MLP Animation Analysis- Winging It

[@CottenVee]

DUDE, I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS WAS ALMOST 12 YEARS AGO, this is so good for being in 2012.

[@Sky_Children_of_Light]

HELP WHAT ME NEITHER

[@jexxisahuman9073]

SAME-

[@milleniam]

HUH??? THIS ISNT- AAAAHHHHAHAHA

[@Daisy_notreal_totally]

WAIT WHAT?!

[@K0ra_st4r]

I THOUGHT IT WAS A FEW WEEKS OR MONTHS AGO

[@klakkid]

1. Knows what he's talking about 2. Good animator 3. Very good at explaining things 4. Ponies 5. Provides source files 6. Provides them in Flash 8 format This guy is my hero.

[@LJXrot]

Being neurodivergent my learning process leaves me not understanding close to 0% of most KZbin Tutorials, but these videos, from a whole decade ago is more helpful that anything else ive found!! I love em,! I wonder where he is now

[@SmolBeeArt]

You tube randomly put this in my feed. How I didn’t see it 12 years ago is. A mystery to me lol. Great vid, thank you for the thorough explanation.

[@gbeaudette]

That's what really impresses me about this show. They have a setup that allows them to get a lot of work out of reusable assets, and yet are able/willing to build new stuff in order to make the shot better. It's what elevates it above most Flash animation.

[@calliecross5186]

4:30 she smiled, but then she looked like she said "Woof". Lol

[@RazzleandDazzle-2]

More like wolf

[@Elkcrown]

casually rewatching these after years of not looking back and i have to say- These videos were absolutely what got me interested in animation as a kid. While i'm no expert animator the analysis videos were really fun and informative, thank you for making them and keeping them listed after all these years.

[@leclecarchie9381]

Now I really want to learn Flash. I've only done assignments in Toon Boom and After Effects.

[@adamofblastworks1517]

A lot of the animators I know of who use Toon Boom or moved from Flash/Animate to Toon Boom said that Toon Boom was a lot better...

[@prismstar438]

@@adamofblastworks1517 To me, Toon Boom just seems really unwieldy,and don't even get me started on the documentation, or lack there of.

[@danieljuno810]

Flash aka Animate CC is just simplified After Effects now a days. I learned flash in college and prefer it for that reason but toon boom seem like something I’d love to learn some day

[@crptic9925]

Tv paint is also a good option heard it was a lot easier

[@juliarose3952]

this looked so much like the actual show! so awesome!!

[@Blazah99]

Omg, I had no idea how much thought, time, effort, and skill went into an animation like this. Ive got a lot of work ahead of me.

[@vanripper17]

Those videos of yours are mighty inspirational mate. Seeing how you study all those little animations in depth and even build those detailed symbols to help really makes me question my own approach which is simply lazy compared to yours. I just see trough it frame by frame, occasionally scribble a rough test, and move on. But it's time to change my ways. Thank you for making these videos. And if you will blog or animate in the future I hope I won't miss it!

[@crimvaell701]

Wow, hi vanripper

[@rarabunfunny3611]

Holy shit its the helltaker guy

[@woomp2004]

HELLTAKER!!!!!

[@gabrielsebastianelhagezote1486]

huh, what a fancy place to find a comment of yours, I wonder what you were doing the momment you wrote this comment, was Helltaker even an idea in your head? surely not, anyway, cheers.

[@gbeaudette]

The amount I used in this scene was about as much I'd ever want to use. I've definitely used more before, but each makes it more and more complicated.

[@RimFaxxe]

I just realized this video was 11 years ago holy shit

[@criscroswalrus]

​@@RimFaxxe this comment 6 hours ago, lol

[@thanthanasiszamp4707]

Thank you for showing us these tutorials and for making me appreciate more MLP

[@pikminfan6778]

Excuse me, AJ, but we didn't travel all over Equestria searching for you to come home without you.

[@michaelgosling7684]

In all my research into animating methods I have never found something so clear and concise. HOW DID I NOT FIND THIS EARLIER!?!?!?

