Anime Studio Debut - Release, Review

Tuesday June 9, 2009

As promised, I've got a new animation software review for you on a hot new release - even if I'm a couple of hours later than I'd like to be due to a malfunction in my coffee-to-brain input device. Today Smith-Micro announced the release of Anime Studio Pro 6.0 (coming out tomorrow) and Anime Studio Debut (released today). I've always been a big fan of Anime Studio; while it may not get the attention that larger, more mainstream animation software packages receive, it offers many of the same tools (not to mention some unique features) at an affordable price.

Today's review of the Debut version (which offers a lower-cost introductory version with rich features and few limitations) covers the major pros and a few small cons. Overall I like Anime Studio Debut quite a bit, although I disagree (perhaps too much) that it's a beginner's animation tool. A beginner's tool would take into account that the end user knows zero to nothing about animation, and would take the learning curve in baby steps. This assumes that you have at least some experience or study in animation principles and techniques - but for people who've already gotten their feet wet, the learning curve still isn't that steep. There are many tools that have been simplified from standard studio animation programs to make them much easier to use.