Animation takes a lot of work, but thanks to modern technology, I can save and stack work on top of each other to operate like an efficient team using it.

Here are some of the myths and truths of doing motion capture animation solo.

It can’t be done totally free

Most of the software I’m using has a free trial and/or free version. That includes:

Gimp to draw, Live2D Cubism to rig, Animaze by Facerig to animate, and Streamlabs OBS to broadcast/record.

There are also few alternatives to many of these programs, like Blender, Vroid, and Vtube Studio.

Everything can technically be done for free. However, there are several reasons to consider paying the developers to upgrade.

For example, Streamlabs Prime and its paid competition have a lot of bonus tools that can really help if you’re new or just want more automation in your career.

And developers are like any other artist in that they deserve to be paid for a job well done. Streamlabs and Stream Deck (both of which I paid for) have corporate overlords but ultimately products that make my life easier.

With Cubism, you are limited to 30 movements, and you’ll quickly figure out over 40 are necessary to make your mouth truly shine, and that doesn’t even cover the rest of your face, much less body.

You also remove any watermarks or limitations built in for the free users. Overall, I spent $1000 to bring to life. That includes all the software and equipment but not the recurring annual fees.

Thankfully, my YouTube revenue more than makes up for this overhead cost.

Speaking of the Elgato Stream Deck, there’s a lot of equipment involved in animation too.

It takes a lot of equipment.

Here’s the start of my gear rig while doing animation. I use:

1. Desktop PC with dual 27-inch monitors – being a gearhead, I have a desktop PC equipped with Solid State drives, a multi-core CPU, gaming memory, and and dual monitors attached to a high end graphics card.

This is where I run the majority of the power to ensure there’s no lag.

2. iPhone 12 Pro camera – I’m impressed by the quality of the front facing camera paired with Animaze. It’s simple to pair and stream wirelessly to the desktop, meaning I can move around as necessary.

Read more: Can Vtube and Animaze replace webcams?

3. Rode NT-USB podcasting microphone – I love this microphone and have it affixed to the light tripod holding the phone. It captures better vocal quality than is possible on the phone.

4. Audio Technica Open-Air Headphones – These are my favorite gaming headphones because they’re light as air. I also have a secondary microphone attached that helps me better control my voice quality in case of any mess ups.

5. Ring light with tripod – This lights my face up in any lighting conditions to ensure the face tracking is working right. It also holds the iPhone in the center to keep everything consistent.

6. Stream Deck – This is a great tool for any streamer or automation fan. It gives you push-button access to programs, websites, and presets that gives you a clean interface to work with while streaming and not having to switch windows.

I think of these tools like instruments, and I got high enough quality to sound and look professional.

Animation makes you look more professional

I tried filming YouTube videos on webcams and DSLR cameras. The quality is definitely better on DSLR, but I could never compete with what professional YouTubers put out.

They have Hollywood equipment, and the only way I could ever match the video quality is by going animated.

It not only makes my videos visually comparable to YouTubers and Hollywood, but I don’t have to worry about what’s on camera anymore.

I can have a bad hair day, and I don’t need to clean my house nor worry about the security risks of showing your personal life on YouTube.

Animation Must Not Be 3D

I love 2D animation and was instantly drawn into motion capture for that reason. I get why people love 3D modeling, and I do use some of that to create the sets.

But overall, River was born in 2D and will always remain that way as I transfer her across different platforms.

It does limit some of my options. For example, If I want to show the sides or back, I need to make entirely new 2D models.

It’s possible to do live, but I’ll need to get comfortable and practice a lot more before that happens. For the rest of this year, you’re only going to see my animated characters from the front. In fact, I only have the top half of my cat.

The artistic expression is much better with 2D in my humble opinion.

However, it’s not a shortcut. There’s just as much work (if not more) involved in the 2D animation process. And I’ll inevitably need to learn to make 3D models look 2D if I ever want to bring River into VRChat.

Here’s more on how to get started with high-quality animation.

Animation is something I always loved and admired. Having my own animated avatars opens a whole world of possibilities. And as my physical body gets older and more frail over time, the animation will only get better.

I’m excited at the possibilities and happy to continue pouring my time into this art project.

Update 11/28 – After the Streamlabs Twitter controversy, I’m back to using OBS Studio. Here’s a video about why I abandoned Streamlabs.