[@Pupfully]

When I was 14 i saw this video and that was the first time I learned about flash and ever since then I been animating and I thank you for that this channel started it all

[@emilybyrd8005]

2:43 my reaction Too good. I'm bored.

[@TheCeilingKat]

I have no intention of ever animating anything in my life, but these videos are just so.. entrancing.. And it really makes me appreciate how hard the team works just to make a "little girl's show"..

[@kao_uk]

Even though I have NO experience in flash, I respect your talent and amazing skill behind the mouse! Your work is just as good as the real show! I especially like the ways in which you ensure that everything has a separate object to make it easier to link together at the end without breaking everything you've already done.. very clever!

[@chizknowsdabizyeet7609]

You could do the beginning of the Bat song in the bats episode. That 360 turning was great.

[@marytheskeleton6812]

6:50 And here we have the girrafe rainbow dash....In it's natural habitat

[@karegoat9702]

No she just has a long neck everyone does :'(

[@Scyrina]

is there a cheaper alternative to flash? for similar animations?

[@oncezek]

PLEASE

[@MajinNightz]

@MehdiMaster thanks

[@escapefr0mslender]

Yes please

[@Lunarrbase]

quite literally just pirate it

[@Scyrina]

@@oncezek Moho Pro is the best alternative tbh. Cheap and great, I do all my 2d Anims with it

[@MrVectorMV]

0:28 My exact reaction when I see these tutorials for flash animation.

[@laws2222]

This helps me cause when I grow up I wanna be an animator, and I can start animating my most favorite thing in the world! (Mlp)

[@VixyTreat]

I doubt that you come back to check on these videos, but this is one of the bigger things that helped me get into animation when i was younger, even though I didnt have flash haha, i used flipaclip, but i dont know if you ever knew this but you do a very good job explaining the basics of animations to new beginners and I look up to you a lot for that

[@gbeaudette]

Personally I draw the lines in with the line tool, convert them to fills, and then use the line tool to trim the ends to a point.

[@acorneroftheinternet4179]

Man, even if this channel has been dormant for almost a decade, I love returning to these animation lessons every so often just as a brush up. I havent ever used flash animation-hell I've hardly ever animated ever, but these breakdowns are so clear and concise that I've been using these as a backbone for my drawings for as long as I can remember

[@SplashingCanvas]

Being a self-taught animator, I am so glad I found this. For the 4 years I have been practicing without schooling, the main thing problem I had ultimately was timing, which is driving me nuts since I can't seem to get it right. But, I am so glad you posted this, because this helped me understand it much better. Granted, I may have to rewatch this several times and practice to grasp it, but that chart seemed to help a lot. I have to put more research into it. Thank you for your amazing videos C:

[@gbeaudette]

This is a mixture of stuff from the resource kit (link in the description) and stuff I made myself. Even though I keep meaning to, I've never actually used the Double Rainboom stuff.

[@ly-r7]

How did i not find this earlier! This is so good!!!

[@yabashe]

Man, I love you for these animation analyses! And I'm sure none of us would mind if you'd keep doing these :) I really should save up for a computer that can handle Flash so I can try these things myself!

[@nightcaller92]

This is my favorite one so far since it combines the concepts of the older videos with a new concept to make a customized scene.

[@funstructive]

Your videos are fantastic. Not many people talk about the principles, and you do a great job explaining them clearly without watering down the ideas behind them. Always excited to see your videos on my feed!

[@lolretard796]

Your videos give me a clue about how much work has been put in this cartoon by the crew.

[@Vex-Pegasus]

Oh my gosh thanks so much for explaining all of this and showing us how the wings work! I’ve been trying forever trying to figure them out for my Pegasus oc! His is gonna help a lot! And especially the celestia wing flap as well! I didn’t know that there was a bigger difference with Celestias wings and regular Pegasus wings to make them fully functional.

