Animation on a Budget - Free & Cheap Tools

How do you get started with animation, on a tight budget with little or no experience, and no software? Actually, it's never been easier to learn the art and craft of animation.  

At Animation Apprentice we recommend starting with some lego bricks (best of all are the big "Duplo" bricks for little kids).  You will also need a smart phone, some super-cheap software ($3), and an inexpensive tripod (£17).   On the left is some animation done by my daughter, aged six.  It's not perfect, but she had a fun start to learning the medium. 

Aardman Workshop at Cartoon Museum 26 Oct

Aardman animation are coming to London's Cartoon Museum, bringing a model making workshop on Thursday 26th October 2023.

The Cartoon Museum is welcoming Aardman Animation to celebrate the Thirtieth Anniversary of Wallace & Gromit, The Wrong Trousers.

You can make your own Wallace & Gromit characters to take home with you, assisted by Jim Parkyn - one of Aardman Animation's own modelmakers. 

Aardman Animation Launches Armature Toolkit

For all our students who would like to try their hands at stop-motion animation: armature specialist Animation Toolkit has partnered with Aardman Animation to design and create a bespoke armature kit to help stop motion animators with the puppet making process.

Animators can now easily and affordably create their own animation puppets.

Getting Started with Stop-Motion Animation

My six year old daughter did her first animation over the Christmas holidays, with a little help from her Daddy.  To make it, we used the Lego Animation Studio, aimed at kids 8-12 years old, which you can buy here.  Father Christmas gave it to her for Christmas (how did he know?), and we did this short stop-motion animation on Boxing Day.  We also needed some kit that didn't come with the Lego pack - an iPhone, a tripod (we used this one here), and the app "I can Animate" which cost $3 to download from the App Store. 

Screening of “Kubo and the Two Strings” in London on 6 December

SIGGRAPH's London chapter is hosting a local screening of Laika's latest Stop Motion triumph - the Annie-nominated “Kubo and the Two Strings” on December 6th.

After the movie screening I'll be hosting a Q&A with Director Travis Knight and Producer Arianne Sutner who will talk about the making of the film.

Events like this are a great chance to meet the talent behind a major motion picture, ask questions, and find out how the industry works.