Creating an animation can be daunting. To ensure that your time is managed effectively, that your animation team work with cohesiveness, and that your client is presented with an animation they’ll love, following this five-step process is key.
Script
The first step of the animation process is to create a clear and concise script. This will be the guide for the rest of your animation to follow, a foundation that will give your team the confidence to start creating.
Storyboard
With your script complete, now is the time to create a storyboard. With a storyboard, everyone working on the animation will have a clear visual sense of what the finished animation will look like. Your client can also suggest changes they’d like to make, changes that can easily be fixed now, but much harder to implement later. A storyboard will also identify the key frames of your animation. If you can understand the premise of your animation with just these frames, the message of your completed animation will shine through.
Voice over
A clear voice over guides the viewer through the animation. You can expand on points which would be too difficult to explain through visuals alone, and the combination of both visual and auditory senses will make your message hard to forget. Hearing a human voice also creates trust, a crucial element in founding a connection with your viewer.
Animate
Now, with everything prepared, you can begin animating! If you animate before creating the voice over, you may be caught up with having to rush through lines to fit the animation or be left with periods of silence, meaning animation has to be cut short or more script has to be written to fill the time. As the voice over was done prior, you can perfectly match up voice acting to a character speaking, and explanations to the right frames.
Music and Sound
Using music and sound gives your animation a final polish. Music can completely shift the tone of your piece, heightening emotions like empathy or excitement. Sound effects are also pivotal for bringing your animation to life. If your animation takes place in a forest for example, the additional sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves will fully immerse your viewer in the scene.
At Synima, we ensure quality at each one of these stages, working closely with the client to make sure the final animation is as perfect as they envisioned. If you would like to work with us on a project, contact us at hello@shootyou.co.uk