[@gbeaudette]

That really comes down to how awesome the storyboard work on this show is. If a show has stiff, boring storyboards it just gets worse further down the pipeline. And for a show that's tied to a toy line it's amazing that they're even allowed to be expressive and exaggerated with the characters and not be forced to looking exactly like the toys every single frame. A lot of shows aren't as lucky.

[@SYLVANIAG]

I love these videos so much. they are really useful if you are trying to learn flash especially if you want to learn it in a fun and interesting way.

[@gbeaudette]

A multiplain pan involves moving different layers of a background at different speeds to give a sense of depth.

[@DaisyAzuras]

It's amazing to see breakdowns like this. One would think that it takes away some of the magic of the animation but I think it adds more to see what goes into making such beauty.

[@gbeaudette]

It feels different because it moves different. I'm still learning the best ways to move these characters around.

[@woblewoble]

Being an amateur animator, I find these analyses to be extremely helpful even if it's going to take a while to let this all sink in. These videos just encourage me even more to work on and fine tune my animations (the current one I'm working on as a WIP on my channel. If you'd like to, I'd love for you to critique it, especially when the finished product comes out.) and it really makes me appreciate good animation even more, knowing all the hard work that goes into making a simple walk cycle.

[@ZhenLiZhao]

Oh god... it looks so complex when you start making everything symbols and all of the other effects. I'm still working a frame-by-frame understanding of this all, which takes forever! Tweens and symbols look pretty important. This is a fantastic job you did with your animation.

[@TheStratovarian]

You teach, without ever lecturing or preaching a subject. Explaining each principle clearly, and with a natural tone that really works wonders. Thank you very much for taking the time, energy, and work that this took to show to others. It really comes across in a way that beams quality.

[@rpcsa8]

Coming back to watch these is like a Time Capsule

[@sigh.2382]

For real..

[@Savaniel]

Woo! I love these. Just started working with animation, so I can appreciate them a whole lot more now! Thanks for the video. :)

[@gracenotme671]

I owe you all my knowledge of animation theroy. I remember watching this when I was like 12

[@Skunktrain42]

I'm not likely to ever do more than have an animated conversation but these are really interesting to watch. Glad to see more.

[@jerryschroeder3878]

Thanks Grant, for making me appreciate MLP on a whole new level.

[@KingArthur55555]

Hey, I've just started taking a 2D animation class at my college, and one of the first things we animated was the pendulum. Where other students were getting confused with spacing and how the to picture their animation on the chart, I was ahead of the class and finished my animation ahead of everyone else, all because of your video. I'm DEFINATELY going to re-watch these and see if there are any more pointers that will translate to non-pony that I can pick up! Thank you!

[@gbeaudette]

It's just the background sliding while the characters move in place.

[@deusexs]

I love learning about all the work that goes into making these animations possible. You do a great job of explaining and detailing to us who aren't well-versed in animation theory.

[@Skai2O]

I am utterly amazed at this! From a 3-D animator's perspective (well, beginner's, as I haven't worked with 3-D software that long), this is actually extremely helpful in the design thinking part of any animation. Thanks so much for this!

[@gbeaudette]

I've had the luxury of having a Flash license for many years, so I haven't had the need to look elsewhere. You can now basically lease Flash for about $20 a month so you could at least try it out for a couple months to see if you like it with wasting a ton of money. Most other cheap animation programs I haven't heard many good things about.

[@Eviepossible]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to make these. You are an incredibly skilled animator, communicator, and teacher. I can't stop watching these.

[@thepencap_]

I'm trying to animate ponies and your videos are helping a lot, thanks dude!

[@Peaches-tmu]

what is the app please s free?

