Animation: Tools of the Trade

What do animators use to create their creations?  There are a variety of programs on the market and for free that are critical in the animation world.  Flash, for example, has been on the market for years and has been used for a variety of applications.  Understanding how to use Flash is increasingly essential across a wide variety of tech-related industries.  For 3D animation, Maya has positioned itself among industry leaders with animators and game designers utilizing its many features.  But these are only two examples of relevant programs.  This site that I recently discovered does an excellent job of listing and briefly describing key programs and their individual cost (notice all of the free programs available).

Check out this 3D animation for Liberty Mutual using the amazing a FREE Blender program: