Interested in Game Animation?

This video gives an excellent overview and advice for this career choice. If you haven't seen it (or even if you have!) I strongly recommend starting here.

Useful Software

Keyframe Media Player

This is a media player made for animators. I’ve been using it for quite a while and it has become a super useful tool in my workflow. This is mainly because it has:

  • Stepping between frames (it’s buttery smooth)
  • Single frame bookmarks
  • Range bookmarks


I use the bookmarks function constantly. It’s great because it allows me to pick the key poses I like in the video reference and then have the ability to step through them using hotkeys (which are sensibly set). Along with this I hear that there is Maya timeline integration on the way which sounds like something I would definitely be interested in using.

For the full list of features and to keep this brief, check it out and it may just change your life. A little bit.

TB Tools

A good friend and colleague of mine has created a super useful set of scripts and tools to save you loads of time and generally make animating easier. 

For full instructions on how to get it visit Tom's website here.

Studio library

Studio library is a free python script for manage poses and transferring animation in Maya, and it's awesome. It has become an integral part of my workflow and I don't think I could manage without it. 

Visit the Studio Library website for more information.

Reading list

A classic that all animators should own. Full of really practical information that helped me tremendously from the start of my career, to this day. 
​ While I already knew many of the tips and tricks in this book from my industry experience, I still managed to find a few gems. This is the kind of book I wish I had when I first started learning how to animate in Maya.

Useful Websites

A fairly up to date, living map of game development studios
​ Syncsketch is a great tool for critiquing animation. It allows multiple users to comment and collaborate on your work, leaving frame by frame feedback and advice. What's even better is that it's free! If you're not already using this when posting your work online then you need to get on it immediately.