[@thepencap_]

@@Peaches-tmu that app doesn't exist anymore, now it's called adobe animate and it's very different from that one he's using in the vid it's not free, but you there are free links to download it everywhere on the internet

[@RalakFrozenDeath]

I just have to say I'm surprised how dedicated you are to helping others. It's a nice change. From how you put down not only countless hours in each project. But also soaking hours into these videos. And then you release your work for free. Surprising indeed. Last but not least /)

[@ShotgunButterfly9]

This is absolutely excellent! It's a true pleasure to find someone who understands animation so well and can explain it so clearly and entertainingly. I really enjoy seeing the relationship between the technical details most of us never notice or even think about, and the end product we have such an appreciation for. I'd like to do something similiar one day- except with video games- and I appreciate finding someone who has already shown such a thing can be done, and done well.

[@ocarinaplaya]

One of the things that confuses me is how to make a nested loop for symbols. Creating motion loops for symbols without the symbol repeating back to its first frame before it finishes (or copying and pasting the motion on the timeline and resetting the symbol frame to the one you want) as seen with the head bob by applejacks walk cycle. (my wording is horrid)

[@MsPoiko]

2k20 and this still so fucking good man, great job

[@LierrePony]

I'm not an animator, but I find your Animation Analysis videos really interesting to watch. You have a lot of knowledge of animation, that's for sure.

[@Deksi233]

The amount of work you put into your videos is amazing, and it really shows up in the quality.

[@MuteObserver]

I love these! You should make some money off these. I'm finding you to be so much better a teacher (much easier to understand and listen too) than the sites, books, and most teachers. Keep it up man! You're awesome!

[@mumafiedmustangs]

Wow every Video is this deep easy to understand speech about mechanics of Flash and Ponies. I like what you did there with twilight list and making your own

[@36snakesolid]

This actually helps me a lot because i'm taking computer app and we will be working with flash... these files could really help with the projects i may have to do... Just wow, and thank you for doing this for all of us!

[@hippiechik95]

These are going to come in so handy when my animation class starts up in spring. Please keep making them!

[@TKuja1]

i've never touched animating or flash in my life and yet i understood everything you said, great job

[@gbeaudette]

A basic multiplane is just like the one in this video; the closer layers slide faster than the ones further back. And speed just depends on how much distance you move in a given time, so faster layers have to move more.

[@kkijikiji]

Simply amazing! You literaly displayed your work in one of the most manner ways ever! You should teach this stuff proffetionaly

[@markistehepicness]

I have always loved animation, but, having no artistic talent whatsoever, I've never even touched any sort of animation software. So to see just how much work goes into something that seems so simple, I've found a new appreciation for people that do make videos. Though I don't understand a majority of the terms you use, I can assume that you're doing the animating community a great favor with these videos. I don't plan on ever trying my hand at drawing, so I'll just sit back and enjoy your work.

[@gbeaudette]

Yes, please. I'm running out of music to use in these things.

[@gbeaudette]

I try to do everything in CS3. From what I've heard the show is still animated in Flash 8, so versions aren't super critical.

[@Kth77]

I love seeing your work in my inbox, in my college there is not 2D animation class or flash class, so it is wonderful I have your videos to help teach me the ins and outs of the program.

[@thesuperkaboom]

You have no idea how long I've been trying to get an animated clock...it's perfect.

[@Idlehampster]

I appreciate the intricacies and subtle nuances of animation that you showed us, all the more reason I should stick to making music. :)

[@Alumx]

Your tutorials are the BEST! keep doing them! They're gold for those who want to learn flash animation!

[@Fobbiesareborange1]

You know you've made a good video when Flash scares me, the animation is foreign language to me, yet I'm still entertained and informed. Grats mate.

[@TheSilentProtagonist]

I don't have any desire to animate, but your videos are always so interesting to watch! Thanks for taking the time to do this, and keep it up! These are awesome!

[@Rabbishlover]

Thanks so much! I was having trouble with the whole timing thing, but that clock pendulum example really helped!

[@gbeaudette]

One of the easiest ways is to set characters up in a symbol from the very beginning, which is what I did in this case. There're also extensions that can convert selections to symbols while preserving your layers.

[@maekern]

Thank you for making these! I am not an animator, but I love seeing how the proverbial sausages are made!

[@zanite8650]

These videos make me appreciate how much skill goes into making the show. Are other cartoons even more complex or is this the top of the line?

[@iloveplayingpr]

This gives you more appreciation on the hardship of the animators of the show :D Good job MLP team... good job... *weep*

[@LostVioletLotus]

I'm giving animation a go, completing a small practice project tonight. Wanted to say thank you so, so much for uploading these breakdown videos. They have been a massive help in figuring out pacing, symbols and separation of different body parts to animate on their own. I used to just... Animate it frame by frame on a single layer. Eeeerg. Made things choppy and confusing, let me tell yah.

[@imatabar]

Your hours of work is really appreciated. Thanks!

[@avaaadaegeee]

Personally, I like the faster wing flaps better. It just look more cartoony and that’s what I love! :D

[@phaineinTV]

I'm starting a games dev course this week and one of our first projects is to create a platformer in Flash and these videos are a huge help in getting me more familiar with the program. :3

[@CaliAzian]

A very thorough analysis and thank you! As others have put it, your videos have encouraged us to try some of this on our own. Well done!

[@xRUSTYx]

Wow this was very useful, I'm trying to make smoother animations and the slow in has been helping alot

[@Swordflash4]

These are just so brilliant! I love every single one that you have done!

[@leonelegender]

Thanks partner, you clarify some new aspects of animation to me in every video you do.

[@gbeaudette]

Charts are just a traditional tool to help plan out your animation and how to inbetween it. Using a draft layer would work just fine, as would regular pencil and paper. Every envelope on my desk has at least one chart scribbled on it.

[@SlushiOwl]

This is extremely helpful! For me, symbols in Flash are pretty hard to understand so watching these videos gives a really good idea on how Flash actually works with MLP. Also, I especially like how you have snippets from The Animator's Survival Kit. It's one of my favorite books on animation! Agreeing with BrazBlue, have you ever considered doing animation for a living? I think you would really excel in it!

[@TheLionheartcartoon]

Wow.. just wow. I don't know how you find the time to do this but one thing's for sure, you're showing everyone why it's fun to animate :) But you're right.. there are times when symbols just can't be tweaked to make the movement beleivable. With all the angles and the movements I have to deal with in 'Children of the Night' it's not always possible to re-use what's been previously made. Keep up the great work! Everyone's enjoying your vids! :D -Lion

[@GoblinXXX]

These are really great videos, not just for bronies, but for anyone interested in flash or even animation in general!

[@omgtheysaidlolcat]

I'm really looking forward to see new vids! I just stumbled accross your channel when looking for MLP vids. I was first like "Meh.. it's just moving figures a little bit each timeunit.. no big deal". But after watching the first of your animation analysis videos it was like "Oh my god! This is so brilliant!" and "Whoa, you have to think of all that?!". And now I somehow got completely addicted! So, pleeeeeeaaaaaase make more videos! And thanks so much for the videos you've already made!

[@darkvioletcloud]

I think all of your pony analysis videos are tempting me to try all this out on my animation program (that I can never figure out how it works, sadly. XD) You, sir, are awesome at animations~! I can't wait for the next video!

[@Jordain1138]

Incredibly helpful, thank you so much for all the time it must have taken to make these videos.

[@asante5979]

Still waiting for you come back with new examples from MLP, your videos are really good!

[@Snapai]

This is awesome! I didn't even see the second longer wing cycle in the series, I'd always just paid attention to the shorter version from PonyPonyPonyPony Not that it matters for your demonstration, but I think it might sell AJ's fall better for her to anticipate it in her acting a bit- if you have a run cycle in the Pony kit, you could have her realize she's falling and try to "pedal" her front hooves forward in the air before she lands- since you want eyes on her when the fall happens. :D

[@CsPPP237]

I to will agree that the animation of the show (and these videos) is quite supurb. When I first began watching MLP I remember thinking, "Wow, that looks amazing and smooth, and it all flows" Also, it is good to see time and effort spent on the show; it is usually pretty easy to tell when someone is taking the easy way out.