Have you spent countless hours learning animation, building a website, editing your reel, and establishing a social media presence, only to struggle with breaking into the industry as a professional No matter how skilled you are, finding a job can be tough if the right people aren’t seeing your work. The key is networking. Unfortunately, there aren’t many courses on effective networking in animation, and the word itself can feel daunting. Don’t worry—we’ve been there too. In this post, we’ll share our top networking tips for making valuable connections in the industry, both online and in perso ..read more

Are you trying to figure out how much animators make? It’s quite difficult to find solid information on salaries, plus there are so many career paths an animator can take that adds to the complexity. For instance, animators can work full-time at a studio, full-time as freelancers, a mix of both, or something completely different. The cyclical nature of film and television projects means many animators work on a contract basis, securing work for the duration of a project and then seeking new contracts. Often, animators take on freelance work between contracts to supplement their income. Because ..read more

The Art of Smear Frames Since the mid-1900s, smear frames have been used in nearly every animated production. This is because they provide a cost-effective way to imitate the motion blur of characters and objects as they appear in live-action films. At their simplest, smear frames connect an object or character from Point A to Point B in as few frames as possible, often only one frame to give the illusion of movement. A smear frame of Bugs Bunny from Warner Brothers’ 1949 short Long-Haired Hare. In this post, we’ll take you through a brief history of smear frames and their uses. Early Smear ..read more

While there are thousands of free resources for animators out there, we’ve scoured the net in search of some of the best! Below are five of our personal favorites. 1) Free Life Drawing Sessions There’s no discussion when it comes to whether life drawing is essential to improving your animation. Even Disney – the biggest animation studio in the world – has been holding regular life drawing sessions for its animators since 1932, when Art Babbitt began hosting sessions in his home. However, if you don’t have access to in-person life drawing sessions, there are a number of online ways you can prac ..read more

Stick figure animations often mark the starting point for many budding animators. Whether it’s sketching a stick figure in a flip book or experimenting with software, they serve as the initial canvas for artistic expression. Their simplicity transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. While typical stick figure animation tends to feature fight scenes involving swords, guns, or hand-to-hand combat, some artists have pushed the boundaries to expand stick figure animation into fully developed drama series, music videos, video games, and more. If you love stick figure animation or are a stick fig ..read more

If you haven’t started using Moho yet, you’re missing out on a remarkably simple-to-use tool known for transforming any static image into a full animation. Plus, with the launch of its highly anticipated Moho 14 update last fall, Moho has introduced several game-changing tools, which streamline everything from basic pose-to-pose animation to complicated special effects. In this post, we’ll go through 6 ways you can leverage Moho’s animation tools to enhance your own animations right now. 1) Powerful 2D Rigging Capabilities Moho is best known for its vector-based animation tools, making it easy ..read more

Established in Quebec, Canada in 1994, Toon Boom remains at the forefront of all 2D animated content around the world – utilized by virtually every modern animated TV show. If you’ve ever wanted to see exactly how these shows are animated in Toon Boom Harmony – you’re in luck! We’ve put together some great behind-the-scenes snippets of five TV shows (with completely unique styles) that demonstrate the extended abilities of what can be done in Toon Boom Harmony. 1. Rise of the TMNT Rise of the TMNT aired for two seasons on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons from 2018 to 2020. It features the adventures ..read more

This is a guest post by SouthernShotty I just spent 5 years of my life dedicated to completing my short film. Watermelon Girl. At over 230 shots, over 18,000 rendered frames, and 13 minutes in length – I have learned a LOT over the course of these last few years. Things that worked, things that didn’t work, and I want to share that knowledge with you. Plan Ahead Know what is boring? Planning. Know what will prevent you from failing your project? Planning. It’s the unfortunate truth, but spending just a few hours upfront building a plan can radically improve your chances for success. Hate plann ..read more

After Effects boasts a huge variety of tools, offering near-limitless possibilities for editing compositions, creating special effects, and of course animation.  Despite this, many animators feel intimidated by the learning curve of animating with After Effects, often choosing seemingly simpler programs instead. However, once you grasp how to navigate After Effects effectively, animating within it becomes surprisingly straightforward. In this post, we’ll guide you through the exact process of setting up and animating in After Effects using their keyframing and graph editor tools, all in a ..read more

Understanding the intricacies of proper screenplay format is more than a mere technicality; it is a fundamental aspect of the screenwriting craft, integral to a writer's success. This is not just about avoiding the fast track to the rejection pile due to formatting errors. It's about recognizing that such errors, including typos, punctuation mistakes, and grammatical errors, can significantly detract from your work's perceived quality. A well-formatted script signals to readers that you possess not only a compelling story but also the professionalism and attention to detail that are crucial ..read more