We have a Guest Post today from journalist and writer, Marianna Keen, writing for us from Qudos Animation Studios (www.qudos-animations.co.uk) in London.

I hope this brief analysis of some fantastic animations has helped you come up with some creative scriptwriting ideas.

Wishing you all the best!

Billy’s Balloon

Billy’s Balloon by Don Hertzfeldt is an extremely simplistic 2D animation, yet it has a strong impact on the viewer. 

This film is a great reminder that even a film with no narrative can be engaging.

Content that generates emotion can engage and retain an audience. This video shows that this can even be done with stick men and minimalist images.

Simplicity in animation design can often be more effective when the concept is strong or complex. This is important to consider in all stages, including creation of story ideas, storyboard and script.

Viewers will likely have differing reactions to Billy’s Balloon, ranging from humour to disgust. It reminds you to take into consideration your target audience when writing script for animated film.

Billy’s Balloon initially appears innocent from its cute animations, but the strange concept soon becomes clear. Some viewers will be hooked, eager to see what comes next, whilst others may feel uncomfortable.

When you opt for a shocking concept, there will of course be a risk of this. Either way, it is memorable.

There are some profound messages you could take away from this animation, whether intended or not. Hinting and insinuating a point is another thing to consider achieving with your animation. This can often inspire more thought than a film with obvious messages.

Fantastic Planet

This film remains an inspiring animated film even many years after its production. Fantastic Planet was made in 1973 by René Laloux, and it is a classic landmark for animation for a few reasons.

A political allegory runs throughout the film, presenting a dystopia similar to that in Orwell’s 1984. Strong messages are presented by the story, which is informative, entertaining and ironic.

When creating your script, you may want to consider basing it on a real life scenario. This could make it more engaging and if it hits some thought-provoking points it can make a huge impact.

Another aspect that makes Fantastic Planet so memorable is its quirkiness and strange characters. 

When writing script it is important to consider your characters and the story in unison, so as to effectively engage your audience. 

There is so much to consider, from character personalities, images and animation technique to using these to present your desired message. This film presents these in a flowing and intriguing way.

Frozen

In addition to offering an engaging fantasy storyline, Disney’s Frozen applies computer generated imagery to create hugely fun and relatable characters.

This film is a great example of an adventurous and captivating animation with ethical messages. It is one of few modern commercial animations that passed the Bechdel test for gender bias.

The messages that a film sends out are very important to consider throughout the script writing process.

These messages will of course depend on whether the animation is for children or adults; though, either way, a moral stance is something that needs to be set. This will help you to form a story, and will also help to maintain consistency.

An animation is often more powerful when viewers can relate to characters in the story. The great thing with this animation is that the female characters present a positive image to young girls who watch it. The cute snowman, Olaf, also conveys encouraging messages while making the film funny.

Have a good think about the audience for your animation, as this will influence not just the images and style of your animation, but also the language used and underlying messages conveyed.

Verto Developments Group Marketing Video

If you wish to educate or provoke an action with your animation, then you should ensure your script is motivational. This can be achieved in many ways, including by presenting detailed facts about a topic, or by offering a simple and engaging story.

This animated marketing video combines an engaging concept with detailed information about the importance of energy efficiency. It also provides information about Verto Developments Group in a professional way that garners trust.

The video has a broad appeal, using interesting information, humour and relatable characters to keep viewers engaged.

Keeping viewers captivated is important in any animation, and for an educational or marketing video this can mean the difference between success and failure. 

Remember that even when informing an audience you can be innovative, imaginative and generate emotion. This can ensure the best chances of being memorable and inspiring conversions.

Wallace and Gromit

This stop motion animation by Nick Park is a great reminder of the many techniques to bear in mind when writing script for animation.

Considering your medium is important at the best of times, but when an intricate method like stop motion is in question then this is critical.

Drawing up the storyboard, documenting camera angles, developing sequences and creating characters will be impacted by your knowledge of the technique being used. 

Wallace and Gromit provides a fantastic mix of complex modelled figures and impressive animation technique. This is not to mention the imaginative storyline injected with hilarious moments throughout.

There are so many levels to this animated film and it offers valuable lessons for script writing in any animation medium.