Tips & Tricks with Jim Brown and Brian Mendenhall

Tippett Studio Animation Supervisor Jim Brown and Lead Animator Brian Mendenhall share their advice about animation workflows.

The most important aspect of a workflow is to keep it current and progressive. Always aim to redevelop your workflow by adapting your habits, applying what you've learned and seeing what works best for you. By doing so, you'll be continuously improving as an animator.

However, Mendenhall advises animators to always work clean and be consistent about it.

Adapting your workflow to fit the shot you're working on is also important. Brown explains that, when animating a dragon, he focused on the path first. He created good timing and weight then finessed the poses. Normally, he would work pose-to-pose, but felt that this shot called for a different type of workflow.

There isn't one workflow that works for everyone. The key is to find a workflow that works best for you and to always be mindful of improving that process.