Ok, I''ll admit it. I saw Monsters Inc. I''ve seen most of the other major 3D generated movies, but M Inc. caught my imagination the most. What would the best package be for me to learn to Model, and Animate in. Doesn''t matter if they''re seperate programs. This would be for short movie clip type things. Because I''m new, it''d be nice if they were free, or under $50.

the gimp of 3d software
http://openfx.org/news/index.php

Hi,
This is what you should do:
Get A hold of gmax(same interface as 3d studio max from discreet), maya ple, lightwave demo, Theyre all free, and start to experiment with them. Then start to get comfortable with 1 app that u like the most and practice, practice, practice...

There are many more packages out there but these are most worth it!

if you´re serious about the movie business you should take a look at Houdini.

Blender is my package of choice for modeling and animation. It even has some nice post production features. Its now open source so new features are on the way. Check it out www.blender.org.

Consider taking a class at a local community college. If you don''t currently have any skills at modelling or animation it would be a good way to pick up the basics. And the school most likely has copies of one or more of the better programs for you to learn on before you sink any serious bucks into it.