What is Animation Video Production?

Animation or animated video production includes the creation of computer generated 2D or 3D motion graphics, characters, and designs as well as hand-drawn animations and typography which are used to create the illusion of moving figures in movies and films. 

Animation is one of the most popular types of video content found on the internet and on television. Animated video production represents the creation of 2D/3D motion graphics, characters, and various hand-drawn animations as well as typographic animations which are used in films and videos.

These eye-catching designs which include everything from models and replicas to character drawings and imitated lands, are used to create a look, feel, and style that is unique to that film or video. 

Animations can be created from scratch or they may take on several characteristics that closely resemble real life.

One of the great things about animation video production or animated video production is that there are endless possibilities in what you can create unlike when standard, live-motion video production takes place where services have limitations bound by reality.

What is Animation?

Animation represents the creation of figures or scenes that are actually static images which are sequenced together in order to give the appearance of movement.

Through photographic sequencing of models, drawings, computer generated imagery (CGI), puppets, or various other elements, the illusion of movement, which represents animation, is created.

This illusion is the result of a succession of imagery that gradually changes over time to produce the appearance of movement. 

The Good Ol’ Days

Much of the animation we see today is computer-generated imagery or CGI, but this wasn’t always the case. Early animations were the result of hand drawn characters and scenes which were produced to create the movement illusion – think back to the flip books you may have created as a child or that you might recall from your childhood years.

These were created by drawing essentially the exact same element, over and over again, page-by-page, with very tiny changes made along the way. When you flipped the pages, and watched closely, the changes would blend together, to create the illusion (or animation) of your character or scene.

Types of Animated Video Production

Today, animated video production involves a variety of techniques that are widely used to create animated films and videos.

Common animation techniques include:

Celluloid Animation 

This is the hand-drawn animation that you may recall from early days in which frame-by-frame, drawing-by-drawing, the characters and backgrounds alter ever so slighting to produce the illusion of movement. This was the norm before computer generated imagery became commonplace.

2D Animation 

This includes vector-based animations which use basic key frames and drawings to create animations.

3D Animation 

This includes the Advanced effects that are created with complex computer software and CGI which digitally model characters and scenes to produce animated sequences.

Motion Graphics 

This includes the use of moving graphic elements, which may include text or logos, that are altered with software to produce movement or flow.

Stop Motion 

This is similar to traditional, hand-drawn animations, in that stop-motion includes the use of clay models which are carefully manipulated to produce movement on film. You might recognize stop motion from films like Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas. 

Animation Video Production Process

The animation video production process includes a variety of steps and techniques depending on the style and type of animation that will be used.

Much like producing live-action films, animated videos require pre-production planning that will include research and briefing to bring the production team up to date on the intended features and elements of the animated film.

Plan the Story

A script is written to outline the critical elements of the story. Depending again on the animation, the script could be incredibly detailed or it may be quite simple. Concept development also takes place at this time during pre-production and includes hammering out ideas and plans for the animation elements.

Most animations really begin to come together with the storyboard which will outline all of the important characters and scenes that will play out. The storyboard is essentially the rough draft of the animation and includes a step-by-step, scene-by-scene play of the story.

A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

The illustrations or visuals are then planned. This can include text, characters, backgrounds, and other elements. If stop-motion is planned, the creation of each scene begins to unfold at this time and the development of individual clay characters and other elements that will be used throughout the film will now take place.

Once the animations are captured on film, voice overs are incorporated in. This is the process of having actors create the sound for the animated film. Finally, the last stage of animated video production is to put all of these pieces together.

The animation is created by sequencing together the visuals and the sounds that were created in the production process so that there is a single, unified visual that shows the animated characters and scenes moving along with the appropriate voice over and sound. 

For more information on animation video production, give Beverly Boy Productions a call at 888-462-7808!