How to make an animated video effortlessly

November 11, 2021
Contents

This may sound like a complex job to do and you might not know where or how to start at all. In all honesty,  to make an animated video isn’t that tough after all. In this article, we will be covering the essentials that you need to know,  walk you through the process of making an animated video from scratch. For those who are lost out there, you are not alone.

Types of animated videos you can create

Animated marketing videos

With animated marketing videos, you can story tell your new products or services through a fun and engaging way.  End of the day, you would want to convey your marketing message across to your users successfully. If you decide to  create an animated marketing video, you should make it less complex and your marketing message should be simple and clear.

by OFFEO

Animated Infographic videos

If you already have an existing infographic created for your company, make use of the existing assets from that infographic and upload them as custom graphics into your animation maker. Animate those graphics by adding animations and transitions and this would save you plenty of time to work on other stuff. However, you should take note to never congest and cramp lots of graphics in a single scene or frame.

by Weerlig Studio

Animated video intros

by OFFEO

Most professional youtube channels if you notice, would have their own custom animated video intros before each video begins. By spending a bit more time and effort to create the perfect animated video intros, you can repurpose them for every video you are uploading to create consistency and that familiarity that viewers like and would get used to over a period of time.

Educational videos

We are also seeing animated educational videos these days. The purpose of creating an educational video is to give people more reasons, let them know why they should get your product or services. Usually most institutions or government sectors are the ones posting educational videos on “steps to be taken” and “what to do” videos. These videos do not have loud graphics that are in your face, and they should be subtle. It is ultimately, to create awareness and education for the viewers.

Explanation videos

Explanation videos work well if you are doing a product launch or if you have a new service that requires a bit of an explanation to get your customers to understand how your new product works. Explanation video will very much do the talking for you and explain the procedures and steps on how to complete a task or upon purchase of your product, how can they make use of it. The idea here is to keep it short and concise, because viewers would most probably want bite-sized information rather than a documentary of your product.

and the list goes on….

Step by Step Guide: Making your very own customized animated video

1st step: Know your viewers well

In order to create a meaningful video that would be relevant for the intended viewers. First you have to know them. Make use of past existing data you have, you should have personas and demographics of your audience. If they are the millennials, for instance who are between the age of 22 – 38 years old, you should identify some of the following:

  • How are they spending most of their leisure time?
  • What are the current popular trends that would excite them?
  • What style of messaging do they resonate with?
  • Which apps do they spend most of their free time on?
  • What kind of videos are they watching?

After establishing the above few points (which are just some points you should take note of. there may be more), you can begin the creation of your animated videos.

2nd step: Create animated videos for specific social media apps to cater to your target audience

It would make sense for you to create and post your animation or animated video on platforms that your target audience are spending most of their free time at. If most of them are spending their free time watching Youtube videos, then Youtube should be your platform to post your video at. If they are browsing through Instagram stories after stories, then you should create short animated stories to post on your Instagram account.

3rd step: Coming up with a storyboard

Having a well thought out storyboard will only do you good. Sell the idea and give your customers more reasons to use your products. Come up with real-life related issues or scenarios, convey your marketing message through a powerful and yet compelling storytelling video. To top it off, if there are animations in the video, it would make you stand out further and increase engagements with your customers. In short, you have to have a purpose when you create any animation video, do not create one just for the sake of creating or because all your competitors are having it, so you need to have one as well.

4th step: Identifying the style of the video

The style of the video plays a big part for your viewers as it influences and sets the first impressions for your viewers.

  • Do you want it to be in a vlog style where you are filming yourself?
  • Do you want it to be a 2D or 3D animated?
  • Do you want it to just be typography animated?
  • Do you want it to be a whiteboard style which is very informational?
  • Or do you want your very own custom motion graphics?

Knowing your audience well and after seeing what type of content do they reshare or post frequently, you would have a rough idea which style your video should be. It also depends on the theme or campaign of your video as well. If you are promoting healthcare, it should not be too casual as people take their health seriously. If you are promoting an esports competition, you are able to make it less informal. Create your videos and cater them to suit the theme and your market.

5th step: Begin the animated video creation

Look for an online video that does not require a steep learning curve. We would recommend using Offeo animation maker as it has the features that every video editor would want. It is so easy to use that even people with no prior video editing experience are able to create their own animation and videos within minutes! With the drag and drop interface that is so straightforward and intuitive, you are able to locate the features you need, fully customize your design elements and add royalty free images, music, graphics. There is also a smart create option where you are able to get randomized transitions and animations without having to stress which animation to go for.

6th step: Consider adding background music and/or voice overs

Adding a background music would allow your viewers to feel a certain way or even set the tone of the video as well. Voice Overs can be done for narrative videos and you should find someone professional or if it is for your own, you can do it by yourself. Record your voice separately, upload it and trim parts of it or insert the voice clip into your video. It should match the scene or what is going on for that few minutes or seconds. Having a BGM and voice overs will greatly enhance and give more context to your viewers.

7th step: Review and export your video

After finalizing and finishing up on the edits, once you are happy with your video, preview it and watch through the whole animation entirely. Make sure that your animations are seamless, there are no hiccups along the way, the video matches the storyboard that you have planned out. Check if there is any specific dimensions that you need your videos to be before uploading them to their respective social media platforms. Because there are some cases where it might get cut off or you might max out the capped duration for that specific social media app. Make sure you have all these information before you start creating else you might have to start from scratch again, which might be a painful experience.

Create your animated video effortlessly with OFFEO. Try it out free with one of our templates below:

Play Video

Monochrome Intro

Use Template

Play Video

Explosive Intro

Use Template

Play Video

Winter Sales

Use Template

How do you make animated videos for free at all?

We believe that anyone should be able to make animated videos for free. Although some platforms might restrict you and limit certain things like length of video or the quality or by having a watermark. It still does not change the fact that you are able to make videos and animate them completely free. Depending on who the video is for, be it for your company, for a client, for yourself, or for a special event. You should weigh your options and try out a few animated video makers before deciding which to spend money on if necessary.

Which online animation maker should you choose?

Picking an animated video maker online should not be a difficult task to do. Google search “animated video maker” or “animation maker”, briefly scan through your top few or first page options, go through their page and find out their offerings. Narrow down to a platform you are comfortable and confident in using to create videos. From there on, most animation maker platforms should offer free or trial accounts for you to use but with certain limitations.

  • Create your account and login, sign up via Facebook or Google
  • Locate a pre-designed template that catches your eye
  • Customize your animated video through an easy to use drag and drop interface with motion graphics and royalty free images and background music
  • Take it to the next level and make your videos making it pop with transitions and animations
  • Once you are satisfied, export the video according to which social media dimensions you wish to upload to and save it!

You don’t need to be a video editor with tons of experience to make a video that is animated and professional at the same time. All you need is an idea to begin with and you may start your video creation process. Start making an animated video for free today!

Written By
OFFEO Team

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