Creating your perfect script
Wherever you are in your planning process, we can help you create the perfect script for your animation.
Whether you provide us with a polished draft, a list of bullet points, or even a room full of people with wildly different opinions – our trained writers are here to help you uncover your main objectives and key messages to create a script that works seamlessly alongside the visual elements of your film.
What is a scripting workshop?
Not sure where to begin? Perhaps a scripting workshop can help.
In this facilitated face-to-face meeting, your project manager, scriptwriter and artist will come to you to brainstorm ideas and make a plan for your script.
During the workshop, we will create a wall of visual minutes to help you understand your audience and clarify what you want them to know, think and feel as the credits roll.
Writing your script
CC Animation Studio’s creative director, Dann Casswell, is a BBC-trained scriptwriter and speechwriter. Here, he lays out the basics of writing a script for your animation.
1) What do we want to achieve with this animation?
This is the first and most important thing to ask yourself. Write it down, memorise it and keep coming back to it whenever you have a scripting decision to make.
2) Who is our target audience?
You may think that your target audience is everyone.
It isn’t.
For example, it probably doesn’t include nine-year-old boys who are only interested in dinosaurs… (unless, of course, it does…).
To narrow down your prospective audience, think realistically about who would choose to watch your animation and why.
Then think about the kind of person whose mind you most want to change. Think about their level of education and use of language, but, more importantly, think about what they already know about the subject. What are they worried about? What might they have the wrong idea about? What are they hoping for?
Then think about what you want them to know, think and feel as the credits roll.
To help you cover all these points, we’ve created a free Pre-scripting Worksheet for you to download and print. This worksheet will help you to create a solid focus for your script.
Timing is everything!
All animations created by CC Animation Studio are 135–140 words per minute. You may think this is quite slow. However, although people speak at around three words per second, animations need additional time for images to resolve and to be taken in by the viewer.
TOP TIP: Make sure you give as much detail as possible in the ‘What we want them to know’ section – we can always put extra information onscreen if it’s too long for the voiceover
The basic structure of your script
These are the three principles of spoken-word rhetoric, as laid down by Aristotle:
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A bit of information about who is speaking and something that qualifies them to speak on the subject to add authority to their argument.
For example: 'We have been writing and making explainer animations since 2006 ...'
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How does one point lead to the next? Can you see the journey the audience has taken to get to the final point?
When you are ordering this section, think about what the simplest piece of information is – this should go first.
Which information requires prior knowledge in order to be understood? This should go last. Often, chronological order is best as people understand and are familiar with it.
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The end of the document should appeal to the heart of the viewer.
We have told them who we are, what the problem is and its possible solutions. Now we tell them why they should care about it and why they should remember what we have been talking about. Finally, we should inspire them to take the action that we've prescribed.
We hope our tips and free worksheet help you to get started on writing your script!
Don’t forget, help with scriptwriting is included with all our animation packages
Give your project manager a call if you need advice or assistance.
