-dimensional models of characters and places move on the screen. You can use computers and software to create and manipulate the models in a virtual space. 3D can be used for TV shows, games, how jurassic park changed movies and more.
• It can be used for fun, learning, advertising, or telling stories. You can make works that are funny, scary, educational, or inspirational. You can make works that are realistic, stylized, or abstract. You can make works that are short or long, simple or complex, easy or hard.
• What are the Principles of Animation? It is not just about moving things on the screen. It is also about making them look real and interesting. To do this, animators follow some basic rules that help them work. These rules were first made by Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. They are:
• Squash and stretch – make your characters change shape as they move to show their weight and volume. For example, if a character is bouncing, they should squash when they hit the ground and stretch when they leave the ground. This makes them look more alive and bouncy. 
• Anticipation – show what your characters are going to do before they do it. For example, before a character jumps, they should bend their knees and lower their body. This makes the action more believable and satisfying.
• Staging – show what your characters want or feel through their poses or actions. For example, if a character is angry, they should have a frown on their face and clenched fists. This makes them look more expressive and appealing. 
• Straight ahead and pose to pose – choose how to animate your scene, either drawing each picture one by one or planning the main poses first. For example, if you want to animate a character running, you can either draw each step of the run or draw the start and end poses first. This affects how smooth or rough your animation looks. 
• Follow through and overlapping action – show how your characters and their things keep moving after they stop. For example, if a character is running, their hair, clothes, and limbs should be behind their body and follow through after they stop. This makes them look more realistic and fluid. 
• Slow in and slow out – make your characters move slowly at the start and end of each pose to show more natural movement. For example, if a character is waving their hand, they should start slowly, speed up in the middle, and slow down at the end. This makes them look more graceful and elegant. 
• Arcs – make your characters move along curved paths to show more smooth and realistic motion. For example, if a character is throwing a ball, they should move their arm along an arc instead of a straight line. This makes them look more natural and powerful.
• Secondary action – add small actions that make your main action more fun and lively. For example, if a character is walking, they can also whistle, swing their arms, or nod their head. This makes them look more interesting and personality. 
• Timing – control how fast or slow your work is to show the mood, emotion, and energy of your characters. For example, if a character is happy, they should move faster than if they are sad. This makes them look more dynamic and emotional. 
• Exaggeration – make your characters more expressive and appealing by making their features and actions bigger or smaller than normal. For example, if a character is surprised, they should have their eyes wide open and their mouth open. This makes them look more funny and dramatic. 
• Solid drawing – use perspective, anatomy, and proportions to make your 2D work look like 3D shapes. For example, if a character is turning their head, they should have their nose and chin stick out and their ears go back. This makes them look more solid and realistic. 
• Appeal – make your characters cute, cool, and easy to like by giving them a distinctive look and personality. For example, if a character is a hero, they should have a strong jawline, a confident smile, and a heroic pose. This makes them look more attractive and charismatic. 

What are Some Good Software for Making Animations?

If you want to create your own animations, you need to use some software that can help you bring your ideas to life. There are many options available, depending on your needs and budget. Here are some good software that you can try:

Visme

This is a free online tool that lets you make animated videos, presentations, infographics, and more. You can use templates, icons, images, fonts, and effects to make your work easily and quickly. It’s great for beginners and casual users who want to make simple and fun projects.

Adobe Animate

This is a paid software that lets you make 2D animations for web, games, apps, and more. You can use vector graphics, audio, video, and interactivity to make your work rich and engaging. It’s great for professionals and serious users who want to make complex and advanced projects.

Adobe Character Animator

This is a paid software that lets you make 2D animations using motion capture. You can use your webcam and microphone to control your character’s movement and speech in real time. It’s great for users who want to make live and interactive projects.

Pencil2D

This is a free software that lets you make 2D animations using hand-drawn images. You can use layers, onion skinning, and color palettes to make your work simple and beautiful. It’s great for users who want to make traditional and artistic projects.

Biteable

This is a free online tool that lets you make animated videos using templates, stock footage, music, and text. You can use it to make ads, explainer videos, social media posts, and more. It’s great for users who want to make quick and easy projects.

Animaker

This is a free online tool that lets you make animated videos using characters, backgrounds, props, voiceover, and music. You can use it to make cartoons, whiteboard videos, infographic videos, and more. It’s great for users who want to make fun and creative projects.

What are Some Tips and Tricks from Industry Experts?

Creating animated films is a fun and creative art form that can make your stories come to life. But how can you make your work better and more awesome? Here are some tips and tricks from people who know a lot about creating animated films:

Watch real life

Look at how people, animals, and things move in real life and try to copy them in your work. Use videos or photos to help you with hard poses or movements. This will make your work more realistic and believable.

Plan your work

Before you start working, draw your ideas, make a storyboard of your scenes, and make an animatic (a rough work with sound) to test your timing and speed. This will help you organize your thoughts and avoid mistakes later.

Use layers

When working with computer tools, use layers to separate different parts of your work, like background, foreground, character body parts, etc. This will make it easier to change and improve your work later.

Use curves

When working with computer tools, use curves to control how your work changes between pictures. Curves let you adjust how fast or slow your work is more exactly. This will help you create smooth and natural movement.

Use spacing

Spacing means how far apart each picture of your work is. Spacing affects how fast or smooth your work is. Use more spacing for faster movements and less spacing for slower movements. This will help you create dynamic and fluid movement.

Use anticipation

Anticipation is one of the most important rules of creating animated films. It shows what your characters are going to do before they do it and makes the action more believable and satisfying. For example, before a character jumps, they should bend their knees and lower their body. This will make them look more ready and energetic.

Use exaggeration

Exaggeration is another important rule of creating animated films. It makes your work more fun and interesting by making your characters’ features and actions bigger or smaller than normal. For example, if a character is surprised, they should have their eyes wide open and their mouth open. This will make them look funnier and more dramatic.

Use contrast

Contrast is a way of making your work more fun and interesting by using opposites. For example, you can contrast big and small movements, fast and slow timing, straight and curved lines, etc. This will make your work more varied and exciting.

Use overlap

Overlap is a way of making your work more real and smooth by showing how your characters and their things keep moving after they stop. For example, if a character is running, their hair, clothes, and limbs should be behind their body and follow through after they stop. This will make them look more realistic and fluid.

Use squash and stretch

Squash and stretch is a way of making your work more alive and bouncy by changing the shape of your characters as they move. For example, if a character is bouncing, they should squash when they hit the ground and stretch when they leave the ground. This will make them look more weighty and elastic.

Conclusion

Creating animated films is a fun and creative art form that can make your stories come to life. By following the rules of creating animated films and using some tips and tricks from experts, you can make your work better and more awesome. Remember to practice, try new things, and have fun!