In the last decade, business and corporate organizations have turned to the use of animation videos to connect and interact with their target audience. Since the introduction of YouTube and other social media platforms in the online space, the demand for 2D animation videos has steadily increased.

There are two commonly used animation types all delivering different quality. 2D animation and Whiteboard animation. Whiteboard animations are better if there is more text involved in the video. A whiteboard background makes texts more visible than when 2D is used in largely texted videos. 2D animation videos are better when telling a story and they make the viewing experience all the more real with its multi-colored characters and customized backgrounds and settings. If you want to drive your business goals with the use of animation videos, you need to put in a lot of effort towards planning and organizing key elements of the animation.

Animation videos are different from videos showcasing human actors. Even with human actors in play, bad planning will lead to a bad production which may be counter-productive in the end. When making an animation video in 2D, having a clear message and inculcating that message into the script is very important if you want to connect and engage your viewers throughout the time when the video is played online. Below are a few helpful tips to guide you when making an online animation video in 2D.

Before rolling out the tips in this article, you fist need to answer these two important questions.

1. Who are your target audience?

Knowing who the target audience are will guide you in making a good visual piece. One way to do this is to adopt segmentation or classification. Children and adolescents will find certain videos boring that older teens and young adults will find interesting. Older people will relate better to videos that are more instructive. Identifying who your audience are is an essential first step to making good 2D animation videos.

2. What do you want to Project?

Having a clear agenda is another crucial element you need to be sure of. Do you want to talk about a problem and proffer a solution in the end by introducing a service or product? Or do you want to promote an idea and leave the viewer to arrive at an independent decision? Knowing what you wish to project will guide you when writing a script for the video.

With clear answers in mind regarding these two important questions, here are helpful tips you can adopt when making an animation video.

Regardless of the quality of your video graphics, if it is too long viewers will quickly lose interest and move unto something else. The world of the internet is a fast paced technological environment where there’s so much data to consume per seconds. People rarely spend too much time reading a text or watching a video and if they do, they want something of quality. With your video competing with other videos and texts on the internet you want to make sure that viewers see all you are putting out. 2D videos last between 60-90 seconds. Incorporating all you have to give into this timeframe is crucial. The shorter the video the better.

A good script makes a good video and a carefully worded message sells an idea. Writing a script and streamlining it with the graphics and message of the video will make viewers easily relate with what you are trying to project. If you lack the skills of writing, you may seek for professional help. A good script writer will write you a very good script you can use. When writing scripts for your animation video make sure that you do your research. Use words that are suitable and relate to the subject matter. Repetition of the same words may be necessary but make sure that they are used strategically so the message is not distorted.

Be flexible with words as well. You may want to use your video to explain a complex idea or product but the words you use don’t have to be rigid and as complex. There are simple everyday words that you can make use of. Using words and sentences that both lay people and knowledgeable people can understand is much better than using technical jargons that may screw up the senses of people who have limited or no knowledge at all regarding what you are talking about.

Graphics

When designing the graphics for the video pay close attention to the colors and background. You want your video to have eye catching graphics which is a good thing but you don’t want to lose sight of why you are making the video is the first place. A video that uses simple graphics to sell an idea that the viewer can understand is better than an elaborate one that misses the point.

Sound

You also need to use the right sounds. Many animation video producers use Yoda voices for their videos and while this works, it has become so common that it is beginning to lose value. For a professional output, use a professional speaker as this adds a human touch to the visuals and makes it more real.

To save yourself the stress and resources of producing the voice overs yourself, you can use quality voiceover service websites (Animaty works together with the great people of voicebooking.com) who produce high quality voiceovers in multiple languages. On such platforms, you can find a voice and intonation quality that will work just fine with your animation video. The quality of the music played in the background is also something to pay attention to. Using a soft and light sound is much better. A light background music will make the voice clear and will not distract your viewers from the essential point of the whole video which is THE MESSAGE.

When making a 2D video, focus of the issue at hand by using sentences and asking questions that provoke the thought process of whoever is watching it. The graphics, sound and script used should all be streamlined to achieve the overall goal of calling the viewer to action.

A good video is thought provoking and elicits an action from the viewer after watching it. If you take your time to plan you video well, you will produce a very good visual piece that will be worth watching.