Shane McKnight’s creative path into 2D effects, props, and the growing Marketplace community
Shane McKnight – Content Developer, Minister
Having learned many skills such as animation, special FX creation, videography, Shane McKnight is also a full time minister and father of 8. His interest in film making began at an early age when he produced his first documentary in 2004. Shane began his business called Props for Props together with Mike Martwell, his colleague from the UK , an avid photographer skilled at marketing wares and a good knowledge of animation software.
Shane now has his own themed store at the Reallusion Marketplace where he sells 2D props to Cartoon Animator (CTA) animators worldwide.
“Cartoon Animator really has opened needed doors with the tools it has. My favorite is the After Effects and Photoshop extensions. With the Photoshop pipeline, I can quickly export my work for refinement from Cartoon Animator, then to Photoshop, then back to Cartoon Animator where it is automatically updated. It’s amazing!”
Shane McKnight – Content Developer, Minister
Q: Can you tell me how you first discovered Cartoon Animator?
I came across some of the work by other 2D content developers on social media, which sparked my interest with Cartoon Animator (CTA), so I made some cartoon shorts for my ministry. I watched a number of online tutorials and video breakdowns of its abilities and the price hooked me because as an individual artist it was exactly what I envisioned I needed to create cartoon animations. I had a lot of ideas for projects and it seemed Cartoon Animator was quite the program to help me make these toons. I was right and instantly fell in love with it.
Q: How has Cartoon Animator influenced your animation workflow?
Cartoon Animator really has opened needed doors with the tools it has. My favorite is the After Effects and Photoshop extensions. With the Photoshop pipeline, I can quickly export my work for refinement from Cartoon Animator, then to Photoshop, then back to Cartoon Animator where it is automatically updated. It’s amazing! And I have created quite a few projects where I was able to animate my main scene in Cartoon Animator and then export it to After Effects to do the “spice” work in post production.
The various manipulation tools for character animation, like Facial Puppetry add expression and realism to my characters performance. And I am amazed at the volume of content readily available from the Reallusion site and 2D Marketplace that is both free and paid as well.
“Cartoon Animator makes 2D animation faster, fun, and accessible to everyone.”
Shane McKnight – Content Developer, Minister
Q: Can you tell us about any exciting projects you’re working on with Cartoon Animator?
In the beginning working with Cartoon Animator, I made some animated cartoon shorts. As I learned the software more, I started making animated props and effects which can be easily dragged and dropped to Stage Mode for instant, smooth results, saving animators hour of tedious keyframing, and I was even fortunate enough to be invited as a beta tester for some of the Cartoon Animator updates. Today, Props for Props is still making animated effects and props and animated layered scenes. And we hope to branch into new regions soon.
Q: What’s the most challenging aspect of 2D animation, and how did Cartoon Animator help you overcome it?
Even with challenging aspects of 2D animation, like characters lip synching and motion, Cartoon Animator offered me a variety of ways to approach these. I kept pushing through till I got the results I wanted, and was even able to implement the Webcam plugin for CTA, and the usable IClone motions that could be applied to 2D actors.
Q: What inspired you to start creating and selling your own content for the 2D Marketplace?
I felt there was a need for different animated effects and props. I love thinking outside of the box and taking creative risks to see if it would benefit the community. The 2D community itself has really been a big inspiration as well, which encouraged me many to join the Marketplace.
I would advise anyone with creative artistic talents to take the plunge and join the Reallusion 2D Marketplace. At first I was very skeptical, not knowing how my style of assets would sell. But I went ahead and made the big decision. The community is awesome and inspiring, and it is always rewarding when reviews pour in with positive support.
Now I see my CTA store – Props for Props as filling a niche within the Marketplace and our content fits in very well.
Q: What would you say to other artists considering starting out in the 2D Marketplace?
Overall my experience with Reallusion and the Marketplace has been very rewarding and I encourage those who are ready to bring their art and sell in the 2D Marketplace. It has an awesome community that supports it and makes selling a wonderful experience.
It would be an advantage to bring your style and artwork to this community as I am sure they will welcome it. Being in the 2D Marketplace for me in the time I have been there has really helped me hone the assets Props for props offers. There is always a need for “fresh” content that other creators can use, and I am thankful how it propels me to produce more content even if certain ones do not sell well, it is a teaching tool helping me to get a feel for what the community needs.
Q: Do you find the process of creating content for Cartoon Animator easy and enjoyable?
Very much so! When I am needing help, the Cartoon Animator 2D User Group is always there to answer any questions and walk me through certain processes. I can also access a plethora of tutorials on YouTube as well. Overall the learning process has been very exciting, both with the failures and successes. I was able to make my first short very quickly once I used the software.
Cartoon Animator makes it very easy to compile my creations, making packs and selling them. The more I worked with prop creation, the more passionate I got with the software as it matured. When the After Effects extension was added, it really blew my mind and opened more doors to creativity and pushed me to really explore the new possibilities.
“ With Cartoon Animator, an individual can create an entire show from start to finish, all on their own.””
Shane McKnight – Content Developer, Minister
Follow Shane McKnight
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/shanemcknight8
2D Marketplace:
https://marketplace.reallusion.com/cartoon-animator/author/Props%20for%20Props
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