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For beginners, it could be intimidating to imagine the idea of creating an animated video. Some of the beginners may even compare 2D animation with programming. However, the good news is that it is not about programming and solving complicated mathematics problems at least now.
As we all know that Animated videos are considered as one of the powerful tools to express and communicate new ideas and information. Basically it adds life to the characters of the animation videos.
Even if you are entirely new to 2D animation, you can get started with it. In this guide, we will give you a clear direction to follow that will allow you to make your first 2D animation video. It will serve as a blueprint for any beginners who want to get.
What is 2D animation video?
A 2D animation video is a movie clip that only covers two dimensions. It consists of two dimension characters and digital environment.
Image Source: Digicel
How to do 2D animation video?
Now, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of this guide that will reveal the steps that you need to follow for creating 2D animation videos.
Here are the steps that you need to follow for coming up with your 2D animated video.
1. At first, you need a spectacular video script
No matter how amazing your video quality is, your video will have no impact whatsoever without a mind-blowing video script. A video script is like a foundation of your video. You can either do it yourself or outsource this task to a talented scriptwriter.
Your script will decide what appears on the screen. It is an initial point of any videos.
How can I come up with an alluring video script? Most of you must be thinking about it right now. I know that it is challenging, but it is not impossible. Practicing a craft of script writing will eventually enhance your level as a scriptwriter. With that said, you cannot expect to produce a top-notch script in your first try.
Here are some crucial questions that you need to ask before writing a script:
- What is the purpose of the animated video?
- Who is my audience?
- What are the actions that you want your viewers to take?
Based on the answers to the questions that I’ve mentioned, you need to produce a compelling story. A story is essential because it is a medium through which you need to convince your audience to take action. For the story to be persuasive, you need three elements in it.
- The first one is a hook.
The hook consists of the first part of the video. It is usually the first 8-12 seconds in a one-minute video, giving reasons for the viewers to watch till the end.
- The meat of the video comes right after the hook
You get into the point and deliver what you promised in the hook.
- The final element is the call to action
After explaining everything in your video, you need to tell your viewers what to do next. It is at the end part of the video.
2. The second step is to create a storyboard
A storyboard is all about organizing a story. Think about storyboard as a comic strip. The storyboard will decide if the script will work out or not. Furthermore, a storyboard will also help you optimally utilize the capital, identify errors, and decide punchlines in the video.
You should divide the story into various sections and keep it in a systematic order to check out the flow of the story.
You do not need any special skills to develop a storyboard. There are various pieces of 2D animation software to help you produce all types of characters, storyboards without having hardcore technical skills. You should choose one of the pieces of software that are available on the market that is the most appropriate for your project.
There are various types of storyboard, and they are:
- Layout Storyboard
- Animation Storyboard
- Flowchart Storyboard
- Interaction Storyboards
- Visual Interaction Storyboard
Here, we need to make use of animation storyboard. This type of storyboard contains the illustrations organized in a sequence for pre-visualizing the video.
To create a storyboard, you need to follow systematic steps:
- In the beginning, you need to prepare the story stage that best suits your project.
- After creating a stage, you should use drawing tools like rectangle, brush, pen, and so on to develop a background.
- The final task is to decide your characters. There is no need to create a custom character from scratch. There are plenty of templates and libraries available in Adobe and other software providers. All you need to do is create a layer, separate it, and prepare your chosen characters for animation.
Image Source: Studiobinder
3. After your storyboard is perfect, your next task is to animate
You have an option to outsource this task to an agency or a freelancer. Since this guide is to help you create a 2D animation video, we will ignore the outsourcing part and teach you how you can animate your video without hiring a third-party.
The same software that allowed you to create a storyboard will enable you to animate the video. There is no need for sophisticated tools and equipment for animating a video. You can choose a template and the in-built tools in the software to do what you need. Some of the concepts that you need for animating a video are:
- Understanding the difference between frames and keyframes.
- Know about motion tweens and shape tweens.
- Learning to apply the frames, keyframes, motion tweens, and shape tweens to loop different parts of the character to give it a realistic touch.
- Understand the difference between movie clip animation and the main timeline animation.
- Animate the characters and fine-tune the path.
- Test the animation and adjust.
4. Your next job is to add background music
A video without any background music will be boring for viewers. There must be some background music that resonates with the audience. There is plenty of music that you can choose online.
However, you should make sure that you purchase the right to use the music. With that said, there are free audios that are available for you, but it might not meet your quality expectations.
Here are some tips for choosing the most appropriate background music for your video.
- Like in script writing, you need to understand your audience and their taste in music. For instance, a kid might prefer funny music, while a teen may prefer fast rock music.
- Do not stick to only one music. Make a list of music that you may want to use and try one by one before you choose one.
5. It’s a time to narrate the story
After finishing all the previous steps, the final task is to narrate the story. Again, you do not need fancy equipment to tell the story. Only a microphone can do the trick for you when you are starting. With that said, you need to have a high-quality microphone to give a great final touch to your animated video.
Image Source: Linis
Like script writing, you need to practice your verbal skill to master it, and you cannot expect a perfect voiceover in your very first try. There are other options for you. You can outsource the voiceover part to the freelancers. Most of them will not charge you a lot of money to do the voiceover for you.
It is also possible to use software to generate a robotic voice, but it can reduce the charisma and humorous touch. But make sure it should be perfect as a voiceover keep the audience engaged and informed throughout the videos.
After narrating the story, you are good to go. Do a final revision of the whole video and make necessary corrections if needed. If everything is fine, your task is to publish the video and promote it via various channels.
Wrapping it Up
Following this guide in a systematic order will assist you in coming up with a professional 2D animated video, even if you are a beginner. However, you need to consult additional resources and tutorials in each step of this guide. With this blueprint in your arsenal, you will not feel overwhelmed, while searching for a resource to refer.
It's all about the 2D animation video, I hope this article has helped you out and cleared your confusion. If there are any other things that you want to add, let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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