How do I go about making cartoons like futurama, simsons and south park?

Question: How do I go about making cartoons like futurama, simsons and south park!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Mark gave a great rundown of how those shows are created!. Since those shows are large network or cable shows, they're expensive to make and their work process isn't exactly easily copied!. If you want to do the same thing from your home computer, you need to simplify your process, materials and tools!.

If you're doing old school drawn on paper frame by frame stuff or stop-motion or 2D, I'd suggest MonkeyJam!. It's free!.

http://www!.giantscreamingrobotmonkeys!.co!.!.!.

If you're on a Mac, use Pencil!.

http://www!.les-stooges!.org/pascal/pencil!.!.!.

If you want to do Flash animation like the stuff on Newgrounds!.com, either use Adobe Flash or Synfig, which is free!.

http://www!.synfig!.com/

As for learning how to animate, there's definitely some basics you need to learn!.

http://www!.idleworm!.com/how/index!.shtml
http://www!.awn!.com/tooninstitute/lessonp!.!.!.
http://www!.animationarena!.com/principles!.!.!.
http://www!.animationmeat!.com/notes/notes!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Years of practice!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

They all use different types!.

Simpsons uses (or at least used to) hand drawn cells which are then photographed!. Same way that Snow White was made!.

Futurama uses cell-shading for some of the more complicated shots!. That involves using a 3D modelling program and rendering it like a cartoon!. They use hand-drawn or computer-drawn for the rest!.

South Park is done in a 3D program nowadays!. It was originally done with cut out paper though!.

A good program for doing animations in is Toon Boom Studio!. It's not that cheap though!. Or Flash!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Do a course in animation!.

Make sure that they deal with all the types of animation (claymation, 2D traditional animation, flash) and not just 3D animation!.

You'll get your own style and you will see that it is a very time consuming occupation!. If you are doing it for fun check out http:/www!.CGsociety!.org for some ideas and read as much as you can about the processes they follow!.Www@QuestionHome@Com