Simple c# Character Controller + Animations / Side-scroller

Hi there. I have a feeling I'll get downvoted for asking this but is there a tutorial that'll walk me through the basics of making a 3d character move (doesn't have to pertain specifically to a side-scroller, long as it gets me started), and use the walking + running animations I've made. This seems really basic, and it is, but I've looked around on the internet and asides from 3dbuzz's 3d platformer tutorial - which isn't appropriate for what I'm trying to learn - I can't find anything that'll give me the basics to writing my own (and not copying code from someone else like every tutorial seems to be). I've done rather a few tutorials and in the end I always come out with what they were making, but learning almost nothing to actually make my own scripts.

Short version: I need to find out how to start writing my own character controllers and using animations, then find the right way to expand on that. Any advice is appreciated.