You could take the template approach as suggested from Tuskat (which I reccomend), or you could make 3D models and render them as sprites. The benefit to this would be that you only have to make an animation once, and then you can have a script render said animation in all 4 directions. Of course, 3D modelling and animation are a whole other beast in it of itself, but if you know anyone who knows basic 3D modelling and animation, and you make really basic models, it could work out.