Tools I use most often:

I'm an Apple computer user, but most of the computer software I use is available for both Mac and PC.

If you can afford the very best tools, buy them, of course!

Most of my life, I've worked as a musician... Need I say more? I've learned to maximize the tools I could afford, and combine functions from various applications, when I couldn't do things "the expensive way". So, you'll note that this is NOT an expensive list of tools. For example I do all my web site creation in "TextEdit", a simple Mac word processor, and do multiple-page editing with another Mac app., "TextWrangler". Other Mac apps noted below, ("Garage Band", for example) which used to be considered "add-ons", are now quite powerful.

Concept formation and planning:

• Brain, combined with pencil and paper

2D graphics and post processing of 3D images:

• Primary 2D processing: Adobe PhotoShop and Illustrator
  Actually, today, most things I need to do can be done in the lighter "Photoshop Elements".
• Cropping, reformatting, compression: "Graphic Converter" (Mac)
• I use several easily-accessible "widgets", such as color pickers, screen capture utilities, etc..

3D Modeling and Animation:

• Expensive software (AutoCad, Lightwave, etc.) in the past, but today, only Carrara
  Obviously, if you're doing high-end work for motion pictures, you'll use more expensive tools, but all the 3D work you see in my presentations here was done in Carrara. Don't spend money where you don't need to!

Assembly of animation "clips" into larger sequences:

• Some of this can be done right in Carrara (or your 3D software)
• Apple QuickTime Pro, iMovie, iDVD, Keynote, etc..

Audio processing:

• Master recording and editing on a Tascam 2488 mkII digital workstation
• Clip combination in simple apps like Apple QuickTime Pro and Garage Band

Photography:

• Still (film) photography: Nikon 35mm film camera and lenses
  (Obviously, a flatbed and/or negative/slide scanner is sometimes required too.)
• Still (digital) photography and basic video: Various (6 megapixel-ish) digital cameras