How Long Does It Take To Make An Animated Short Film

Creating your first animated short film is a fun way to learn new skills and launch your creative career. There are many ways to start off creating videos of this length, so it does not matter how you feel about drawing or animation before starting, there is no wrong way to begin!

Making an animatic is a great way to get some practice making introductions, scenes, and conclusions for your films. The term ‘animatic’ comes from the word cartoon, due to its resemblance in style.

A lot of people create their own animatics using software like Adobe After Effects, which has a feature that allows you to make frame-by-frame animations. These can then be reinserted into the final movie as a scene (or several scenes).

Fund your film

Once you have determined that you want to make your own animated short, the next step is to fund it! There are many ways to do this, but most of them include creating a business plan or investing in pre-production costs such as filming equipment or software licenses.

By having a budget, you will know what things can be expensive and how much money you need to spend to create your movie!

Some additional tips if you’re looking to launch a career in animation: The more media courses you take, the better. Courses like Photoshop, Flash, and/or 3D design can all help you develop your skills as an animator. Taking screenwriting classes also helps you prepare for the future of storytelling.

Animated shorts are a very popular way to start developing your craft so don’t feel too overwhelmed just because others have done it before you! But by being prepared, you will give yourself a good base to work from.

Write a script

Now comes the hard part- actually writing your screenplay! While it’s true that you don’t need a huge amount of pages to make a feature film, you do need enough pages to tell your story effectively, so look for a balance between having enough material to create interest and then fleshing out more as the movie progresses.

That said, there are some general rules about how long each scene should be. A common rule is to have one minute per every ten feet of screen time. So if your two-hour short has eight scenes, your final draft will have at least eight minutes of real content in each scene!

If you’re ever struggling to brainstorm ideas, try coming up with something unrelated (like “My life as a dog” or “Something funny I once did”) and see what stories you can develop from it.

Exterior shots

Another important part of any animated short film is its exterior or location settings. These can range from having your character enter a room, to shooting outside where the scene takes place, to traveling through space or time.

In fact, most shorts feature at least one extended sequence that covers longer distances. This is because it is cost effective to do so, and you get the feel of “going fast” by going very quickly!

Many people start creating animations when they are young, and as such, there are many aspiring filmmakers out there with their first few stories under their belts.

With technology these days, anyone can create a movie-length animation, even if you have never drawn or painted anything in your life. You just need a computer and software capable of producing quality images.

Some of the more expensive software cannot be used for filmmaking purposes, but there are ways to work around this. There are plenty of free alternatives however, which can give you similar results.

Interior scenes

Another important element of any animated short film is interior settings. These are situations where the characters do not necessarily exist in or interact with the surrounding environment, but are shown as they talk among themselves or think about something.

Interior settings can be anything from having one character sit down at their desk and get work done, to having them have a conversation, to them breaking away to have a private discussion.

These types of shots are very expensive due to the fact that special effects such as green screens or CGI are needed to create them. Therefore, most studios don’t even try to afford it unless the movie has a really large budget.

However, you don’t need much money to make your own! You can easily create some super cool interior setting animations by using photography or video as a background.

Try to get funding

After creating your concept, it’s time to look for some capital to make your film! This is probably one of the most difficult things about making an animated short movie because almost every genre has its own specific funding sources.

General production funds are very hard to come by unless you already have a large audience or successful track record. That being said, there are many ways to approach fundraising.

You can try approaching individual foundations or investors directly, but that takes a lot of effort and energy out of the process. Or you can find groups of people with similar interests and ask if anyone knows any contacts in the industry who might be able to help you.

Produce your film

After creating a script, next is production! This means finding the resources to make the movie you want to make. These can include filming locations, props, creative designs, and more.

Your producer will help manage this process. They will also help handle collaborations such as with other departments (such as art, sound, etc.).

Filming typically takes around six months, so be prepared for that length of time. Budgeting is another important part of the process, making sure there are enough funds to cover all of these times.

Some studios offer funding opportunities, which is great because it saves money in the long run! There are many ways to get extra funding, including through contests, crowdfunding, and personal connections.

Market your film

After creating your story, animating it, editing it, and recording or writing the soundtrack, now is the time to market yourself as an artist!

If you’re looking to launch your career in animation, this is the most important thing to do next. Once people see your work, they will begin discussing how talented you are, and that can inspire others to connect with you.

General feedback comes from peers, other artists, and social media sites like Instagram. People who have done business with creators may also offer tips.

By being active on all these platforms, you’ll be exposing your talent to many different audiences which is very valuable for your art and business growth.

It’s always great to meet other creatives so feel free to add them to your circle of friends on apps such as LinkedIn.

Get feedback

After you have your script finished, it is time to get some feedback! While there are many ways to gain inspiration for your film, one of the most important things to do as you begin production is ask people for their input.

There are several different types of professionals that can give you great tips. This includes other writers, artists, and directors who may or may not be involved in the filmmaking process later.

Some of these individuals could even help you produce your movie! By asking around, you will find out if anyone has any helpful information about the industry.

These experts can include others in the animation field such as producers, line editors, VFX companies, etc. They may know of someone else with experience making animated shorts so they can offer you their advice and guidance.