Beginner tips to making a 2D Animated Film
Creating your first two-dimensional (2D) animated film is fun and easy if you know how to use a computer! Most people have a smartphone with enough space for an app or two, so creating your own flick using software such as Adobe Photoshop or GIMP is possible.
There are many free and paid apps that can help you create your movie quickly and easily. The best way to find one is by looking at examples of other films online. You do not need special skills to get started!
This article will go into more detail about some steps needed to start animating.
Plan your storyboard
A storyboard is like an index of scenes that make up your movie. You can actually create these scene by scene in a computer-generated film studio, or you can do it all by yourself using Photoshop or another similar drawing software.
In both cases, what you have to have first is a storyline. This is usually done through a plot line with different events leading up to a climax. The climax is when the movie draws its conclusion, or something important happens.
After this, you need to pick which scenes will go into making up each individual shot. These are called shots. Shots are just about anything in a movie that you want to see! For example, if the movie is about two people who love each other but cannot seem to trust each other, then there could be a conversation they have where they learn more about each other, or maybe a situation where one person tries to hurt the other. All of those would be separate shots.
From here, you take one of three routes: Traditional animation, stop motion, or claymation.
Make a script
A screenplay is a narrative story told in prose. It’s not like a movie, where there are characters and settings but no plot. With a screenwriting career, you will be writing about stories of both short and long length.
A short story can be one scene or several scenes. A longer story can be a few chapters or even a full-length novel. It all depends on what kind of film you want to make!
With that said, how to make an animated feature is by creating a script. You can use written form or oral format for your screenplay.
Whatever style you choose, just be sure to organize your thoughts into themes and examples and put them into proper sequence.
Theme
Storyline
Example: An example of a storyline would be About a girl who wants something more out of her life than she has now. She decides it's time to pursue her dreams and she does so with gusto.
Buy your equipment
A little budgeting upfront will save you money in the long run! Starting with a lower quality camera can totally take away the feel of your film, so make sure you are investing in your gear early on.
A great way to begin is by looking into online sellers such as Amazon or eBay. These sites have plenty of video production equipment for sale from cameras to lights to gels.
There are many websites that compare prices across different vendors, which helps ensure you’re getting a good deal. And don’t forget to look at seller reviews just like you would any other product!
Another option is to join filming clubs or associations. This not only gives you exposure to new technology, but also lots of tips and tricks for using and running your kit.
Practice filming
After you have designed your film, it’s time to practice shooting it! There are many ways to do this. You can use natural light or artificial light, hand held or tripod, close up shots or wide angle, still photos or video.
Whatever method you choose to start with, invest in good quality equipment so that you don’t have to keep buying new gear as your films progress. Also, be sure to learn how to use each piece of equipment effectively before moving onto the next one.
Some great starting points for learning about lighting are here: https://www.lightingbyjon.com/blog/5-ways-to-light-a-scene-like-a-pro/ and http://thephotographerbootcamp.org/. Both of these sites contain free content that could help you get started!
After all of that is done, it’s time to shoot some test footage! Take your pick - a short clip, a few minutes long, or even an extended movie if you like.
Now, what I mentioned earlier is important! Be creative with your settings and shoot from different angles and distances to add variety to your footage. Try experimenting with different shutter speeds too to create interesting motion blur or fluid effects.
Edit your film
After you have completed all of the other steps, the next step is editing! Depending on what format your movie was exported in, there are different ways to edit it. You can use Adobe Photoshop or similar software to do this.
For example, if your movie was saved as an MP4 file, then you can open that file in Windows Media Player or Google Chrome and start cutting pieces out. For instance, you could cut up any unnecessary music, advertisements, or credits.
After doing so, you can combine these segments into one longer video by using software such as Final Cut Pro or Sony Vegas.
Publish your film
After you create your movie, the next step is to actually make it public! Once you are done creating all of your scenes and animations, you can choose to either upload them directly onto a site like YouTube or Vimeo, or you can export your video as an MP4 file and host it yourself.
If you want to add some media such as music or graphics, you can do that later by editing the video’s properties in a software program like Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut pro.
Connect with influencers
One of the most important things when making an animated film is connecting with other creatives to help you reach your goal. You can do this by creating or joining a creative community, such as through social media sites like Instagram.
Influencer marketing is a very popular way to connect with people who have a large audience and may even offer their services to you if you need their support. It’s not too early to start looking for these opportunities!
By investing in into time outside of business hours, it becomes more accessible to you. Many people begin engaging in the holiday season, so think about that timing to find ones that are free from during winter break, spring break, etc.
If you’re already working on your project and want some extra inspiration or guidance, asking directly is another good option.
Market your film
After you have completed filming your movie, it is time to start marketing! While some may consider this step the most important, I disagree. Starting off with the market stage can be very difficult if you are not quite finished production.
By now you should have gathered enough money to make your project possible. So once it’s done, it's time to look for more funds! This is where many filmmakers get stuck because they think about all of the ways they could market their films and there’s just never enough money left over.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the possibilities at this stage so instead try looking into different types of media that your potential audience would be using to find content. For example, YouTube has almost limitless possibilities in terms of platform type and genre. There are also plenty of free tools available to create your own channel and promote yourself.