If you're reading this, chances are you've already realized that animation can be hard. Animating is challenging, especially if you don't know where to start or what you're doing wrong. But here's some good news: It doesn't have to be difficult! In this blog post, we'll explore some common animation challenges and how—and why—you might overcome them.
Don't Let Your Animation Challenges Hold Back Your Creative Work
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It is important to be aware of your animation challenges and don’t let them hold back your creative work. If your animation isn't top quality, that doesn't mean that you're not good enough or talented enough. Instead of focusing on what you can't do and letting that affect how you feel about yourself as an artist, focus on all the things about yourself and your artistry that are good at.
Do Not Pressure Yourself To Make A Full-Length Animated Movie
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If you're going to make a full-length animated movie, you'll need to have already made hundreds of smaller animations. This is because animation is a craft that requires constant practice and skill development. So, don't rush into making your first feature without having made other stuff first!
The best way to overcome this animation challenge is to build up the quantity and quality of your work by making small animations. These can be brief sketches or longer pieces; they don't even need dialogue or sound effects if that's not your thing (though I'd recommend adding at least some text). The important part is simply creating something from start to finish: from brainstorming ideas all the way through editing in After Effects (or whatever software you use).
If your small project doesn't turn out so great, don't worry about it—you'll learn more from seeing how things could've gone wrong than just giving up entirely on trying again later. And if it does turn out well? Great! You have something new in your portfolio that shows off what kinds of skill sets you have.
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You Can Overcome Your Big Animation Challenges If You Break Them Down
For most of us, animation challenges like "I don't have enough time" or "I'm not sure where to start" are ones that can be overcome by breaking them down into smaller steps.
For example, if you're worried about how long it's going to take you to complete your animated project, try breaking it down into smaller tasks. If each task can be completed in a couple of hours, then maybe each day is one task and there are four days in the week.
That means that by the end of next week, your entire project will be finished! Of course, this isn't always possible or realistic—but if you can make your tasks small enough and spread them out evenly over time, then they become much easier to manage!
Similarly for challenges such as having no idea where to start: instead of feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of having no clue what comes next after animating one scene... just look at each step as its own task on its own timeline (and break that down accordingly). You'll feel so much better when everything has been broken down into manageable chunks rather than trying to tackle everything all at once!
Overcoming animation challenges can be a daunting task, but by following a few simple steps, you can improve your skills and create more effective animations.
Step 1: Find Which Animation Challenges Look Scary But Aren't
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- Don't be afraid to ask questions.
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- Don't be afraid to ask for advice.
- Don't be afraid to ask for a second opinion (and a third, and a fourth).
Step 2: Find Which Animation Challenges Are Annoying
Now that you know what your animation challenges are, it's time to figure out which ones are more annoying than hard. This is the first step of overcoming any challenge: identifying what needs to change and why.
When you're dealing with an annoying challenge, it's not as big a deal as when you're facing a hard one. With an annoying challenge, there's no need for panic. You can do something about it and make a plan for overcoming it.
When someone tells me they want to learn how to draw but just aren't sure where or how to start, I tell them that drawing isn't actually all that difficult once you get past the first few lessons (which can be frustrating). It's all about finding ways around those challenges until they become less annoying and more exciting challenges!
Step 3: Find The Animation Challenges That Require More Thinking
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To overcome these challenges, you will need to think creatively and deeply about how you can solve them. The best way to do this is by working with a team of animators who are not only experienced but also have lots of experience collaborating on projects like yours. This will help you come up with the best solutions possible for your animation needs!
Step 4: Find Out Which Animation Challenges Are Most Fun
You've written down the animation challenges that you want to tackle, and now it's time to find out which of them are actually the most fun.
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You're probably thinking "didn't I already do that?" but this is a whole different step. This is where you take your list of challenges, look at them one by one and ask yourself "is this challenge really going to be more fun than any other?"
If the answer is no, then there's no point giving up on your animation career just yet! You can keep trying until something clicks. But if it feels like it really isn't going to work out and nothing will ever make you happy again—then why not try something else?
Step 5: Find The Scariest Animation Challenge
Your first step is to set up a system for tracking your progress. You can use either a spreadsheet or an online tool such as Toggl, Trello, or Asana.
The first thing to do is pick the most daunting animation challenge that’s holding you back from achieving your goal. For example, if you want to become more confident with animating character facial expressions but can’t seem to get it right every time, then that would be the main challenge for this phase of your journey.
Next, ask yourself:
- How am I doing so far?
- What have I learned?
- What do I need help with?
- What do I still not understand?
Overcoming Animation Challenges Is Part Of The Creative Process
You can use these five steps to break down any challenge and make it easier for yourself. If you find yourself stuck on something, take a step back and think about which one of these five categories the challenge falls into. From there, you’ll know exactly what action to take next!
Be sure to check out our free masterclass, and our Animation Business Accelerator Program, download a copy of our free marketing handbook, and check out our blog on “How to Start an Animation Studio”!
