How to Make an Animated Video: A Step-by-Step Guide

Animated videos are a popular and effective way to tell a story or convey information in a visually engaging way. Whether you’re creating a video for your business, a school project, or just for fun, making an animated video can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. In this post, we’ll explore how to make an animated video, from planning and script writing to animating and beyond.

How Do You Make An Animated Video?

When making an animated video, there are several key steps to follow. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Before you start creating your animated video, it’s important to define your goals. What do you want the video to accomplish? Who is your target audience? Are you making a video ad? An explainer video?  Understanding your goals will help you create a video that is both effective and relevant to your audience.

It also helps to find other animations and illustrations that you would like to emulate for your video. This helps your animation team figure out the appropriate animators and production budget for your video.

Step 2: Hire An Animator, Studio or Video Igniter

Now that you have an idea of what you want to create, it’s time to hire an animator. Here are some resources to help you find and hire an animation studio, a freelance animator, or animated video production company – like us :)

• How do you hire an animator?
• 9 Things to look for when hiring an animator.
• How do you outsource an animated video project?
• What is Video Igniter Animation?
• What’s the difference between hiring an animation studio, a freelance animator and Video Igniter?
• What goes into production cost of an animated video?

Step 3: Kick Off Call + Questionnaire

After you’ve selected an animation producer for your video, they will schedule a kick off call and send you a questionnaire to learn more about the video you want to create.

Step 4: Write The Script

Next, it’s time to write your script. Your script should be clear, concise, and engaging.  The story you present should convey your message in a way that resonates with your audience. Consider using a storytelling approach to create a narrative that captures the viewer’s attention and keeps them engaged throughout the video.

Step 5: Create a Storyboard

With your script in hand, it’s time to create a storyboard. A storyboard is a visual representation of your script, showing each scene and how it will be animated. This helps you plan out your video and ensures it flows smoothly and effectively.

Step 6: Create The VoiceOver

We will send you some voiceover auditions to review. Let us know which voice you like best. Then, we’ll hire them to record the full voiceover. You get to review the recording and request edits before we use it in your video.

Step 7: Create The Illustrations

With your storyboard and animation style in mind, it’s time to start creating the illustrations for your animated video. This may involve creating characters, backgrounds, and other visual elements. Our art director will develop several visual concepts for you to review.

You get to work with them to refine your preferred concept until you love it. Then, we create all of the rest of the illustrations for your animated video using the approved concept as a visual reference.

Step 8: Animate The Video

Now that your voiceover and illustrations are approved, we can animate your video!

Step 9: Add Sound Effects and Music

Once the animation is complete, it’s time to add sound effects and music to your video. Choose audio that fits your brand and complements the visuals of your video.

Step 10: Test Your Video

If you created an animated video to serve a business or marketing goal, be sure to test your video with your target audience to ensure that it resonates with your viewers. Consider making several versions of your video and testing which messaging performs best.

How To Make Your Own Animated Videos

Making your own animated videos can be a fun and rewarding experience. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1). Start Small: If you’re new to animation, start with a short video or a single scene. This will help you learn the basics of animation and get comfortable with the software.

2). Use Templates: Many animation software programs offer pre-made templates that you can customize to fit your needs. This can save time and help you create professional looking videos without needing to create everything from scratch.

3). Practice, Practice, Practice: Like any skill, animation takes practice to master. Keep working on your videos and learn new techniques to improve your animation skills over time.

4). Get Feedback: Show your videos to friends, family, or colleagues and ask for their feedback. This can help you identify areas for improvement and make your videos more engaging and effective.

How to Add Animation to Video

Adding animation to video can be a great way to enhance your videos and make them more engaging. Here are some tips for adding animation to video:

1). Choose Your Animation Style: Consider the style of your video and the message it is presenting; then, choose an animation style that complements it. For example, if you’re creating a corporate video, a clean and simple animation style may be more appropriate than a cartoonish style.

