If you have a genuine interest in making short animated films, you might want to educate yourself about animation software. The article below enlists some of the best animation software for beginners.
Did You Know?
Disney previously had 13 principles of animation. Of course, this number has considerably increased as of today.
Animation is a fun and creative way to make films. Learning animation is an hands-on experience, so whatever you learn about animation is useless, unless you try out the tips and techniques of animation. Whenever you are going to make an animated film or even simple animation, the first thing you need to ask yourself is this – can the story be made in live-action? If the answer is ‘no’, only then make an animated film. However, if it’s practice you are looking for, then you can make a few seconds of animation to get used to this concept. Make a small storyboard to get a clearer picture of what you are going to make. Or, at least draw thumbnails of the scene or sequence which you are going to show using animation. After this, consider a style and use good software to make the animation sequence.
Animation Software to Get You Started
Best Stop Motion Animation Software
Stop motion is basically created by taking photographs. So, there is a frame, which you shoot and save, then proceed to the next frame, then the next frame, and so on. When these frames are played quickly, you will get to see motion. For stop motion, you can use sketches or use clay models, paper models, or even use any inanimate thing, like buttons, sand, pencils, etc. Feel free to come-up with any crazy ideas.
To make stop motion animation films, the top animation software are I Can Animate, SAM ANIMATION, and Stop MotionMaker. I Can Animate is only for Mac. It has good basic features, and works with DV Camcorders and other Mac compatible webcams. It’s easy to understand and easy for beginners to grasp too. SAM ANIMATION has a very simple and easy to understand interface, and decent basic features. Stop MotionMaker is only for Windows. It is very user-friendly, also it has many powerful features that allows you to quickly make animations.
Best 2D Animation Software for Beginners
2D animation is basically animation, which is created in a 2D environment, as opposed to 3D. 2D animation has its own appeal, and is easy to create. You can either do cell animation, which is done by making frame by frame drawings. Or you can use tools in the software to create various in-between frames. (If all this sounds too technical, then consider going through a tutorial on frame by frame animation.)
The best 2D software in my opinion is Flash. It keeps improving with every version. As a beginner, consider using an older version of Flash, as it has a simpler interface. Two other good 2D animation software are Animation Workshop and Animation-ish. Animation-ish is a good animation software for beginners, which allows the user to play with basic animations. Animation Workshop is a good choice to create short clips.
Best 3D Animation Software for Beginners
3D animation is done using a software that allows the user to create a 3D model and animate it in a 3D environment. To create 3D animation, one needs to understand a lot of technicalities. However, there are many tutorials available that will guide you step-by-step in learning these software. However, start with the simplest of 3D software as a beginner so that you can see results quickly and do neat animations.
Two of the most popular 3D software are Maya and 3D Studio Max. However, these software have a complex interface and so many features that it can become difficult to grasp it. Hence, start with a simpler and more basic software. Blender is the best 3D software when starting to create 3D animations. Blender is for free, and will help you create cool animations in a 3D environment. Maya and Max cost a lot and also they are difficult to learn. So, first practice with Blender and then consider upgrading to Maya or Max.
Download a free software and get started by creating some small few second animation clips. Reading few tutorials on how to use the software will help you create animations easily and neatly. Also, keep updating yourself by learning new techniques on creating animations, to make animation clips faster. Good luck!