Please no spamming or off topic posts. Thank you!
Hi all! I've been getting lots of PMs saying (How do you make a movie?) Well if you don't know yet I make movies/animations... If you'd like to see some of them go Here
--Getting the programs--
Okay, first you need the programs to make your movie/animation... I like to use Microsoft GIF Animator, Adobe Photoshop, QuickEditor, and MSPaint(aka Paint). I also use Windows Movie Maker at times.
If you'd like HERE is the link to download Microsoft GIF Animator! Credit to -Lawliet- for providing it and to Black Six for approving it.
However if you'd like some more choices please go HERE! Thanks gifboy99!
And go to this link HERE to get QuickEditor.
Also, I have a free copy of Photoshop Tryout 5.5 available for download HERE! Enjoy!
Most windows users will already have Paint and Windows Movie Maker on their computers. To find them go into your start menu, programs, and near the top you will find Accessories. In this folder you should find Paint and Windows Movie Maker.
--Starting your movie--
QUOTE(JJ_)
Make a background in Paint or Adobe Photoshop, make sure that you have a copy of the background that way you don't lose it... Now you need a character to place in your background. This is easier with photoshop because you can have multiple layers, however with Paint you'll need to take your copied background and position your character again. After you've placed your character copy the frame and paste it in Microsoft GIF Animator.
--Animation!--
QUOTE(JJ_)
I like to use the Razor kit for my movies, but any other kit will do just fine.
With your character and background ready to go, position your character in the background, copy the frame, and paste it into Microsoft GIF Animator.
Then go back to Paint, lets say you want your guy to walk now, so take your background and a walking pose of your character and move him slightly farther from his old spot in frame 1. Copy and paste this frame into Microsoft GIF Animator. Keep doing this until you're satisfied. Great work! You've just made your first animation!
It's a lot of copying and pasting and it takes time, but when your done you'll feel GREAT!
With your character and background ready to go, position your character in the background, copy the frame, and paste it into Microsoft GIF Animator.
Then go back to Paint, lets say you want your guy to walk now, so take your background and a walking pose of your character and move him slightly farther from his old spot in frame 1. Copy and paste this frame into Microsoft GIF Animator. Keep doing this until you're satisfied. Great work! You've just made your first animation!
It's a lot of copying and pasting and it takes time, but when your done you'll feel GREAT!
--Hints and Tips--
QUOTE(JJ_)
Every movie needs some visual effects! But more importantly it needs a bit of realism, especially in characters. When a character is talking have him move his arms around, or even blink once in a while. Change his expression during the text to show emotions. While these are just small changes and are not necessary, they'll greatly improve your movie's quality. There are many things you can do to help your movie look and feel better.
Your text is extremely important! Text should be colored to represent the character speaking, but you'll have to watch out for colors that blend, such as dark colors on dark backgrounds. Putting a black boarder around your text helps separate the text from the background but this is difficult if you're limited to just Paint. Give your text a tail as well, what this means is have a small line leading off of the text and pointing toward the character speaking. This will help the viewer know who is talking. Remember also to leave the text on the screen a few extra seconds, not everyone is a fast reader and also if you already know what is going to be said you can't help but read it a bit fast. It's terribly frustrating for the viewer if the text leaves the screen too quickly. Avoid gibberish speak and typos.(USE A SPELL CHECKER) That kind of stuff will make your movie look trashy, and some people will have a very hard time understanding what is going on and will quickly lose interest.
Your text is extremely important! Text should be colored to represent the character speaking, but you'll have to watch out for colors that blend, such as dark colors on dark backgrounds. Putting a black boarder around your text helps separate the text from the background but this is difficult if you're limited to just Paint. Give your text a tail as well, what this means is have a small line leading off of the text and pointing toward the character speaking. This will help the viewer know who is talking. Remember also to leave the text on the screen a few extra seconds, not everyone is a fast reader and also if you already know what is going to be said you can't help but read it a bit fast. It's terribly frustrating for the viewer if the text leaves the screen too quickly. Avoid gibberish speak and typos.(USE A SPELL CHECKER) That kind of stuff will make your movie look trashy, and some people will have a very hard time understanding what is going on and will quickly lose interest.
