"There's an extra magic with animation," said Greig Cameron, Triggerfish studio writer and director. "The only boundaries are how crazy your imagination is."
Are you filled with a crazy imagination and ready to create your own motion stories through animation?
You'll need the right tools to bring those visuals, characters and sound effects in motion through pictures. We made a list of some of the best programs animators can research as they start to explore the possibilities to their imagination.
Will your animation stories go on to change the world in the same way that Triggerfish's first African animated cartoon has done?
Features in Animation Software
Modern animation is almost completely reliant on technology, software and programs. As a new animator you’ll have to discover the pros and cons to each program and identify which are most suited for the type of animations you plan to do. A corporate explainer video, as example, requires completely different animation techniques, tools and software to an animated feature film.
The more professional and experienced you become as animator, the more technical these requirements will become. Will you be doing 2D animation and make use of hand-drawn techniques and incorporate vector graphics using an ipad? Maybe your first 3D animation video project will require the use of effects like CGI?
The requirements of animation software are changing as quickly as the industry is and most professional programs try and keep up with these developments through technical and functional updates.
If you are at the start of your journey, we would like to encourage you to play, that is after all one of the character traits of a good animator, someone with child-like creative and curiosity.
Here are some considerations around functionality and tools to consider while you discover the pros and cons to the best animation programs:
- Price and related quality
- Is it easy to use? Beginners would require a more intuitive solution while more advanced animators might require training on complex animation programs.
- Standard and built-in features and effects
- Ability to integrate with other platforms
- Ability to import media from other sources
- It offers users a free trial period and support
Animation creation software is only part of the tools you require as beginner and student animators can read more about the tools you need in this article.
Animation Software for Beginners
Are you good at drawing and do you want to use your own vector drawings and graphics in your animations? Whether you are proficient in drawing or not, becoming a professional animator will take commitment and years of practice.
Luckily with plenty of free and beginner programs out there you can start with basic character animations, a whiteboard animation or a short stop motion animation as soon as you want to.
In this article you can explore how you can make your first animation using one of the animation programs below.
LightMV
LightMV is a cloud based, top performer video maker for beginner animators using windows PC. It offers free and full access online but you can also download it to your computer or tablet. You can’t draw directly onto the program, but you can add the elements that will make up your animation. It’s a good option to try out your first bit of animation.
Powtoon
Powtoon is a high performance software program that can be used by professional and beginner animators alike. They can be considered as one of the market leaders and the software offers a variety of templates and tools that allows you to create and do the editing of slideshows, an animated character or an animated CV.
Animaker
Animaker is used and trusted by some of the world's leading international business brands to create GIFs, live videos or short videos. Animaker's drag and drop tool, massive stock video and image library, automatic lip-syncing tool and easy character building tool are only some of the pros to it while one of the cons to Animaker might be the fact that you can only use it in a browser.
Moovly
A subscription is necessary to access the suite of tools available for an animation studio. Moovly is however quite popular in the market, allowing subscribers to create animated videos, do editing, their own infographics and presentations.
FlipaClip
Animate on the go with FlipaClip. Available for Android or iOS, this program offers an old cartoon feel with all the features modern animation technology can provide. You can download your animation as an MP4 or GIF and it’s great for those who want a free app and do animations on the go.
Toontastic 3D
The web is filled excellent reviews and ratings on Toontastic 3D, an app created by Google. Users can create an animated video with the 3D characters from the program’s library and if you’d like to edit them and make your own story, you’ll have that option as well.
Being able to draw is not required, but will improve your skills as an animator – find drawing classes on Superprof today.
GoAnimate or Vyond
If you are looking to become a content creator or do animation for businesses, Vyond (the new name for GoAnimate) gives users a great, online way of creating brand stories through animation. This is a cost-effective way for businesses to get their messages out and might be an opportunity for you to make money while doing what you love.
