How to create great animated videos: Tips & tricks

Have you ever had a point to make or a message to get across to a larger audience, only to find out that this can be quite a difficult task, especially if you are trying to do it via a textual medium?

The answer to this question is undoubtedly affirmative, since running a business basically means that you’ll always have a message and a point to get across. Are you now trying to figure out what kind of content could be more successful in helping you make that point and have it reach a larger audience? Read on to find a few suggestions on how to make great animated videos that will work for you!

I have a suggestion to make. Why not use video? It is dynamic instead of static, it can be quite fun and engaging and, most importantly, it will undeniably grab your audience’s attention and thus help you tell them everything that you have been planning to without worrying that they’ll quit listening half-way through. Now, traditional videos with actors and things like those can be quite difficult to create and, the worst part is, making changes to it is pretty much impossible afterward, even if you are the star of your own video and you have no other actors that you’d need to pay.

This is why I have another suggestion as well. Basically, you can do the very same thing, i.e. create a video, but without going through the trouble with the actors and without worrying about doing everything perfectly the first time since changing things can be a pain in the neck. On top of that, this type of video could be even more interesting to your audience since it doesn’t feature real people, but animations that can consist of basically everything. So, if you want a flying elephant to be the star of your video, you can get it without any trouble. Try doing that with traditional videos!

Animations to the rescue

The particular type I am referring to here, i.e. the video that can make a flying elephant a star if that’s what your business needs is called an animated whiteboard video. Your business can really benefit from this technique, since it’s not only quite cost-effective but also extremely interesting and engaging, meaning that people are usually hooked on it from the very first second. I mean, who wouldn’t be hooked on a flying elephant, am I right?

Enough about elephants, though, since you might start thinking that those are the only things that you can actually draw on these whiteboards when the reality is quite different. To say it simply, you can draw whatever you want. There is, however, a little catch here. Nobody can guarantee you that what you’ll draw will be able to grasp your audience’s interest, which means that you will have to put in some effort into finding out what it is that actually works with your audience and what it is that makes them stare and watch a video up until the very end.

Once you figure that out, you’ll need to focus on learning how to make the most perfect video that your target audience won’t be able to resist. Of course, there are certain elements that should be a part of every single whiteboard animated video. People have done a lot of research on this and they have managed to pinpoint some of those common elements, which is a pretty great thing since it will make your job quite easier.

Now, if this is your first time trying to create animated videos, you will definitely feel that you have a lot on your plate. Well, that’s because you most definitely have a lot on your plate because you want things to be perfect. No matter how simple these videos look in the end, the truth is that a lot of effort needs to be put into them in order for the message to get across successfully and in order for the audience to be entertained. So, below I’ll give you some tips on what it is that you should do if you plan on creating the perfect whiteboard video and those tips will also cover some of those common elements which I have mentioned above and which need to be in your video.

1. Find the perfect software

I don’t know if you were aware of this to begin with, but you will need to find yourself the perfect piece of software if you want to ensure that the animated videos you create will be professional and of high quality. Now, here’s the trick. Not every single piece of software will work towards helping you achieve that, which basically means that you will need to put in some effort into finding the perfect one for you. This goes both for creating explainer videos and any other whiteboard animations that you might need.

Speaking of explainer videos, you should learn more about their importance: https://medium.com/@kishor.magvindigipro/importance-of-whiteboard-animation-explainer-videos-for-your-business-e6066863e49e

How can you, though, ensure that the software you are choosing is the perfect one? Well, in few words, you’ll need to do a lot of research. This includes researching the actual piece of software and its features, as well as researching the company that’s selling it and its reputation. Fortunately, you will be able to find all the information you need online, meaning that you won’t have a hard time doing the necessary research.

2. Don’t forget the drawing hand

The drawing hand is most certainly one of the basic elements that need to be present in a whiteboard video, so don’t forget to add it. Sure, the whole drawing is created digitally and it just might seem that the hand is redundant, but there’s something about it that makes the whole animation even more interesting, which is why you shouldn’t ignore this tip. Nobody can stop you from not taking the advice, but I suggest you do some research on why this might actually be necessary before saying no to it.

3. The background is white

This is another one of those basic elements that I have briefly mentioned above. Given the whole name of this process, i.e. “creating a whiteboard video”, it should be pretty clear to everyone that the background should be white. Yet, there might be some individuals who’ll try to spice things up and change the colors, which will probably result in less effective animated videos, so do yourself a favor and don’t experiment with the background. Simplicity is in. You can, however, change it in some rare cases, if it is absolutely relevant for the story.

4. Interconnected drawings

Here’s another element that you definitely don’t want to take for granted. Let’s say you are making an explainer video which can, as you can read in this article, be quite useful for your overall marketing strategy. The point here is to help your audience understand something and in order to do that, you’ll need to keep them engaged and interested in what it is that you are doing. The best way to do that is by doing interconnected drawings that will basically bring the whole animation to life and keep your viewers hooked and on pins and needles, eager to see what happens next.

5. A story is a must

This could perhaps have been included in the previous tip, but I believe that it deserves some more attention than that. Let me be perfectly clear and perfectly honest here. If your whiteboard video doesn’t have a great story inside, it will most likely be a huge flop and nobody will be pleased with it. After all, you cannot expect people to stay interested and focused while staring at one random drawing after another. On top of that, you will have to ensure that the story is compelling and captivating because nobody wants to spend their time watching boring animated videos. So, keep in mind that the story is what makes or breaks this whole video.

6. Stir up emotions

As you most certainly already know, emotions are a huge part of marketing and you need to incite them in your audience in order to get any kind of response. With whiteboard videos, you will get the opportunity to create any kind of a story that you can possibly think of, meaning that you’ll be able to create something that can stir up and influence people’s emotions. That will ultimately lead to people identifying with the message that you are sending and thus quite possibly with your brand, which further leads to gaining new customers and strengthening your relationships with existing ones. Just try to strike the right cord.

7. Practice your script out loud beforehand

Whiteboard animated videos are usually followed by a narrative and that’s something that you will need to write and read. Before you start recording, though, you should read the script that you have written out loud and check whether it sounds natural or not. Remember, you want it to sound as natural as possible, so make sure to rewrite it a few times if you feel it’s necessary. Reading it out loud will definitely help you decide if that’s necessary.