WRITING FOR ANIMATION

The question of whether writing an animation script differs from writing live-action script come up quite often, and the answer is simple. It differs. Even though not in structure, there are some aspects of writing that demand more attention in animation script writing and that’s because animation is a more visually driven storytelling medium. 

One of the most crucial aspects is the rich and precise descriptive writing. Rich, because every visual detail is required and must be well articulated. Precise, because it must eliminate ambiguity and present a clear picture for the animator to work with in every scene. This requires you to think in pictures and replicate it in your writing. For instance, as a substitute for writing “Pinky got scared when he saw Brain,” you can write “Pinky’s eyes grew wide, he tiptoes backwards, shaking as Brain stands tall above him with a cold, dead stare.” This would immediately create a picture in the mind of the animator to work with. Another crucial aspect is exaggerated movements. This is one of the eye-candies of animated storytelling. Here, writers have the liberty to go beyond the limits because they are not grounded in realism like live-action. Exaggeration brings the fun to animation, adding energy, humour and emotion to enhance and give live to the visual rhythm of the storytelling, just like we have seen in animated stories like Iwaju and Anthill’s Corona public service announcement animation video. Writers must learn to always get it right with this aspect in order to nail their writing. It is also important to note that apart from the dialogue, rich and precise descriptions, as well as exaggerated expressions help the animator to portray the emotions of the animated characters appropriately.

In a nutshell, writing for animation necessitate a greater commitment to visual detail and a melodramatic approach where needed. Using words to create vivid images that animators can bring to life is more important than simply writing dialogues. It is crucial to master this craft as a writer in the animation field.