Advanced and Professional Animation Programming
Most animation software developers want to create software that’s intuitive. For that reason almost anyone can learn the more advanced and professional animation programs. Your initial investment in time and money might however be a bit more than a free beginner program due to their added features and functions, templates and efficiency.
Some of these programs will take more time to learn and there are hundreds of tutorials for beginners and advanced animators on YouTube or directly from the software platform to help animators, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to create more complex animations.
Integrations between platforms is another differentiating factor in most of these professionally orientated software programs. You’ll be able to export it into other programs, import different videos or content or even add your own coding and programming if it’s ‘open source’.
Student animators who are serious about a career in animation can research the list below and most animation schools will guide you to download educational versions of these at a fraction of the cost. If you are however just interested in creating breath-taking animations, and are patient enough to learn, then try out the trial period most of these programs have on offer.
AutoDesk Maya
With powerful modelling, rendering, simulation, texturing and AutoDesk Maya isn’t that easy to pick up. In fact, you’ll need a lot of training and practice to get the hang of it. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to utilise this powerful 3D animation software through the use of effective tools to model and animate realistic and imaginative stories.
Autodesk Maya, like most of the advanced animation programs, can be a bit pricey for South Africans as they charge around $1700 for an annual subscription, but check out their educational version if you are still learning or studying.
Aurora 3D Animation Maker
Aurora 3D Animation Maker is perfect if you are still learning about animation and its forte is in creating animated text and logos in 3D. Companies or animators can create exciting GIF elements, web banners, or image sequences and it’s completely compatible with Illustrator, iMovie and Photoshop (to mention a few), so even graphic designers can experiment in how they bring motion to their graphics.
Adobe Creative Cloud: After Effects, Adobe Animate CC and Adobe Dimension
Designers, film makes and photographers are all familiar with Adobe’s creative cloud and the various apps that allows easy integration of various vector elements. Through a single plan you can access multiple apps and one of the greatest benefits is how you can import and integrate various stills, videos, sounds or effects from one program to the next.
After Effects allows you to create industry standard motion graphics, cinematic film titles, add or remove objects in frame or design and navigate characters or logos in a 3D space. Choose from hundreds of effects, create VR videos and the best of it all is it integrates easily with other Adobe elements.
Adobe Animate CC, previously known as Adobe Flash Pro, is used across the world wide web, videos and games. It’s a versatile format that provides ample of help for novices and one of the best platforms that provides tools for creating dynamic content in 4K.
Dimension will allow you to create photorealistic 3D elements and incorporate it with Augmented reality experiences in Aero. Adobe has an additional add-on sculpting and modelling VR tool that allows 3D asset creation.
The more you delve into the world of animation, the more you’ll notice how one program might not fulfil all your needs. Professional animators use a range of programs to develop various aspects of their story and eventually bring them all together, something that Adobe suite made easier and possible with their creative suite offering.
Blender
Blender is often recommended by amateurs and experts and a name that is synonymous with animation. It can be used for 3D modelling and animations and Blender is accessible to both professionals and amateurs. You can work on lighting, post-production, editing, texturing and modelling.
Animation Paper
We think you should try out Animation Paper if you love old-school hand-drawn animation techniques. Suitable for Mac, Linux and PC, its currently in development and allows animators to download the Alpha version for free. With Animation Paper you’ll be able to combine traditional drawing technique with modern technology making use of tablets and computers. The system will allow you to duplicate elements which takes out the need for redrawing each frame.
Your ability to draw will be important with software programs like this and our Superprof drawing tutors will be able to guide you through private one-on-on or group tutoring classes.
Why Wait? Go Animate!
You don’t need a full script and a range of characters to get started on your first video. Most animation creation software programs offer a range of template characters, tools and elements you can use for your first project.
With the help of Superprof tutors you can get expert help, suited to your budget and schedule through online tutorials for animation, drawing, writing or even programming.
Search for a talented tutor in your area and start to explore the creative, imaginative and expressive world of animation.
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