What tips can help you write for different age groups in animation?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing, you need to do some research on your intended age group. What are their likes and dislikes, their fears and hopes, their values and beliefs? What kind of stories appeal to them, and what kind of characters do they relate to? How much complexity and nuance can they handle, and how much guidance and clarity do they need? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your content, language, and humor to their level and taste.

2 Choose your genre and format

Different age groups may have different preferences for the genre and format of your animation. For example, younger children may enjoy more episodic, educational, and musical animations, while older children and teens may prefer more serialized, adventurous, and dramatic animations. You also need to decide on the length, pace, and tone of your animation, depending on the attention span, mood, and expectations of your audience. For example, you may opt for shorter, faster, and lighter animations for preschoolers, and longer, slower, and darker animations for adolescents.

3 Develop your characters and themes

Your characters and themes are the heart and soul of your animation. You need to create characters that are believable, relatable, and appealing to your age group, as well as themes that are relevant, meaningful, and inspiring to them. You also need to balance the complexity and diversity of your characters and themes, depending on the cognitive and emotional development of your audience. For example, younger children may need more simple, clear, and positive characters and themes, while older children and teens may appreciate more complex, ambiguous, and challenging characters and themes.

4 Write your dialogue and narration

Your dialogue and narration are the voice and personality of your animation. You need to write dialogue and narration that are natural, engaging, and appropriate for your age group, as well as consistent with your characters and themes. You also need to adapt the vocabulary, grammar, and style of your dialogue and narration, depending on the linguistic and cultural competence of your audience. For example, younger children may need more simple, direct, and expressive dialogue and narration, while older children and teens may enjoy more sophisticated, subtle, and ironic dialogue and narration.

5 Use visual and sound cues

Animation is a visual and auditory medium, so you need to use visual and sound cues to enhance your story and communicate with your audience. You need to use visual and sound cues that are attractive, effective, and suitable for your age group, as well as complementary to your genre and format. You also need to vary the intensity and frequency of your visual and sound cues, depending on the sensory and emotional sensitivity of your audience. For example, younger children may need more bright, colorful, and cheerful visual and sound cues, while older children and teens may respond to more dark, realistic, and dramatic visual and sound cues.

6 Test and revise your script

Finally, you need to test and revise your script before you finalize it. You need to test your script with your target age group, as well as with experts, peers, and feedback platforms. You need to ask for honest, constructive, and specific feedback on your script, and be open to suggestions and improvements. You also need to revise your script based on the feedback, and make sure that it meets the expectations, needs, and interests of your audience, as well as the standards and goals of your animation project.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?