Studying Real Life

One important aspect in obtaining a realistic animation is to study that of what you are animating. In order to get the most realistic looking lion, a good animator will study lions, watching their behavior and movements. There is a lot of hidden information that can be revealed by paying much attention towards live objects, that one probably wouldn't notice unless studying over and over again.

Another thing that animators do is shoot their own video reference. This allows the animator to plan out exactly what they want to animate, and figure out the timing. This also allows the animator to look frame by frame at their reference to see their movements broken down. Since correct movement is a major component in creating realistic animation, following a real life example gives a huge advantage to the animator.

Here is an example of a reference video I shot for an animation I am working on:

Although I'm no pro, here is the 3D animation in Maya that I have been working on to match the reference:

By following my reference, I will achieve a much higher sense of realism.