2). Use Motion Graphics: Motion graphics are a great way to add visual interest to your videos without requiring complex animations. Consider using text overlays, charts, graphs, or other graphic elements to enhance your video.

For a more in depth look at what’s involved with creating and adding animation to video, check out this companion article titled: “How to add animation to your video.”

How to Make Animated Videos for Free

 

Making animated videos doesn’t have to be expensive. Here are some tools and resources that you can use to make animated videos for free:

1). Powtoon, Canva, Wideo & Animaker: these online apps allow you to create animated videos using their pre-created characters, scenes and templates.

2). OpenToonz: OpenToonz is a free, open-source animation app that can be used to create 2D animations.

3). Blender: Blender is a free, open-source 3D animation program that can be used to create complex 3D animations.

While these tools may have limitations compared to more advanced animation software, they can still be a great option for creating simple, effective animated videos on a budget. Note: most of these services offer some of their features for free and charge subscription fees to access their premium features.

Check out this companion article to learn more ways you make animated videos for free or watch the video below:

How to Create Animation Videos

Creating animation videos requires a combination of creativity, technical skill, and attention to detail. Here are some tips to help you create you own animation videos:

1. Plan Your Story: Before you start creating your animation, it’s important to plan out your story. Build a storyboard that outlines each scene and how it will be animated.
2. Use Color and Contrast: Color and contrast can be used to create visual interest and draw the viewer’s eye. Experiment with different color palettes and contrast levels to create a visually engaging animation.
3. Pay Attention to Timing: The timing of your animation is crucial for creating a smooth, engaging video. Pay attention to the timing of each animated sequence, and make sure that it flows smoothly from one scene to the next.
4. Add Sound Effects and Music: Sound effects and music can add depth and emotion to your animation. Choose audio that fits your brand and complements the visuals of your video.
5. Test Your Animation: Before finalizing your animation, test it with your target audience to ensure that it meets your goals and resonates with your viewers.

Conclusion

Making an animated video can be a fun and rewarding experience. By following the steps outlined in this post, you can create an engaging and effective animated video that resonates with your audience. Whether you’re creating a video for your business, a school project, or just for fun, animation can be a powerful tool for telling a story, conveying information, and capturing your viewer’s attention.

Still have questions about how to make animation videos?

Do you have a question about how to make an animated video that wasn’t addressed in this FAQ? Use this form to send us your question and we’ll follow up with an answer. We’ll also post the question and answer to this page so other people can benefit from the knowledge.

Need help making an animate video? Get in touch!

Schedule a call with our production team to discuss your animated video project.

Get a quote for us to create your animated video.

Request access to our newest price sheet.

Create your Video Igniter account

Fill out a creative brief for your animated video project.

Success Stories & Testimonials

“Video Igniter came to us with a number of creative and engaging ideas and were able to create an exciting, impactful video in a short period of time. And the best part was that it cost much less than other options of similar quality. The video they made is a great marketing tool for us.”

Alex Raymond – Founder, Kapta Systems

“Video Igniter offered us the critical combination of creative value, clear communication, and patience with stakeholder feedback. We ended up with truly high-quality design assets for our video series largely due to the extra level of commitment — and the right balance of efficiencies with flexibility in the process when called for.”

Larry Schlessinger – Sr. Creative Program Manager, Amazon Web Services

What is Video Igniter Animation?

Video Igniter Animation is an online animated video production service. By working with our team online, you can get your custom animated video produced faster and for less than hiring a brick and mortar animation studio.

We can help you create any kind of 2D animated video or 3D animation you can imagine. Check out our animated video portfolio.

If you’re looking for an explainer video company to make an explainer video, we make those too!

Need help syndicating your animated video? Ask us about video promotion.

Do you want to create an animated cryptocurrency video or an animated blockchain explainer video that explains how your technology works? We can help with that too.

Watch our explainer video on our home page to learn more about how we can help you create an animated video. For examples of the kinds of animation our team can produce, check out the demo reel below: