Animation Starter kit
All you need to start animating!
Good news everyone!
You don't need a lot to start 3D animation on your own! In fact you can start having fun for free, if you have access to a computer!
Here is what you need to start with solid foundation
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Knowledge
For every animator, this is you starting point, no negociation you should get this book, and more important you should read it! Trust me, we don't call it "The animation bible" for no reason. You will learn all the animation basics, it will make you save few weeks of trainings.
Basic knowledge
Basic training
Need an introduction or some courses to start off right? Start on a solid foundation.
3D softwares
If you want a versatile, powerful and free 3D software, Blender is your man. It's a 3d open source software with a great community offering support and many tutorials online.
A good first step in 3D animation. I'd recommend it for total beginners.
If you are sure that you want to be an animator, and you want to assure you a job in film or TV industry, then you need to learn to use MAYA from Autodesk. It is the main 3d software of the industry. Yes many other good softwares are pushing the door like Blender, but most of movie's studio pipelines are built around this one.
Free 30 days trial HERE
Another great 3d software, mostly used by freelancers. It is cheaper than Maya, but I never met any studio in VFX using it.
An other huge 3d software. This one if for anyone who wants to work in video games field. Also from Autodesk.
Material
I am not a Computer expert. So I won't be able to provide any specifics PC setting to create incredible rendered images.
Luckily for us animators, no need for crazy setup to animate. If you consider creating VFX, heavy video and render, then choose a high performance computer
I personally use a MacBook pro, (mine if from 2017) I can work anywhere and it's powerful enough to animate on Maya or Blender.
Computer
If you start in animation, you might not need it. But as soon as you'll be confortable with a 3D software, you would love to extend your desk to a second monitor. Usually I like to keep my camera View on one screen, them and the second I keep a second camera view and my graph editor. On the long term, its a huge time saver.
Secondary screen
The first day you might be lost. The second day, you'll never come back to your regular mouse.
Having a tablet is very nice for your wrist. On the long term, you know how to harm your wrist with mouse.
Also if you are animator, there is a great chance that you will be working on 2d software at some points, and a tablet is a must have.
Wacom Tablet
Disclamer: I am not a tech expert, I can only provide confident reviews on the material I use everyday, feel free to make your own researches.
If you want to have fun animating anywhere in the train or at the library. Procreate dreams seems amazing! I already have Procreate and I used if for 2D Animation.
Ipad + Procreate dreams + Apple pencil
