Power Animation Tool For Hobbyist Or Professionals
Pros
- The main pro of the entire program is that it makes animation incredibly simple. You are not required to even know how to draw. Once you grasp the gist of the software it is extremely simple to use.
- Another great aspect of CTA is the online community. There are a vast amount of online tutorials and an online forum for anyone who has questions. They even provide a content store in which users can sell their own content to other users.
- A recent update has allowed Photoshop integration. This allows even more customization of aspects of the animation you are working with.
- A characters mouth movements are automatically synced with voiceover audio. I felt this gave me one less thing to animate and has saved me time on more than one occasion.
Cons
- Other products made by this company (Namely their 3D animation software) have a character creator. I would love to see something like this with CTA.
- I would like to see a bigger integration with social media. Having the ability to live broadcast a CTA character in real-time (like mo-cap) would be amazing. If this were a possibility you could live stream a video chat or Facebook live portrayed as your CTA character.
- Allow more in-depth settings for exporting media.
Return on Investment
- Since my company discovered that I was an animator, they are constantly wanting me to make videos. If the company were to outsource someone to create animations like the ones I am creating, they would be extremely pricey. CTA was only a one-time purchase. I have even trained several other employees of the company how to use the software. That way, if I ever exit the company they can continue to create marketing animations without me.
Alternatives Considered
Toon Boom
Other Software Used
Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office 365