by Ellie Copper

Created on: November 27, 2008

3D animation is fairly new when it comes to moving pictures. In the 1980s, studios started experimenting by creating complex formulas that translated to rather simple renderings. The first animators were, in fact, programmers. Today, animators no have opportunity to play around with several software packages. It can be daunting if you don't know what you are doing. It is even more troublesome if you do not have a basic understanding of motion.

One way to start understanding motion is to watch. Observe your surroundings and the way things move. Objects move based on several variables. Atmosphere, density, weight, and size are a few. Making these observations will help you figure out how things should look when animated. You'll notice both subtle and obvious movement. As you get more experience observing, you'll notice timing, a key ingredient in animation. The speed of an object can be manipulated to depict any number of things. A character moving slowly may depict sadness. Once you get more in tuned with timing, you might want to carry a stop watch with you. Say you want to animate a character leaping over a puddle. Maybe your not sure how long the preparation before the leap should be. Prepare yourself to prepare. Take out your stop watch and time the way you would do it. It may sound silly, but you might also be surprised at how well it translates to the animation. Its a simple trick to give yourself guidelines in a medium where there are not rules.

Along with observation, research is also needed. Simply watching cartoons and animated features will definitely help, but they are only stepping stones. There are many books for 3D animation and they are valuable resources, but if one doesn't understand the basics of traditional animation, you will not be able to fully grasp the complexities of 3D. With the exception of stereoscopy (the 3D where you wear those glasses), all animation is shown on a flat surface. Richard Williams' "The Animators Survival Kit" is considered by both traditional and 3D animators to be the book with all the answers.

After taking these initial steps, it is also a good idea to take a class or two (for the basics as well as introductions to some software). It's nice to have a person to person conversation with someone who knows what they are doing. Tutorials are also a great resource. Just remember, you may have only one or two choices in a tutorial, but that is rarely the case in reality. It's one of the more confusing things in 3D packages. Which leads me to, software is software. Great things can be accomplished with the tools we have today, but if you don't know what you are doing, you might as well go back to pencil and paper.

Tinker around with all of these tips and then get involved in the animation community. The 11 second club is a great site that hold a monthly competition. The forums on this particular site are a goldmine. Forums in general can get you pretty far. The majority of feedback you'll get is really useful. So, after you make that first clip of animation, there will definitely be someone there to point out your weak spots. Practicing your animation skills can only improve them. Watch people walk down the street and make a walk cycle. Throw a ball down the hallway and make an animation based on it. Observe and try copying any type of motion. You'll get the hang of it.

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