How can we talk anime without talking about the man who created it! Here is a great documentary about Osamu Tezuka.
DIY
Okay I haven’t yet started to talk about software and actual HOW-To but there is some great software out there that could really help you out. Right now I’m not talking about that just yet but Crazy Talk Animator gave me an idea of creating animation more quickly and giving you a certain style.
Of course you can also use Smith Micro’s Anime Studio, Adobe Flash, Toon Boom and Synfig (freeware).
Crazy Talk and all the others allow for a 2d puppet like animation. It is pretty popular on shows created for Adult Swim. Titmouse uses it alot. I think they use Flash for their work.
But cutout animation can work for comedy style anime. There are so many tools including 3d packages that can do the cutout animation style. With a little creativity you can create some cool work. You can even include motion capture.
Here are some shows that may give you an idea of what you can do with cutout style animation.
You can use a combination of tweening and puppet style animation to get things done more quickly.
I hope to get my hands on Crazy Talk animator because it has some sweet shortcuts I could really use in combination with After Effects. You can do a 360 of the character in 2d and apply motion capture.
If you are not a great artist you can send the template to an artist you find on Deviantart.com or Fiverr.com and have them create all the angles for you with the template. Easy as that.
All you have to do is add a little imagination.
I noticed that cutout, skeletal rig looks be be used on the below animated video game. It is called Broken Age. While it is not an anime per se the concept is still the same and can be applied to any style. Notice earlier I mentioned the cutout and tweening can be used very well on a comedy style anime but with a little imagination and a lot of story it can also tell more serious tales like Broken Age. I personally think it is a thing of beauty.
Your anime can be funny or even a thing of beauty using this style and animation!
So far I’m trying to give you several ideas on where you can go in making your anime. All these methods can help with Time, Money and Ability. I hope this is helping you to think outside the box and not simply try to tackle a frame by frame animation which would be really hard especially if you are not the greatest drawer.
This can give you an option to farm out your work to someone with a better skill set than you. I guarantee if I looked in my usual places I could find someone who can create all the parts you need for the template used by Crazy Talk. I’m even thinking within $45 USD per character at a quality rivaling Broken Age. The cool thing is when you have a rigged asset character you can use it over and over again.
Check out www.Deviantart.com and www.fiverr.com to find artists on a smaller budget. You could collab but that is a whole other subject which I have a serious negative take on it but I think I may help you find collabers. Maybe in the next couple of articles.
Some of you may not have to deal much with this but I know I do and that is the lack of artistic talent. Animation in general is a visual media. We may have a great story and have all these ideas in our head but getting them out there for people to see can be a challenge if you do not have the talent to draw.
Some will tell you that you can get there. Usually these are people with talent themselves. Point is you probably can with much practice and determination. But it is in my opinion that natural talent is also required. I have been drawing everyday since I was 3. I have gotten better and I do draw better than the average person but I am no where near what I want to be and no where near what I want to show people.
Behold my work above. That is the extent of my drawing talent. I think I can do a little better with more practice but honestly that is not what I want to see in MY series. I’m sure I could make something watchable in my style but I’d rather go a different route.
You see this whole website or book depending on what you are reading is designed to address that TALENT part in full. In fact it should be titled “How to Make your Own Animation even if you suck at art and nobody will help you because I don’t have the money to hire them but have this great idea for an Anime”
That would be the synopsis. Well despite some of your limitations or perceived limitations I think we can work through this together.
How?
A combination of things will make it possible.
*Save a little money and hire some artists. (I’ll show you where to find them)
*Collaboration (works great in connection with voice actors, musicians but visual artists are going to be a tough sale)
*Using tools to the fullest (don’t be afraid to use things or think you are too good to use certain tools)
*Stylize (make a unique style out of it)
*Rely on the STORY! (Story is king)
*Just do it with what you got
I want to share something with you if you feel that you do not have the talent to draw. I personally was depressed at my own ability until I saw this.
Truth be told I draw better than this guy. It looks like the stuff I draw in my quick storyboards but I will tell you now that this is one of my favorite Mangas EVER! What it lacked in beauty if made up for in character, charm and story. I cannot stop reading this story. Before I knew it I was hooked. At one point this artist of the series One-Punch Man was getting 20,000 views a day. It became a viral hit and was very popular. Soon I didn’t care about the art and that it wasn’t perfect. I was still looking at a wonderfully entertaining story. Since then the art has been beefed up but quite honestly it lacks the charm of the original.
The point is your art does not need to be Disney, Pixar or Miyazaki level. Your story however should be.
