How to Make an Animated Short Film
Write out a script., Sketch character models., Draw up a storyboard., Import your storyboard into a filmmaking program, saving each frame individually., Use your storyboard to make a timed slideshow, or animatic., Add the dialog and sound effects...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Write out a script.
This is often easier said than done, but you need to write down your ideas clearly and give them structure before you start working.
Unlike in live action, it is almost impossible to "improvise" an animated film, as it simply takes too long animate everything.
You can use a simple Word document or script writing software like Celtx, Writer Duets, or Final Draft.
Your script doesn't need dialog, but it does need:
A theme.
What is the "point" of the short film? This doesn't need to be grand, profound, or complicated.
It can be anything from "the loss of childhood innocence," or "boredom is a state of mind," to "I want to make people laugh with this joke." Think of it as a guiding principle for your film.Characters.
What will hold the attention of your audience? This can be anything from a person or an animal to a squiggly line, like the Oscar-winning short "The Dot and the Line:
A Romance." Visuals.
Where does the short take place? What's the mood, or atmosphere? A screenplay needs to tell the story of the short in full so it can be used as a blueprint for future work.A beginning, middle, and end.
This sounds obvious, but that's the point
-- almost all stories are told in three specific, delineated parts, or acts.
This doesn't mean you must have a three-act story, or even "characters." You do, however, need to think out the "action" of the short film before moving forward.Act 1 introduces the characters and a problem (they're hungry, the world is ending, boy has a crush on girl, etc.) Act 2 complicates the story/problem (All the stores are closed, the bad guy might win, the girl has a boyfriend already, etc.).
Act 3 provides resolution to the problem (they find a sandwich shop, they save the world, the boy meets another girl, etc.) -
Step 2: Sketch character models.
Before starting to animate, you need to know what your characters are going to look like.
Sketch them in a variety of poses, costumes, and expressions to get a feel for what they will look like.
Remember that a character can be anything in an animated film, from a bear to a pair of salt & pepper shakers.
Still, you want to develop your characters ahead of time so that they look consistent when you animate them., Storyboards are individual drawings for every bit of action in the script and are used in the production of almost every film
-- animated or otherwise.
They are both simple and comprehensive, as you need one for every change you want in the film.
They do not, however, need background detail or color, unless it is essential to the story.
You can find and print a variety of free storyboard templates online, or draw your own.
Each frame of the storyboard has two parts:
The Image:
In a rectangular box, draw the principal action of the shot, ignoring background images for now.
You can also draw notes or arrows to indicate movement.
The Dialogue.
Underneath the shot, write down what needs to be said in the shot, the proposed length of the shot, and any effects (zoom in, shaky camera, etc.), Once you have your shots planned out, import them into your computer.
Make sure to name them appropriately (Act1.Scene1.Shot1.jpg, for example).
When you're done, import them all into your film editing software (iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Final Cut Pro, Adobe AfterEffects, etc.) and put them in the correct order.Adobe AfterEffects or Premier are considered the industry standards, but you can use whatever program you are most comfortable with. , Animatics are the rough cuts of animation
-- they get the pace and rhythm of the short together and allow you to to get the timing right for your final short.
This sounds complicated, however, they are really just slideshows with proper timing.
Put the images of the storyboard in order on your editing software and extend, cut, and play with them until you have a "rough" cut of the final film.You can find examples of animatics online, like the animatic for the music video "Feel Good Inc." as well as some Pixar animatics.
Almost all animated movies are made into animatics first.
Otherwise you risk spending hours fully animating a scene that needs to change, get longer or shorter, or get deleted. , Once you have your rough timing down, it's time to pre-record the dialog.
This doesn't have to be perfect, and you can even fake the sound effects with your mouth and hands if you want.
What matters is the timing.
Do you have enough time in the "shot" to get all the words out? Extend or shorten the length of your slides as necessary.
The closer you can get the dialog to perfect, the better, as most good voice acting requires proper timing.
That said, now is not the time to worry about the finer details of voice acting.
You need to get your animatic together before moving on to full production. , The final animatic should tell the full story of your film, minus the trappings of color, backgrounds, and details.
If you are knowledgeable of video editing, you can add pans, zooms, and transitions right now to test them before your final editing. , Tablets are small computer pads that come with an electronic pen, allowing you to "draw" straight into your computer.
Drawing well with a mouse is nearly impossible, and unless you plan on small projects or stop-motion work, you will almost definitely need a tablet. -
Step 3: Draw up a storyboard.
-
Step 4: Import your storyboard into a filmmaking program
-
Step 5: saving each frame individually.
