Cheap Man's Approach to Animation

Here is a little incite to the tools I use and their cheap alternatives.

***Remember, chose the programs that work best for you. If you get better results using one instead of another, choose the one that you are most comfortable with. I have chosen a couple high end software packages that I have received throughout the years, but I have also provided cheap alternatives to each program. I suggest that you try to obtain the high end programs as they offer better results in the animation process. They can be obtained through trials, educational versions, or just sharing with friends.

Toolset:

• 3D Software
  High End: 3D Studio Max v8.0 - This along with Maya is the premiere modeling program in the industry. To save money I would buy one version of the program, and then buy maybe every 3 versions instead of spending 1000 dollars upgrading. Most will say that the last major change came when Max went from v5.0 to v6.0
  Low End: Blender - Used primarily for game development Blender is a great alternative as it has been around for many years and has a large community, form, and wiki base filled with tutorials.
  
  
• 2D Package
  High End: Adobe Photoshop- aka the king of all graphic design programs, Photoshop allows you to create anything, i.e. backgrounds, textures. A free trial is also offered.
  Low End: GIMP- free and almost identical to Photoshop, GIMP offers all of the tools of Photoshop as well as many of their effects.
  
  
• 2D Vector Animation Package
  High End: Flash- the leader in animation on the web.
  Low End: Flash Trial Version- For 30 days, you too can achieve high level animation
  
  
• Sound Recording Software
  High End and Low End: Cheap recording software is available where ever you look on the Internet, and two of my favorites are the very simple to use fully free HammerHead Program and FruityLoops Demo. The Demo might not let you record or save works, but the Windows Sound Recorder will, so use it to your advantage. Another neat trick with the Sound Recorder is if you have a TV tuner plugged into your machine, tape shows and then record cool snipets from shows that you may feel like using.
  
  
• Post Production
  High End: Adobe After Effects- nothing offers the processing power nor as many option as After Effects.
  Low End: However, there is a cheap alternative called Wax, which although does not offer all the bells and whistles of A.E, but it does allow filmmakers to use blue screen effects, transparencies, and a variety of 3d text controls. The program can also handle basic editing such as transitions and frame positioning.