Here at Studio Giggle we spend a lot of time scripting to ensure that our animation and films are the best.
Here are 10 tips for writing an animation script
1. Keep it short
How short? Well consider your audience.
If they are captive and have to watch it as part of training/ presentation, then you can go a little longer.
If they are just popping onto your site, or watching it on social media, then go for 90 secs.
2. Read your script aloud
Don’t just race through it, read at the tone you’d like the voiceover to do it. The more technical the script, the slower your pace should be to allow your audience to absorb the information. Timing yourself with the stopwatch on your phone is good, or you can test the length of your script here. Reading it aloud will uncover any tongue twisters – if it doesn’t sound right to speak it certainly won’t sound nice to hear.
3. Focus on your message
Write out what your message is first and go from there. Get to the crux of the matter in the first 30 seconds.
4. Be concise
With every line be very strict on removing repetition and keep asking yourself “who cares?” as you analyse each line. Don’t waffle, cut anything out that doesn’t need to be there.
5. Find the right tone
Use short simple sentences and remember that speech is more colloquial than text. The general tone should be simple and conversational, but remember that it must reflect your brand voice. As our name suggests we love to inject humour in, but never shoehorn in-jokes or puns to something that’s serious. It’s more effective to rely on your visuals for humour and a good voiceover artist will find the right, upbeat cadence that keep things light.
6. Think about narrative
The usual flow is Problem > Solution > Explanation/detail > Call to action.
Don’t spend too much time on the problem though. Your script should be positive and focus on your product.
7. Don’t underestimate the script
It’s vital, it’s the backbone on which the whole film rests. If you’re concerned get Studio Giggle to write it for you, we’ve written hundreds and all we need is some reference materials to get us going.
8. Get feedback
A fresh pair of ears could be just what you need. Read your script to someone and they can act as your audience. Anticipate your viewers questions, and answer them in the script.
9. Make the most of your visuals
You have animation to work with, our brains process videos 60,000 times faster than text so make the most of this, particularly with graphs and figures where charts are much nicer to look at.
10. Keep it simple
Avoid jargon and unnecessarily complex words. This is particularly important with tricky subjects like finance and law. There is a handy resource here, for choosing simpler words: https://www.plainenglish.co.uk/the-a-z-of-alternative-words.html
If you are interested in creating an animation or film, contact us by emailing jon@studiogiggle.co.uk
