by Animated videos are fast becoming a popular choice for brands and creators alike. These pieces of content are more accessible to create than conventional films. Here is a complete guide for those looking to explore this content type.
Table of Contents
Start With The Script
Creating any video or animated concept requires planning, which includes both the ideation and the scripting of the core message.
Once you have your idea in place, script this video based on the length of your animation. Use the basic rules of storytelling like the three-act structure. This storytelling format will ensure your narrative has a defined start, middle, and end.
At this stage, ensure all the information for the video is clear to avoid any additions at the final step.
Pick Your Animations Style
The next step is to decide the treatment of your animation video. There are multiple ways to execute an idea, so select a style that suits the tone and audience of your video.
2D and 3D Animation
A 2D animation is one of the most commonly used formats, and they are a common occurrence in B2B and B2C communications. A 2D animation is easy to create and understandable to the end consumer.
Similarly, a 3D animation is the same story with increased depth in the definitive treatment of your animation video. The 3D animations are more professional and cost a lot more to create.
Stop-Motion Animation
Stop motion animation is one that requires no graphic design. These are created by animating a collection of still photographs one after another to look like a motion picture.
These are highly time-consuming but create a unique product. Each frame of this animation is a single photo and requires photography and animation skills to work hand-in-hand. Use this format to make a standout statement or entertaining video.
Infographic Animation
An infographic animation video is standard with presentations and advertising; used to make mundane data into exciting stories. These videos, as the name suggests, are dedicated to depicting information.
Infographic animations use charts, moving graphs, calculations, numbers, and other statistical and visual content that helps explain a concept, idea, or technical details.
Typographic Animation
This genre of graphic animation only uses letters, words, and sentences. A skillful animation of words matched with perfect music can help bring life to boring text messages.
Whiteboard Animations
Whiteboard animation is a simple way to explain vast volumes of information in an easy-to-understand format. This type of animation commonly describes a character’s journey, the story of a brand, or showcases long-format narratives.
Especially in educational and teaching fields, this animation format is handy.
Create A Structural Storyboard
A storyboard is a visual representation of your entire animated movie. The aim is to create a sketch board outline of the final product you wish to accomplish.
This storyboarding stage will help you understand if the video works in practice. It also provides an idea of the final output and allows the creator to make appropriate changes before reaching the animator.
To create a story, one can either sketch it themselves, use an online tool, or hire an artist.
Jump Into Animation
With these basics out of the way, let’s dive into the process of how to make animated videos. There are a few approaches one can take:
Self Made
If you understand the art of animation and hold the knowledge of these tools, you can create them on your own. The steps mentioned above will help you create a framework for that ideal animated video.
Online Tools
If you do not own the skills to animate a video, you can use a free online tool. These tools come preloaded with templates and drag-and-drop interfaces that quickly help anyone create animated videos.
However, these online tools have limitations. For example, a whiteboard animation video is possible using these templates, but a complex 3D animation would require a professional. If the purpose of your animation is a short shelf-life social media video, then these tools are beneficial to save time and money.
In-House Team
If your business or personal brand demands ongoing animated work, an in-house team is the most feasible option. For example, a media house or a teaching studio needs animated content daily; an in-house team can work in synergy with the content crew and churn out more high-quality content.
This In-house team will spend each day creating videos. You may hire professionals with appropriate experience and skills to ensure the highest quality output. However, this in-house team is unsuitable for a lower workload.
Third-Party Studio
Outsourcing your work to an animation studio is one of the most popular options. These studios specialize in creating animations each day and provide outputs in shorter turnover times.
Working with the studios also comes with lower costs, better experience, expertise in creating a better final product, and much more.
Make Finer Changes
Irrespective of how you receive your final output, you must spend an extra day to fine-tune the product. These are steps taken to improve the final product, and here are a few recommended pointers to note.
Eliminate Fluff
Differences in the final product from the storyboard might occur, and this is your opportunity to fix these discrepancies. Remove any sections that do not add value to your final video and make it crisper.
Add Sounds
An animation video without the right sounds might remain boring. Use a combination of music, voice-overs, and sounds-design.
Music is the background scroll of your videos, and these add to the impact of the video and help fill spaces of no speech. Likewise, the sound design uses small audio effects to enhance the actions on the screen, like a thump or pop.
The voice-over is typically a narration or a supporting speech given to animation. Whiteboard animations are incomplete without voice-over, and it’s the only situation where the VO is recorded before making the animations.
Text and Subtitles
The factor to consider is the text and subtitles. Use the text on your existing videos (not applicable for typographic animations) to provide additional information to the users. The subtitles help improve the viewing experience and allow us to fight the language barrier.
In Closing,
Note that, before you start writing the script of your animated video, define the purpose of this animated footage. Determine the end goal, who your target audience is, and if this message would present clearer with animation or conventional filmmaking.
With these steps in mind, you are ready to present the best-animated work.
