How To Easily Produce Animated Videos That Will Get You More Shares and Conversions In 9 Steps

This is the intro and outline for an online course currently under development. Please send any feedback to: [email protected] for a complementary tuition waiver to the completed course.

COURSE INTRO and OUTLINE

Hey Digital Marketers:

• Ever frustrated that you're not really standing out from the crowd?
• Are you not sure your message is really getting across?
• Afraid that truly effective video content is just out of your reach?

Hi, I’m Animated Eric.

I’m here to let you know that animated videos are a powerful way to get your message across. They’re universally appealing, easy to understand, and people remember them.

We comprehend information better when it’s simplified. From hieroglyphics to memes, words and images are more powerful together. Animation has a way of enchanting us and creating a lasting impression.

I have been a digital expert for over 17 years now. I have consulted on digital marketing for some of the biggest brands around including Starbuck's, Acuvue, Clairol, Ubisoft and many others in just the past year. I hold a Master's Degree in Experience Design from Regis University and have taught at Naropa University and Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design. My design team won a Silver Award at The Denver Art Director's Club - One Show in 2017 for our Clarol marketing campaign. I have donated pro-bono guidance to dozens of humanitarian causes and political initiatives.

This online workshop will get your animated videos more shares and conversions by:

1. Providing a universally captivating medium that folks can easily relate to and share. 

2. Producing an emotional connection which generates audience trust and enthusiasm. 

3. Getting your value across simply, effectively and memorably so folks take action.

Section A: WRITING YOUR SCRIPT 

Step 1: Define your challenge, goal and common ground.

What is your challenge and goal?

• What is your biggest challenge right now?
• What does success look like?
• What can get you there?

What is your viewer’s challenge and goal?

• What is your viewer’s biggest challenge right now?
• What does their success look like?
• What can get them there?

Where is your common ground?

• Where is the area of mutual success?
• How can you present your solution as overcoming their challenge?
• What actions does your viewer need to take to get there?

Step 2: Craft Your Story Arc From Challenge Through Solution To Action.

Illustrate Their Challenge

• What is the viewer’s emotional challenge?
• What is their procedural challenge?
• How can you establish that you really know and care about their challenge?

Sell Your Solution

• How can you clearly convey the main benefit of your solution?
• How can make your viewer’s feel the emotional benefit of your solution?
• How can you make its value obvious?

Call To Action

• Position your call to action as the story resolution
• Link resolution to your call to action: ("join the movement”) 
• Is the call to action immediately actionable? (button, link, etc)

Step 3: Write The Beats

Beginning: Hook

• Get their attention with a hook that recognizes their need
• Establish your value in the first 10 seconds
• Keep your viewer’s attention moving forward

Middle: Body

• Clearly convey your value proposition
• Generate the emotional peak of empathy with your viewer’s challenge
• Provide resolution

End: Call To Action

• Make your call to action part of the story
• Make your call to action easy
• Make your call to action something that will stick

Tips for completing your script more successfully: Emotion is key. Make it flow

Warnings about writing your script. Keep it simple. Less is more.

Recap: 1. Define your challenge/goal 2. Find Your Arc 3. Write The Beats

Section B: CREATING YOUR STORYBOARD

Step 4: Inspire Your Mood

Evoke Your Emotions

• Do we move away from a negative or towards a positive?
• What is the mood in the beginning?
• What is the mood at the end?

Establish Your Theme

• What visual style is it?
• What is the maturity and comprehension level?
• What thematic associations does it leverage socially?

Color Your Feelings

• Light or dark value key?
• What are your color palettes and harmonies?
• Bright or dull saturation of colors?

Step 5: Set Your Scenes

Background

• What environments does your story take place in?
• How many backgrounds do you need?
• What are your reference images or visual assets?

Objects

• What objects will be in your scenes?
• How many objects you will need?
• What are your reference images or visual assets?

Actors

• What actors will be in your scenes?
• What do your actors look like?
• What are your reference images or visual assets?

Step 6: Sell Your Story

Set Up Your Storyboard

• Make a deck.
• What format will you use?
• How many scenes?

Create The Art That Suits You

You can select art in the style you like from reference images

• You can draw it by hand from stick figures to full cartoons.
• You can create the full visual assets for final production-ready art.

Add All The Elements From Your Script

• Add the verbal scene description above each storyboard frame.
• Add the spoken dialogue and on-screen-text in quotes directly below each storyboard frame.
• Add all motion and sound effect directions below the dialogue.

Tips for completing your art and storyboard more successfully: Consistency. Simplicity. 

Warnings about creating your art and storyboard: Avoid complexity. Stick to a color scheme.

Recap: 1. Set The Scene, 2. Create Your Hero, 3. Sell Your Story

Section C: PRODUCING YOUR ANIMATION

Step 7: To Do It Yourself or Have It Done For You (or Both)?

Are You A Loner, A Joiner, or In-Between?

Do it yourself

• Pros: it is low cost and you have have full control.
• Cons: the outcome is unknown and it takes a lot of time.
• Done for you
• Pros: it is professional quality with known results.
• Cons: it requires an investment and requires collaboration.

Hybrid

• Pros: it a good value and versatile production framework.
• Cons: it risks gaps in process and overall continuity.
• You Can Do It Yourself
• If you want to. It takes enthusiasm.
• If you are confident you can finish. It takes perseverance.
• If you trust your ability to figure out the technical aspects of getting it done.

You Can Have It Done For You

• If you don’t want to. It feels good to delegate.
• If you don’t want to waste time finding out if you can and fail.
• If you trust your ability to select and work with experts who can deliver. 

Step 8: How To Do It Yourself

Slide Show To Video Process

• Google Slides lets you animate slide shows with audio for a simple presentation video.
• Explain procedure steps.
• Add Screenshots of procedure.

Ken Burns Effect

• The video editors on most computers will let you set simple motion pans on still images to create impressive documentary effects.
• Procedure steps.
• Screenshots of procedure.

Do It Yourself Software Services

• Various cloud-based video editors exist that offer templates to customize. Moovely, etc
• Procedure steps.
• Screenshots of procedure.

Step 9: How To Get It Done For You 

How To Find a Freelancer

• Using freelancer bid platforms.
• Finding referrals for freelancers.
• Identifying qualified students for freelance projects.

How To Retain an Agency

• Researching the capabilities and specialities of the agency
• Determining the full cost of working with the agency
• Finding honest client reviews and testimonials

How To Retain An Expert Consultant

• Find an expert who provides value by showing immediate ways to resolve your challenge.
• Find an expert who understands your challenge and has improved it for others.
• Find an expert who you like and trust that shares your values.

Tips for completing producing your own animation more successfully:

Do as much as you can yourself

Warnings about producing your own animation more successfully:

Don’t give up. Get help when you need it. 

I'd love any feedback you'd like to share.

Please send me a message now: [email protected]