INTRODUCTION
Nagy Tamás Zsolt started out with the intention of creating fun and engaging animations for children, and ended up finding success when he told the stories of three animal friends travelling across Africa and encountering a series of unusual beasts. Nagy sat down with Reallusion to talk about his projects and how the process of creating a polished 2D animated series has been made easier thanks to implementing Cartoon Animator.
“Cartoon Animator has an easy to use user interface, so if you have the props, actors, motions and the effects for your project you will really enjoy the work. You do not need to spend hours or days with frame by frame animation. If you know what you want you can work fast with Cartoon Animator.”
Nagy Tamás Zsolt – 2D Animator
Q: Hi Nagy, and great job on your Ostrich in the Hole animation. We really enjoyed it and thought it was so cheeky and fun. Where did the idea and inspiration come from to create this animation?
Hello there. I love the classic 2D animations produced by Disney, Warner Bros and Hanna-Barbera productions and what they mean for me. They were my favorites during my childhood, and I never missed the TV broadcasts when I could watch the stories of Road Runner, the Coyote, Tom and Jerry, Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and other popular characters.
I think this is the basis of my stories. The inspiration is an interesting question. Usually, it comes from some kind of visual or audio impression. But the Ostrich was different. I had already planned to launch an animation series about African animals. Based on the basic story three friends (Giraffe, Hippo and Zebra) wandering across Africa and meet a new animal in every episode. So, I wrote a list of animals that can be used for funny gags. Ostrich was on the top of my list, because I immediately new I wanted to play with the idea of holes.
Q: Do you create your own content or do you source your content from the Reallusion 2D Marketplace?
I wish I had time to create my own content. I do it sometimes just for fun. But if you want to create quality content you need much time, and I do not have it. Luckily the majority of the content I need is available in the 2D Marketplace… and its 100% royalty free! I buy content from the Reallusion community, and occasionally I buy items at the Content Store. For example, I have used the CTA5 Sales Campaign to buy much great stuff.
Q: Why did you choose Cartoon Animator as the platform to create your animations?
I had no hands-on experience in making talking animations when I decided to start it. It was in February 2019. I spent about 3 months studying the products on the market. I new, that I needed a platform that I could use as a beginner and later as a professional – if I could improve enough. I downloaded and tested many products, and Cartoon Animator was the one that was above all others with their lip sync and photo animations.
Q: What is your favorite genre or theme to work with?
I like making cartoons for children. I am still learning, therefore I try different styles. Nursery rhymes is a pleasant theme, and I think a few of my kids song videos are good. I practiced a lot during these projects, experimenting with timing, video cuts and using audio tracks.
Q: Do you find the process of creating 2D animation with Cartoon Animator easy and enjoyable?
Absolutely! Cartoon Animator has an easy to use user interface, so if you have the props, actors, motions and the effects for your project you will really enjoy the work. You do not need to spend hours or days with frame by frame animation. If you know what you want you can work fast with Cartoon Animator. I created my latest animation about Halloween within a single day! Ok, it is just a one minute animation, but I found out the story in the morning and the final video was ready by midnight. It would not been possible without such 2D animation software.
Q: Your animations have so much life and character to them. Which are you favorite features/tools of Cartoon Animator?
Good question. I like the overall software in general, because it has all the functions I need and its user interface is clear. I would highlight the 360 Head Creator because I always modify the head of the characters for a better 3D feeling. The After Effects Export function and the Transparent Video Rendering also allow me to work on my animations in post production to enhance them further.
The ability to easily apply a vast range of motions to any character is one of the main features which beats other cartoon animator packages. Collect clip is also a great feature, because you can build your own set of motions and apply them to other characters saving heaps of time.
“In Cartoon Animator, the ability to easily apply a vast range of motions to any character is one of the main features which beats other cartoon animator packages.”
Nagy Tamás Zsolt – 2D Animator
Q: What advice would you have for inspiring animators looking to break into 2D Animation with Cartoon Animator?
Read and study the online user manual. Also watch the official, and the unofficial YouTube tutorials, and dare to ask from others. Join the Cartoon Animator Users community on Facebook, where the members are very supportive and share a lot of useful information.
Q: What advantages do you find Cartoon Animator gives you when creating projects?
I like that the user interface helps me to organize my project files in a structured way. I usually export my projects for further video editing and video cuts. Cartoon Animator supports the export to After Effects, where I often do the post processing works. I cannot imagine working without this feature now. Transparent video export is also essential.
When it comes to animation, motion templates have a huge amount of smooth motions, which are important for faster work, and the facial puppetry feature of Cartoon Animator means that it is easy to set the face expressions of the characters.
————————-
Follow Nagy Tamás Zsolt:
YouTube:
https://youtu.be/T34h8vp9R9M
