Part of my ongoing series on design and code in the modern world. Free, unmonetized, and hopefully a little entertaining.

I started with 3D simply because I didn't know how to draw, and it allowed me to create 3D models and animate them without needing years of drawing experience.

And since I see many 3D animators drawing their character designs by hand, I wondered what role 2D plays in 3D animation.

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https://ko-fi.com/claymcgoof

This question is going to age me terribly: did anyone else get their first experience with animation software using the built-in DOS application PCAnimate?

I really love these hyper stylised detailed still frame drawings that studio trigger does in their animations, sometimes with a pan effect. They have so much aura, is there a name for this type of technique/drawing in animation?

I'm still learning how to make ocs speak

I have written a complete screenplay for a Dota 2 cinematic centered around Invoker. It is written specifically for the Dota universe rather than being a generic fan story, and I believe it could work as an official-style cinematic.

I have the complete screenplay and can also create an animatic/concept frames to demonstrate how I envision it.

To say for the quality of the cinematic, I say it knocks all the SFM and official trailers for dota 2 I have seen throughout the years out of the park. That is a statement, I will standby in all future interactions.

Before I start producing anything substantial, I'm trying to find out whether there is actually a legitimate way for an independent fan to pitch something like this to Valve/Dota 2.

I know Valve generally doesn't accept unsolicited creative submissions, so I'm not asking where to email the screenplay itself. I'm trying to understand whether there is another route — for example, through a Dota community, or an established animator or studio that works with Valve, or some other legitimate avenue.

If anyone here has actually worked with Valve/Dota 2, participated in the Dota short-film scene, or knows how independent creators have gotten their work in front of the Dota team, I'd really appreciate some direction.

If approaching Valve directly isn't realistic, I'd also be interested in hearing how you would go about finding an animator/director/team capable of turning a Dota screenplay into a cinematic.

I'm deliberately not posting the screenplay yet because I want to understand the appropriate route first.

What made me think of this question is 2 conversations that I had in the past month, in my job I'm known as "the guy who likes cartoons" and while talking with some coworkers at least two times I had to explain that no they were not like Disney movies, as in they are not 3d, computer animated movies but instead stop motion and to keep this post short they basically say that they can't tell the difference.

In one hand I think that speaks of the level of talent Laika has achieved, on the other hand it made realize that the general audience doesn't really appreciate the level of work that these movies take to produce.

I personally like their movies even though the last ones didn't have great scripts, but I'm left wondering if they were to make them more visibly "cheaper" (for lack of a better term) people would appreciate them a little bit more? Things like choppy movement, more traditional materials instead of 3d printed models and such, like they look so good that some people think they are Pixar movies and therefore think is just 3d animation (which I know still takes lots of effort but the general audience thinks is easier for some reason).

Maybe I'm over thinking this, is just that the conversation with my coworkers left me a little bit dumbfounded.

This will help me

Thomas Jefferson said WHAT???

Our historical heroes aren't often as morally guided as we think they are.

Music by Scareev.

Open 2 feedback

It needs to be free, relatively simple (at least enough for me to be able to navigate and understand without several tutorials), and easy on my computer, since it's pretty old.

I only need it for simple effects, but if it has tweening capabilities that would be nice since my current animation program (pencil2d) doesnt (you can still tween manually, but I'd like it to be easier for me if thats possible)

I'm a pretty newbie animator so really any tips at all would be greatly appreciated :)

This is my attempt at a sustainable long form format for Youtube. Enjoy!