How do you get started with animation, on a tight budget with little or no experience, and no software? Actually, it’s never been easier to learn the art and craft of animation.
At Animation Apprentice we recommend starting with some lego bricks (best of all are the big “Duplo” bricks for little kids). You will also need a smart phone, some super-cheap software ($3), and an inexpensive tripod. On the left is some animation done by my daughter, aged six. It’s not perfect, but it’s a pretty cool start.
First Animation
You can see the full film below:
How to Get Started
To make the short, we used the Lego Animation Studio, aimed at kids 8-12 years old, which you can buy here. Father Christmas gave it to her for Christmas (how did he know?), and we made this short stop-motion animation on Boxing Day. But you don’t need to buy the kit; a bunch of old lego bricks is all you really need.
iPhone & Tripod
We also needed some other equipment: an iPhone, and a tripod (we used this one here). You need the tripod to stabilise your phone – without a tripod your animation will leap all over the place. There are plenty of inexpensive tripods available – try this one, available at amazon.
“I Can Animate” App
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| I can Animate |
There are tons of apps to time animation on your phone. We used the app “I can Animate” which cost $3 to download from the App Store.
Start Animating
We animated “on fours”, which is to say, we exposed each image for four frames (film runs at 24 frames a second). Then we moved the bricks a little, and set another keyframe for another four frames. And so on.
Animating “on fours” gives the film its slightly choppy feel, but it’s a good way to get started. Six images timed at four frames each is one second of animation, which is relatively easy to get your head around.