A lot is hidden in the journey to animate n dats y, even wi d videos n drawings what we do not know, we simply dont know. The fact is, these are the things we do everyday unconsciously n do not seem to matter. Well, they are beginning to matter now n they will, if you hope to know n remain in animations. I‘ve been priviledged to learn this great art n i‘ll say this... Everything counts.
Drawing n scribling, the principles, acting n mimicking, knowing ur softwares n having a good system just to mention a few. As for joining forums, its advantage is as good as the determination n vision of d people there, also how good they are because the blind cannot lead d blind.
When u begin to understand n bond with animation, i mean when u really begin to see, create, appreciate, dismantle n assemble animations, u‘ll begin to understand n see that everthing is hinged on flow. And with flow comes balance, arcs, solidity, the principles n realism. If u open ur eyes well enough, that one arc with ease in n outs will help u fill d in-betweens.
Now, the good thing is that pixar quality is a stone throw when you attain this level or u just might b there. And d bad abt it is that, the drills to get there is brain damaging, time consuming n visually challenging including having blurry sights in daytime. I once read an article by someone saying that, by the time he was graduating from animation school, he was 25 looking 45. Scary thing is i‘ve come to agree with him. And while these post might not make alot of sense to some people, they should try animating a Liu Kang demonstrating his shaolin hand forms like the one in mortal kombat x. Or at least outline and animate exactly what they have in mind without changing cause. Then they‘ll begin to understand what it is i am saying. There is no known formular to doing great animations but wit patience n dedication u‘ll get there. Enjoy.

Are u ok wi moving boxes while people hail ur prowess on d software or u want to go toe to toe wi d big dogz outside these shores? @least someday hope to... Animations hv developed to what it is today since the 1930s by d americans. Though in 2d form, dz paved the way for 3d today n i‘m not talkin of those type that walk or bounce sideways.
African animation has a long way to go. We think because a xter moves or dances n we‘ve arived which is not d case. Though, i have to hand it to our artists practicing animations here but that dont mean we r close. No, not by a mile. Some of us hv a problem wi everything concerning animating for instance key-framing. A xter trying to say bye bye, taking ages to make a single simple wave n this gets u thinking... is it that the xter is 200yrs old or he‘s very sickly and about to die. Same thing goes for a xter either talking or trying to eat n it takes him another forever to adjust his head or get food into his mouth, i mean WTF!!! That aint right. We need to understand things as small as framing if we r to correct this. Not to talk about the other principles. Also little things gathered while growing up can further help too. Like a skill, trade, gift etc. If u r an artist n u can draw accurately straight outta d box n understanding perspective wi plenty of imagination then u should give animation a shot. Especially if u dont need references. If u r an engr wi all of these fairly n understand TD very well, then u should also give anime a shot. Its possible wi anyother profession but u‘ll struggle a lot more to stay afloat unless... u love cartoons n r ready to make urself into one when neccessary.
You cannot learn this trade if u r not crazy enough for it. You must be able to transform into a puppet to be able to animate. And this is just the start. See this as fun n u become friends. See it as work n u just might dump it b4 it dumps u.

Lets take a look at the 12 principles of animation. Each of them are distinct yet interwoven because you actually cant do or lemme rephrase that... wont be able to do without them. In recent times to simplify it further, i've come to embed them within themselves because that's the way i see it. take for instance the "squash and stretch" and our good friend "timing and spacing". A ball would squash after its point of contact with the floor and stretches up again into mid air. This same thing could be related to the timing and spacing of the ball path. But that's just me. You can see it your own way too as long as it works for you. But the road to Pixar doesn't only lie on the bouncing ball philosophy alone. The Pixar guys go as far as understanding everything about the human body and how it functions. You may look at it and say, that shouldn't be difficult to achieve but trust me, when you've got a Lasseter on your ass, then you'll begin to understand what it is i'm talking about. They don't just push controls and rotate helper objects. They animate. And getting to this level takes plenty of time and dedication. Plus your gaggy acting skills would be put to test here. Because if you are struggling to animate like i used to or less, then, now is the time to start re-inventing yourself. Even the dull animation skills that i acquired and helped me through to this stage took almost forever plus i didnt find it funny. Don't worry, you wont too when you get there. You'll be quick to pick up on "timing and spacing" and stroll down to anticipations and rely mostly on your guts and personal experience to maintain speed. At this stage, you have not begun. When u begin to understand and apply "squash and stretch", overlapping actions and exaggerations, then you are beginning to scratch that surface. Animating like Pixar takes quite a lot including telling fantastic stories with exciting animations and that's where staging secondary actions and appeal comes in, pretty much like the other principles you'ld be applying.
But the key really is setting out to animate Iya Kunle quarreling with Mummy Dami and been able to pull it off as the animations will do the talking. There are no guesses or interpretations of any sort to the viewers. They just get it. When you get here, then my friend, you can begin to see yourself to be on your way/Road to Pixar.
There's plenty of work ahead, also there's plenty of reward. Do not relent.