Above is a selection of the best locomotion and mechanics animation created by our talented students at Animation Apprentice.  Every animator needs to know how to animate a walk cycle, and then (having mastered the basic mechanics) to give that walk character and personality.  Every person moves differently, and those differences add up to their own unique personality. Congratulations to all our students and recent graduates on their excellent work in locomotion and mechanics.  Animation Apprentice Demo Reels Our students have been producing excellent animation at Ani ..read more

Animate a fish swimming in Maya In this simple tutorial we show how to animate a fish swimming, and then add some underwater lighting using Maya's software renderer.  Start with a single side-to-side rotation of the fish; then copy and paste the curves down the fish's body, offsetting each curves by a frame or two.  The result is the distinctive swish of a fish's tail.  The underwater lighting with caustics can be done with a few clicks.  Fish Animation Tutorial Rigs We're using the herring rig from Turbosquid. If you can't find a copy, email us and we'll sen ..read more

Animate a Submarine Underwater In this super simple tutorial we show how to animate a submarine traveling underwater.  This is a very basic tutorial aimed at beginners in Maya.  The idea is to do some very simple animation of an underwater scene, then add a caustic effect to reproduce the effect of light penetrating water.  Animate a Submarine Underwater Using Caustics in Maya This tutorial can be adapted to animating fish - or any underwater scene.  To see how to recreate this underwater effect, follow the simple tutorial below: Beginner Animation Tutorial ..read more

Attach & Un-attach a Hat in Maya Using the Parent Master In this short (just under ten minutes) tutorial for animation beginners we show how to attach and un-attach a hat in Maya using the free ZV Parent Master Plugin.  The ZV Parent Master Plugin is a very useful tool that we recommend for attaching and un-attaching objects in Maya.  To see how to download and install the Parent Master, read this blog post and watch this video.   The Parent Master Plugin The Parent Master Plugin is a very useful tool that we recommend for attaching and ..read more

The Royal Television Society (RTS) Bursary Scheme is now open, offering bursaries (scholarships) to students  pursuing careers in television, film or related media. The application deadline is Monday 24th June 2024. As always, we encourage our students to apply.  There are many scholarships and bursaries available for education.  RTS Bursary Scheme Royal Television Society (RTS) Bursary Scheme is now open, offering bursaries (scholarships) to students  pursuing careers in television, film or related media Application Form The application form can be found here ..read more

Animate a Camera Shake in Maya with Monty In this free animation tutorial we show how to animate a camera shake in Maya.  It's a simple tutorial aimed at beginners learning 3d animation in Autodesk Maya.  To animate the camera shake is simple - it's just a few keyframes on the x rotation on the shot camera, simulating what might happen to a real camera operator if (as in this example) a school bus were to whizz past at high speed.  Animate a Camera Shake in Maya The tutorial uses a simple pre-existing scene in Autodesk Maya, including "Monty", the Cartoonla ..read more

One of the most common mistakes junior animators make when staging their shots is to position the camera above the action, looking down on the characters. This can be tempting to do, because it is an easy way to capture everything that is going on.  However "CCTV Camera" is usually a mistake (though you might need to create a particular effect in certain circumstances). A better choice is to position the camera at eye level - where the camera becomes a non-participant observer in the scene. Watch this very short video to see why. Keep the Camera at Eye Level Camera generally wo ..read more

In this super simple beginner animation tutorial we show how to animate a vehicle coming to a sudden stop. The free tutorial uses the free "AnyCar 3.1.4 for Maya" rig, downloadable here from Creative Crash.   This is a fun, simple tutorial that is aimed at animation beginners in Autodesk Maya, part of our series of animation basics for students who have never used Maya before.   Yellow Beetle Rig The Beetle rig, snappily titled ""Swappable Car Rig with Ubershockies - The AnyCar 3.1.4 for Maya" is a great way to get some fun, cartoony vehicle animation into your demo reel. It ..read more

Animate a Traffic Cone Being Knocked Over In this beginner's animation tutorial we show how to animate a traffic cone being knocked over by a speeding car.  It's based on the Yellow Beetle animation tutorial - which you can find here.   You can however use any vehicle, and animate it by simply setting a keyframe at the start and the end of the motion.  The timing of the traffic cone is very simple; with just a few keyframes and we can add texture to the scene.  Animate a Traffic Cone Being Knocked Over You can find the free ten minute tutorial below.  Wo ..read more

https://anim-matt.gumroad.com/ We're loving this new source of Free Rigs and Sets for Maya Animators at Animation-Matt https://anim-matt.gumroad.com/.  It's a great resource, packed with free (and low priced) rigs for character animation.  Anim-matt also has plenty of sets for animators to work in, including interior and exterior shots such as street, bars and living rooms, for characters to act and perform in. Rigs and Sets Other places to look for great free animation rigs, sets and props include: Free Sets and Props at Turbosquid Free Assets from Paragon Anim ..read more