--How to make your movie slower--
QUOTE(JJ_)
When you're done making your movie/animation, open your movie in Microsoft GIF maker, and to the right you well see Options, Animation and Image. Click on Image, then you well see Image width, Image height, Left, Top, Duration (1/100 s):,
Undraw Method:, Transparency, and Comment.
Duration is what you use to make your movie/animation slower or maybe a bit faster, close to Duration on the right side you can change the speed of that frame by typing in 100 for one second 200 for two second and so on.
Undraw Method:, Transparency, and Comment.
Duration is what you use to make your movie/animation slower or maybe a bit faster, close to Duration on the right side you can change the speed of that frame by typing in 100 for one second 200 for two second and so on.
--Some things you should know about Microsoft GIF Animator--
QUOTE(jj_)
When you first open MGA be sure your Dither Method is set to Solid, you can find this in your options tab. What this does is it will make your images more crisp and not so grainy. Experiment with this and see what you like best.
Another thing you should know is that you can have certain colors in your image transparent! Pretty cool eh? Once you have an image in MGA go into your Image tab and near the bottom you will see a check box and the word transparency next to it. Click on the box and then you will be able to select the color you wish to make transparent. It automatically sets itself to whatever color is most dominate in your image.
Another thing you should know is that you can have certain colors in your image transparent! Pretty cool eh? Once you have an image in MGA go into your Image tab and near the bottom you will see a check box and the word transparency next to it. Click on the box and then you will be able to select the color you wish to make transparent. It automatically sets itself to whatever color is most dominate in your image.
--How to put music/sound in your movie using QuickEditor--
QUOTE(JJ_)
Open up QuickEditor
Go into file, then click on Open Clip. In the clip selection there is set points, click start then go to the end of your movie and click end.
Then go to file and click new movie, it will pop up with a window that says new movie size and new movie characteristics, just click okay, and then in the movie selection there is set points just like in clip selection.
Click start, then right click the movie screen, it will pop up with a window, look for insert and move the mouse over it, then click on clip selection in movie, (insert clip selection in movie)
Then go to file, then click open audio clip. Find some music that you like. When you're done with that, in sound/music track there is set points just like the clip and movie selection. Make sure you're at the start of the song/sound, then click start, then go to the end of the song/sound and click end, but If you have a long song and a short movie it won't work. So try to make sure the time of you song is just as long as the time of your movie, when you have that done, right click movie screen again and move the mouse over insert, but this time click audio clip selection in movie, (insert audio clip selection in movie)
Go into file, then click on Open Clip. In the clip selection there is set points, click start then go to the end of your movie and click end.
Then go to file and click new movie, it will pop up with a window that says new movie size and new movie characteristics, just click okay, and then in the movie selection there is set points just like in clip selection.
Click start, then right click the movie screen, it will pop up with a window, look for insert and move the mouse over it, then click on clip selection in movie, (insert clip selection in movie)
Then go to file, then click open audio clip. Find some music that you like. When you're done with that, in sound/music track there is set points just like the clip and movie selection. Make sure you're at the start of the song/sound, then click start, then go to the end of the song/sound and click end, but If you have a long song and a short movie it won't work. So try to make sure the time of you song is just as long as the time of your movie, when you have that done, right click movie screen again and move the mouse over insert, but this time click audio clip selection in movie, (insert audio clip selection in movie)
--How to put music/sound in your movie using Windows Movie Maker--
QUOTE(JJ_)
Windows Movie Maker is far easier to use than QuickEditor in my book. 
To start you'll need to open Windows Movie Maker. Under Capture Video you'll see Capture from video device, import video, import pictures, and import audio or music. You first want to import your video/your animation. When you click on import video it doesn't show your gif animations at first. To be able to view them you'll need to click on "Files of Type:" right uner "File name:". Choose the last option which is "All Files". Now you'll be able to see your gif animations! Import your animation, it'll appear in Windows Movie Maker. Now drag it into the Storyboard at the bottom of Windows Movie Maker(It looks like a filmstrip)
Now to add your music, click on import audio or music. Import your music and it will appear in Windows Movie Maker just like your animation did. Drag your music into the storyboard. Now you can play your movie in the little preview window to the right!