-
Step 6: Use your storyboard to make a timed slideshow
-
Step 7: or animatic.
-
Step 8: Add the dialog and sound effects and adjust the timing of the animatic as needed.
-
Step 9: Review your animatic as if it were the final film.
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Step 10: Consider purchasing a tablet.
Detailed Guide
This is often easier said than done, but you need to write down your ideas clearly and give them structure before you start working.
Unlike in live action, it is almost impossible to "improvise" an animated film, as it simply takes too long animate everything.
You can use a simple Word document or script writing software like Celtx, Writer Duets, or Final Draft.
Your script doesn't need dialog, but it does need:
A theme.
What is the "point" of the short film? This doesn't need to be grand, profound, or complicated.
It can be anything from "the loss of childhood innocence," or "boredom is a state of mind," to "I want to make people laugh with this joke." Think of it as a guiding principle for your film.Characters.
What will hold the attention of your audience? This can be anything from a person or an animal to a squiggly line, like the Oscar-winning short "The Dot and the Line:
A Romance." Visuals.
Where does the short take place? What's the mood, or atmosphere? A screenplay needs to tell the story of the short in full so it can be used as a blueprint for future work.A beginning, middle, and end.
This sounds obvious, but that's the point
-- almost all stories are told in three specific, delineated parts, or acts.
This doesn't mean you must have a three-act story, or even "characters." You do, however, need to think out the "action" of the short film before moving forward.Act 1 introduces the characters and a problem (they're hungry, the world is ending, boy has a crush on girl, etc.) Act 2 complicates the story/problem (All the stores are closed, the bad guy might win, the girl has a boyfriend already, etc.).
Act 3 provides resolution to the problem (they find a sandwich shop, they save the world, the boy meets another girl, etc.)
Before starting to animate, you need to know what your characters are going to look like.
Sketch them in a variety of poses, costumes, and expressions to get a feel for what they will look like.
Remember that a character can be anything in an animated film, from a bear to a pair of salt & pepper shakers.
Still, you want to develop your characters ahead of time so that they look consistent when you animate them., Storyboards are individual drawings for every bit of action in the script and are used in the production of almost every film
-- animated or otherwise.
They are both simple and comprehensive, as you need one for every change you want in the film.
They do not, however, need background detail or color, unless it is essential to the story.
You can find and print a variety of free storyboard templates online, or draw your own.
Each frame of the storyboard has two parts:
The Image:
In a rectangular box, draw the principal action of the shot, ignoring background images for now.
You can also draw notes or arrows to indicate movement.
The Dialogue.
Underneath the shot, write down what needs to be said in the shot, the proposed length of the shot, and any effects (zoom in, shaky camera, etc.), Once you have your shots planned out, import them into your computer.
Make sure to name them appropriately (Act1.Scene1.Shot1.jpg, for example).
When you're done, import them all into your film editing software (iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Final Cut Pro, Adobe AfterEffects, etc.) and put them in the correct order.Adobe AfterEffects or Premier are considered the industry standards, but you can use whatever program you are most comfortable with. , Animatics are the rough cuts of animation
-- they get the pace and rhythm of the short together and allow you to to get the timing right for your final short.
This sounds complicated, however, they are really just slideshows with proper timing.
Put the images of the storyboard in order on your editing software and extend, cut, and play with them until you have a "rough" cut of the final film.You can find examples of animatics online, like the animatic for the music video "Feel Good Inc." as well as some Pixar animatics.
Almost all animated movies are made into animatics first.
Otherwise you risk spending hours fully animating a scene that needs to change, get longer or shorter, or get deleted. , Once you have your rough timing down, it's time to pre-record the dialog.
This doesn't have to be perfect, and you can even fake the sound effects with your mouth and hands if you want.
What matters is the timing.
Do you have enough time in the "shot" to get all the words out? Extend or shorten the length of your slides as necessary.
The closer you can get the dialog to perfect, the better, as most good voice acting requires proper timing.
That said, now is not the time to worry about the finer details of voice acting.
You need to get your animatic together before moving on to full production. , The final animatic should tell the full story of your film, minus the trappings of color, backgrounds, and details.
If you are knowledgeable of video editing, you can add pans, zooms, and transitions right now to test them before your final editing. , Tablets are small computer pads that come with an electronic pen, allowing you to "draw" straight into your computer.
Drawing well with a mouse is nearly impossible, and unless you plan on small projects or stop-motion work, you will almost definitely need a tablet.
About the Author
Karen Simmons
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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