Complete Guide to Create an Animated Video

Table of Contents

Animated video is a video made with computer animation of ready-made or specially designed graphic materials. The scope of application of computer animation is quite broad. The animation is found in both cartoons and motion pictures, computer games, and video ads. Such a video grabs the viewer’s attention due to the bright, realistic image and presentation of information of any complexity in a relaxed, comfortable, playful way. This option of delivering material evokes positive emotions and interest in what is happening on the screen.

So, if you are eager to learn how animated video works, let’s take a closer look at all the steps involved in its creation.

The Main Stages of Creating an Animated Video

Every reputable animation studio divides the process of making a custom-made animated video into several essential steps.

Collecting and Processing Information about the Project

As a rule, at the first steps of communication with the client, he/she fills out the terms of reference. It contains questions related to both product/service marketing (who is the customer’s target audience, what problem does their product/service solve, positioning, unique selling proposition, etc.) and the client’s personal wishes for the design of their future video (brand colors, voice-over, video duration, etc.).

Working on a Concept

The concept is an idea that will further develop the full-fledged plot of the video. Based on the information and materials received from the customer, writers develop several versions of the concept. Consequently, the customer can select any of them or combine ideas, getting a certain symbiosis of creativity.

Creating the Script

The foundation for making any animated video is definitely an original, exciting story. Once it is decided on the concept, the studio specialists start to work on a scenario that will masterfully and efficiently convey your business’s central message to your target client.

However, creativity alone is not enough. After studying and understanding who the “end-users” of the video are, the script is polished to perfection for a specific target segment. Moreover, when writing a script for an animated video, well-known narrative models in copywriting are applied, such as, for instance, AIDA or SCORE, TOTE, derived from psychology and NLP.

Making a Storyboard

After the customer approves the script, it is time to proceed to make the storyboard. Its implementation can be different – manually or using software, in color or black-and-white. The main thing is that the customer can understand what their animated video will look like eventually and how the script will be “played” – scene by scene.

At this stage, all necessary edits and amendments are made within the framework of the previously approved scenario. After the storyboard is accepted in this form, no further edits are made to the video sequence.

Adding the Voice-Over

You can deliver any message to your target audience with the help of one or more professional speakers or voice artists. The choice is usually represented by 5-7 “voices” tested in practice. It simply does not make any sense to fill up the client with dozens of options since they will most likely pick between 2-3 variants.

Implementing Animation

When everything else is figured out and approved, video designers and illustrators come into play. This stage of creating an animated video can be considered truly magical. The images begin to “liven up,” fuzzy shapes are transformed, creating the video characters, while text emerges and goes away thanks to visual effects.

Deciding on Sound Design

The last and final step in the creation of an animated video is sound design. It is incredible how a well-chosen composition and the sound effects that accompany the video sequence can bring the video to life. A good sound design is 50% of the success of the animated video for your company. Choosing the right video format will impact the sound and appearance of the video. The famous MP4 format is a universal file format you usually get your video in, but you may need to convert MP4 to MOV to enjoy high-quality audio and video for a professional video.

An animated video is a great marketing tool for any enterprise. It allows you to save a lot of money; in other words – to positively stand out and emphasize your company’s style. After all, exciting and high-quality animation is always a plus for your business’s visual impact.