If you’re an After Effects artist toying with the idea of creating character-driven animation, the free but powerful DUIK should probably be your first port of call. With the recent release of DUIK ‘Bassel,’ primary developer Nicolas Dufresne (aka Duduf) has redesigned the interface and functionality of DUIK to create a modern, robust bone-based animation system. Despite the flexibility, DUIK is remarkably approachable by even a novice animator. And when compared to the complicated rigging of 3D animation software, it’s downright child’s play.

Still, like most software the toughest part of using it is getting over the learning curve. Well, moviola.com has done it again with another super fast, super concise Survival Guide, this time focusing exclusively on using DUIK. In a little over twenty minutes we’ll get you familiar with the fundamentals of DUIK Bassel and building your own rigged characters.

New to After Effects all together? We’ve got you covered as well. Check out our twenty-ish minute Survival Guide to After Effects. All the content at moviola.com is free. All the time.