Endless Reference

The most comprehensive body mechanics library for animators.



Learn from Life: Real Action Footage

Whether you're an animation student, new to the industry, or just want to perfect your craft,
our resources are here to help you master body mechanics animation.
Learn from real-life movements and apply these principles to your animation. Realistic and believable animation starts here.


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Elevate Your Animation with the Line of Action.

Using video reference to recognize and understand the line of action in real-life movements can be a vital tool when learning body mechanics. Applying this knowledge to your own poses will ensure that your animation is both dynamic and expressive, bringing life and energy to your character.

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Find Clarity in Silhouettes.

Mastering the art of well-defined silhouettes in animation is made simple with the use of video references. To identify effective silhouettes, try analyzing actions with our media player. Scrub frame-by-frame, pause on a particular pose, and question if the action would still be recognisable if the person or the background were blacked out.
Practising this technique will help you enhance the clarity of your silhouettes when it comes to posing your characters.

*Image is for illustrative purposes only. The Endless Reference player does not generate silhouettes.


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Simplify Your Workflow with New
Image Sequence Downloads.

Eliminate the need for third-party software with our pre-exported PNG sequences. This feature enables you to integrate reference footage directly into an image or video plane in your 3D software. Accelerate your process, increase accuracy, and conserve precious time. Available in both 24fps and 30fps, maintaining focus on your creativity has never been easier..
Image sequence downloads now availavle 24fps and 30fps

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Trending

Cartwheel | Front view - Right to Left

Calisthenics
Female Young Adult barefoot Static Camera woman Girl Lady

Shoulder Stand | Athletic Female

Calisthenics
Female Young Adult Athletic barefoot Static Camera woman Girl Lady

Roundoff with Backflip | Athletic Male

Calisthenics
Male Young Adult Athletic barefoot Static Camera man

Front Walkover | Front View - Right to Left

Calisthenics
Female Young Adult barefoot Static Camera woman Girl Lady

Front Walkover | Front View - Left to Right

Calisthenics
Female Young Adult barefoot Static Camera woman Girl Lady

Front Walkover | Back view - Right to Left

Calisthenics
Female Young Adult barefoot Static Camera woman Girl Lady

Latest From The Blog

Welcome to our Blog!

Mar 28, 2024
Animating with Authenticity: Mastering Human Locomotion Welcome to the first post of the Endless Re...

walk Breakdown

Sep 21, 2023
Guest post Author: Jibril Sy. Jibril Sy is an illustrator and concept artist with a background in...

Jump Breakdown

Sep 21, 2023
Guest post Author: Jibril Sy. Jibril Sy is an illustrator and concept artist with a background in...

LIFT Breakdown

Sep 21, 2023
Guest post Author: Jibril Sy. Jibril Sy is an illustrator and concept artist with a background in...

Frequently asked questions

Endless Reference is your ultimate resource hub for mastering character animation through a deep understanding of human biomechanics and locomotion. We provide a comprehensive library of live-action reference footage, meticulously crafted to assist animators in creating realistic and captivating character movements.

Our platform is designed to empower animators and animation enthusiasts by offering a wide range of video reference clips showcasing various human actions from multiple angles. Whether you're an aspiring animator or a seasoned professional, Endless Reference is here to elevate your animation skills by providing you with the essential tools to bring your characters to life with authenticity and believability.
Endless Reference is designed to accelerate your animation workflow by providing you with ready-to-use visual references that capture the essence of human movement. Instead of spending hours searching for suitable reference material or attempting trial and error, you can quickly access our extensive library of reference footage.

By incorporating these references into your animation process, you can save valuable time that would otherwise be spent on repetitive iterations. The ability to study real-life movements in detail empowers you to make informed decisions, streamline your creative process, and bring your characters to life more efficiently. With Endless Reference, you'll find yourself spending less time searching and more time animating with precision and speed.
PNG sequences, a vital asset for 3D software users like Maya and 3ds Max, offer a seamless integration of video references into your projects. These sequences consist of images that capture each frame of a reference action. When you import PNG image sequences into your animation software, like Maya, you gain the ability to play video on a reference plane within your scene, effortlessly incorporating reference footage into your workspace. This feature streamlines your animation workflow, erasing the need for constant toggling between your viewer and animation software. With the reference material at your fingertips within your project, you can precisely mark key poses and closely examine the intricate movements that you choose to apply to your character's actions. This convenience translates into saving substantial time and effort, allowing you to dedicate your focus to refining your animations with heightened efficiency and precision. We have encoded each actions PNG sequences to both 24fps and 30fps frame rates, catering to the standards commonly used in film (24fps) and gaming (30fps) animation.
Using the process above not only saves you time but you will have increased accuracy as you line up your character rig to closely match the reference. Keep in mind this is only a starting point you must still apply the principals of animation. If you are looking for a tutorial to help you create a video plane in Maya you can check out On Mars 3D's tutorial How To Setup Planes and video reference in Maya While you're at it why not check out Aunmar's website for more amazing resources.
Slow motion clips are a vital resource for animators aiming to dissect and comprehend intricate movements. These clips allow you to observe actions in a slowed-down manner, granting you the opportunity to grasp the nuances of motion that might otherwise be missed in real-time playback. By slowing down the reference footage, you can closely examine how weight shifts, mauscles engage, and joints articulate throughout the entire movement cycle. This deeper understanding empowers you to replicate these subtleties in your animations, resulting in more accurate and lifelike character performances. In essence, slow motion clips serve as a valuable tool to enhance your animation skills by providing a detailed and comprehensive view of movement dynamics.
The option to view grid lines on our videos serves a specific purpose for animators and artists. These grid lines are strategic visual aids designed to facilitate a more insightful motion study. By overlaying grids on the reference videos, we create a reference framework that helps break down the motion into measurable units. This breakdown allows you to analyze and understand the finer details of movement, such as timing, spacing, and positioning. The grids provide a structured reference point, enabling you to observe how different body parts interact and move within the defined grid spaces. This systematic approach enhances your ability to replicate these movements accurately in your animations.
Getting started with Endless Reference is incredibly easy-simply dive right in and start exploring our extensive collection of videos. If you're curious about the detailed steps to begin your journey, we've prepared a comprehensive guide that walks you through the process. Click here to learn more and embark on your animation-enhancing journey!
While we don't offer a traditional free trial, we stand by the quality of our offerings. With our 100% money back guarantee, you have the freedom to explore Endless Reference without risk. If you find that our platform isn't the right fit for you, you can request a full refund within 4 days of your initial purchase. To be eligible for a refund, you must not have downloaded more than 4 videos, and your account should not be active for more than 4 days before the refund request.

Don't just take it from us


Endless Reference videos have really helped me identify some key points for my animation. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to enhance their animation skills!
Cathes Comics

Endless Reference has been really useful for learning 3D animation. After using their reference videos for just one week, I noticed remarkable improvements in my animation.
Daniele Olevano

Those videos are so cool! This has been critical for learning animation to be able to study the walking and other locomotive patterns of the human form in action
Mingy Liu

I'm so glad that I found this website. All the references that I've seen thus far are so useful and I recommend for anyone involved in animation.
Margaret McFarland






Are You Ready to Transform Your Animation Skills?

Step into the world of Endless Reference and unleash the full potential of your creativity. Our comprehensive library of action references is your secret weapon to mastering body mechanics, creating dynamic, expressive animation that truly stands out.
Embark on Your Journey Today


Get started today

Kickstart Your Professional Animation Career There's never been a better time to elevate your animation craft. Click 'Get Started' to begin or renew your membership. Your journey towards animation excellence begins here.