BETA YOURSELF ANIMATION
You’re not going to become the next Disney overnight… but as Craig Grannell explains, with the right apps and approach you can add movement to just about anything
THE BASICS
■ Start small
You might want to animate the next Toy Story or Akira in your shed, but rein in your ambition at first. Start by trying some basic animation: a simplified flying bird, a bouncing ball or a walking stick figure. Create a loop that repeats every few seconds and expand from there.
■ Watch the world
Unless you’re planning to create abstract animation best suited to late-night 1980s Channel 4, what you build will be based on the real world. So study it. When you want to create a walk cycle, record someone walking (with their permission!) and play that back in slow motion, watching how parts of the body move. Once you fully understand the basic principles, you can add your own style.