5 Helpful Reddit Threads for Novice Animators

I've been slowly teaching myself game design/dev and more recently animation, and unfortunately I don't really have the time or money to enroll in more efficient (and expensive) courses. So I try and focus on gathering info from great online sources, like Gamasutra. 

I've also found a buch of helpful info on reddit. I put together a list of helpful game design reddit threads and posted that a few months ago here on Gamasutra, and I thought I'd do the same with animation. (I have no affiliation with any of the threads or programs listed below)

So here are 5 Reddit threads I found really helpful in my learning animation journey. 

1. Learning to Add Music and Sound to your Animation Project

Once you’ve gotten a handle on the basics of animation, inserting music and sound are the next logical steps for any of your projects. Jessejayjones’ thread from the Learn Animation Subreddit links to a well done video that shows step by step instructions for making your animation projects pop with these extras. You can check out the video here.

2. Morphing Shapes In After Effects Tutorial - Free Class

Once again, you can head back to another great video from skillshare.com here, where you will learn how to morph in After Effects using shapes, icons and objects. Nigellus6 provides the link in the Learn Animation Subreddit which will be one you’ll definitely want to bookmark. It’s packed with great instructional data and an easy to follow format you’ll appreciate as you begin your animation journey.

3. Online Animation: The Keys to Success

Checking out Matthewwwinter’s thread, you can find out about his reasonably priced and thorough tutorial which explains the keys to building an online animation business. This five star rated tutorial is a great place to explore the world of making money online with animation. You can visit the tutorial’s starting page here.

4. The Best Animation Schools

As you continue to explore your options, you’ll no doubt want to inquire about the many different schools that offer coursework in professional animation. Bloopcharlie has a great thread from the Learn Animation Subreddit that links to a rather comprehensive list of schools that specialize in the field. Visit his link here to check them out. The list not only covers some top-notch institutions in the US and Canada, but a few overseas that appear to be outstanding with their offerings. There is also an online tutoring option, which offers you a range of costs involved from very affordable to options to plan and save for.

5. How to Animate with Blender

Learning to unlock all the exciting features of Blender Animation, which is often referred to as the best free animation software available, is something you should look into. This course, another great offering by BloopAnimation found at the Learn Animation Subreddit, is another informative body of coursework from Reddit contributor charlieboop. This online course is great for beginners and has all the information you need to start animating in no time.