Workflow of a 2D animator?

[surfmonkie]

What workflow do typical freelance 2D animators use? Gobelins for example...

1) concept art and storyboarding
2) key poses and movement on paper
3) scan images and digital clean up
4) use TVPaint...?

Backgrounds made in photoshop etc. Are there different programs I am missing?
this is just a guess, am I right?
Thank you,
Monkie

[slowtiger]

I'd recommend to read a book about that subject, like "How to Make Animated Films" by Tony White http://www.amazon.com/dp/0240810333/ref ... Kob0C0VD7G. And it's definitely not about the programs you use.

[Paul Fierlinger]

Comprehensive storyboarding isn't at all necessary if you are talking about the work flow of a solitary independent animator, which I see as the definition of "Freelance Animator." I create storyboards for myself only when I need to solve a difficult scene with tricky camera directions that can suddenly pop up in the middle of a film, but never for the entire film itself. I will also use a story board to communicate with a client at which point independence stops. I don't consider this an important part of my independent productions though.

TVP is an ideal program for hand drawn computer animation, so scanning and cleanup doesn't exist in my work either. As for posing and key drawings, those are necessary elements in any good animation because they are closely connected to good timing.

Basically I start with a soundtrack and a single drawing of an entire scene; background, characters within and all. Then I duplicate this drawing into several layers and starting from the bottom layer I erase everything that is not a background. I then proceed upwards and erase everything around one character, after which I go up to the next layer and isolate another character etc.

I then return to the background layer and divide that into background and overlay layers, moving the overlay layers to the top of the layer stack. When all is separated that needs to be separated I proceed to cleanup each one of these elements and I'm ready to start animation by creating an animatic of that clip.

I stretch the background layer to the desired length of the clip, which is preferably defined by a preexisting soundtrack -- I try to avoid animating anything without a sound track. I then make all the other layers the same length and break into these layers at various critical points with a key drawing or pose (what's the difference between the two anyway?).

Then I establish peace with myself and commence in-betweening.

Since you won't find much of this in any of the classical animation books I decided your question was worthy of an honest answer.

[surfmonkie]

I'd recommend to read a book about that subject, like "How to Make Animated Films" by Tony White http://www.amazon.com/dp/0240810333/ref ... Kob0C0VD7G. And it's definitely not about the programs you use.

This looks good, and I totally understand what you mean by its not a program that dictates how good an animation is. Its just I am interested in the workflow and programs people DO use, to mimic and find a flow that suits my needs and style.

[masterchief]

Since you won't find much of this in any of the classical animation books I decided your question was worthy of an honest answer.

Thank you Paul.. I like your style.