: Use the Dope Sheet for timing and the Graph Editor to smooth out or sharpen the transitions between your keyframes.
: Use Viewport Render Animation (under the View menu) to generate a quick video preview of your work without waiting for a full high-quality render.
: Use Pose Mode to manipulate a character's skeleton. Set initial and final positions using keyframes (shortcut I in the viewport).
: Instead of rendering separate files for each shot, use Camera Binding (Ctrl+B in the timeline) to automatically switch between different cameras in one single timeline.