Two Ways to Make a Walk Cycle - Which is Best?

One of the most common questions student animators ask when they tackle their first walk cycle is this: is it better to animate the walk cycle "on the spot", as if on an imaginary treadmill, is it better to animate the character physically walking across the screen, taking two steps? Both methods of creating a cycle are effective approaches to the problem of character walks, and at animation Apprentice we teach both methods. Both, however, have their advantages and disadvantages. Watch the five minute video above to understand the difference between the two approaches, and decide for yourself which one suits you best.