@Heist425:

If 3DsMax is harder than Maya considering animation? Well.. Yes and No.. All the animation principles you need to understand and the pure fundaments behind animation itself are seperate subjects and lay far from any tools such as a pencil&paper and 3d software.. These inventions were merely adapted to the artist's ways.. They're derived from studying motion in real life... (Lookup: The12AnimationPrinciples, TheAnimatorsSurvivalKit & especially; Eadweard Muybridge).
With other words: It doesn't matter what tools you use.. To properly animate you need lots of theory and practice and you need to look around your environment and learn from it. Play with motion, see it inside your head, feel it and form your own style. It's good to learn from the big guys like animationmentor for example, but I see too many animators doing the same styles instead of adapting what they've learnt to their own style..

So that's it pretty much for animation.. As for: "software that makes our lives easier..." 3DsMax and Maya are just as good to use, you should get to know them both..
But my personal opinion about the two Considering animation goes as follows: Maya makes you quick and productive once you go through hell to master it. 3DsMax gets the job done.

:) Hope I helped,

-David

Is 3D Max hard to learn to do animation than Maya?

I've graduated from Qantm College Amsterdam!
I've my 3d Certificate and now also my Diploma of Interactive 3D Animation :)
Continuing my study with Digital Tutors.

I'm right now still studying at SAE Qantm for a diploma in 3D Interactive Animation. There's a lot of stuff to come up on the screen here in April most likely when my study ends ^^ It takes over my life and I spend most of my time behind a screen.. But the world of animation and games is just a chill that keeps coming back with new stuff to learn and use. The more knowledge you gain, the more you'll be able to bring that what you see in your mind onto the screen.. Or the intended feeling you want your player to experience.

Those are pretty cool videos.
I'd suggest doing as many of them as possible for a portfolio to show people, in the film & game industry.