You can save your project with Windows Movie Maker if you aren't finished working on it. Go into file and save project. But if you are finished, go into file and click on "Save movie file" it'll then pop up with a window with options to choose where you want to save it. You'd probably want to save it to your computer first so let's do that. Ask it will ask you to give your movie a name, and to choose a place to save it. Then it will ask for quality settings. You don't have to mess with this if you don't want to. But if you'd like to see what they have, click on "Show more choices"
Click next and it will start saving to your computer!
To start you'll need to open Windows Movie Maker. Under Capture Video you'll see Capture from video device, import video, import pictures, and import audio or music. You first want to import your video/your animation. When you click on import video it doesn't show your gif animations at first. To be able to view them you'll need to click on "Files of Type:" right uner "File name:". Choose the last option which is "All Files". Now you'll be able to see your gif animations! Import your animation, it'll appear in Windows Movie Maker. Now drag it into the Storyboard at the bottom of Windows Movie Maker(It looks like a filmstrip)
Now to add your music, click on import audio or music. Import your music and it will appear in Windows Movie Maker just like your animation did. Drag your music into the storyboard. Now you can play your movie in the little preview window to the right!
You can save your project with Windows Movie Maker if you aren't finished working on it. Go into file and save project. But if you are finished, go into file and click on "Save movie file" it'll then pop up with a window with options to choose where you want to save it. You'd probably want to save it to your computer first so let's do that. Ask it will ask you to give your movie a name, and to choose a place to save it. Then it will ask for quality settings. You don't have to mess with this if you don't want to. But if you'd like to see what they have, click on "Show more choices"
Click next and it will start saving to your computer!
--Some Photoshop lessons!--
QUOTE(JJ_)
These lessons were made using photoshop 5.5 I know that higher versions of photoshop are different so you might have a bit of trouble understand where things are. But thankfully Adobe didn't make them too different. Enjoy!
How to fade in and out
How to make something look like it is moving fast
How to fade in and out
How to make something look like it is moving fast
--"How to" for other programs!--
QUOTE(JJ_)
How to fade IN and OUT using Paint.net
To start have two layers, one that will be the background you will be fading into, and of course your background you actually want to fade away. (IMAGE1) Select your second layer and go into it's properties. Near the bottom you'll see opacity. This is what affects the layer's visibility. So gradually lower the bar to make it look like it's fading out. smile.gif (IMAGE2) To fade IN just switch the black layer with the layer you want to fade into. And this time lower the opacity of the black layer.
Animating with Image Ready!
So to use Image Ready to animate, make more frames! (IMAGE1) With each new frame add to the picture, I've found that this only works if you make a new layer for each change you make to the picture. (IMAGE2) It's a bit different and I haven't even found out how to do everything yet.
To start have two layers, one that will be the background you will be fading into, and of course your background you actually want to fade away. (IMAGE1) Select your second layer and go into it's properties. Near the bottom you'll see opacity. This is what affects the layer's visibility. So gradually lower the bar to make it look like it's fading out. smile.gif (IMAGE2) To fade IN just switch the black layer with the layer you want to fade into. And this time lower the opacity of the black layer.
Animating with Image Ready!
So to use Image Ready to animate, make more frames! (IMAGE1) With each new frame add to the picture, I've found that this only works if you make a new layer for each change you make to the picture. (IMAGE2) It's a bit different and I haven't even found out how to do everything yet.
You're DONE! All you need to do now is watch your movie!!!!!!!!!
Great work, you've done super well for your first time in animation. 
If you have any questions feel free to ask.------------------------------
I would also like to point out that lavaside rahi has made a topic on how to make animations as well! I would strongly suggest you visit his topic too as he has some very helpful stuff there.
Clicketh!And I would like to thank Pohuaki for helping answer questions while I'm away. Thanks man!
I have Windows Movie Maker, what is that used for? 
I tried to look for anything to be useful, but Movie Maker program doesn't help.
so will it come sometime? 
I tried today and I got no sense out of it. How am I supposed to make the music to the movie? Will i press the rec-butoon or something else? Quickanimator should be easier than that and im sure you can tell us all how to make a pro mive cause you are so good at that!
But I don't have my own computer, where do you get the sound effects?
