What will you learn in Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners Course
Grasp core animation principles: timing, squash & stretch, anticipation, and follow-through
Master keyframing workflows in After Effects (or your chosen animation software)
Create smooth motion using easing, motion paths, and graph-editor adjustments
Design and animate characters with simple rigs, puppeting tools, and layered compositions
Export polished animations for web, broadcast, and social media in appropriate codecs
Program Overview
Module 1: Animation Foundations & Software Setup
⏳ 1 hour
Topics: Twelve principles of animation overview, UI tour of After Effects (or equivalent)
Hands-on: Set up your workspace, import assets, and create your first animated bounce
Module 2: Keyframes & Timing
⏳ 1.5 hours
Topics: Setting keyframes, frame rates, timing charts, spacing vs. timing
Hands-on: Animate a ball bouncing with correct timing and spacing
Module 3: Easing & Graph Editor Techniques
⏳ 1 hour
Topics: Ease In/Out, custom bezier curves, velocity graphs
Hands-on: Refine your bounce animation using the graph editor for natural motion
Module 4: Squash, Stretch & Overlap
⏳ 1 hour
Topics: Exaggeration principles, squash & stretch mechanics, secondary motion
Hands-on: Apply squash & stretch to a character limb and add overlapping arm movement
Module 5: Motion Paths & Puppet Tools
⏳ 1 hour
Topics: Creating and editing motion paths, using puppeteer pins for organic movement
Hands-on: Animate a character walking along a curved path with puppet-pin joints
Module 6: Character Rigging Basics
⏳ 1.5 hours
Topics: Simple IK rigs, parenting layers, null-object controllers
Hands-on: Rig a two-layer character (torso + limbs) and animate a waving cycle
Module 7: Text & Shape Animation
⏳ 1 hour
Topics: Text animators, shape-layer operations, trim-paths, path-text techniques
Hands-on: Create an animated title reveal using trim-paths and offset properties
Module 8: Effects, Parenting & Precomps
⏳ 1 hour
Topics: Using effects for motion (wiggle, particle systems), pre-composition best practices, layer parenting
Hands-on: Build a firefly particle effect and nest it into a night-scene precomp
Module 9: Rendering & Export Workflows
⏳ 45 minutes
Topics: Render Queue vs. Media Encoder, codec selection, alpha-channel exports
Hands-on: Export your final animation as an H.264 MP4 and a transparent-background MOV
Module 10: Final Project – Short Animated Scene
⏳ 2 hours
Topics: Storyboarding, shot planning, layering your scene, final polish
Hands-on: Produce a 5–10-second character animation loop including background and simple sound sync
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Job Outlook
Animation skills are sought after in film, broadcasting, advertising, and game studios
Roles: Motion Graphics Artist, 2D Animator, Character Animator, Broadcast Designer
Freelance animators can charge $50–$150+ per second of finished animation; studio salaries range $50,000–$80,000+ annually
Mastering these workflows accelerates work in explainer videos, UI animations, title sequences, and social media content
Specification: Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners
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