A great script is a foundation for any video, animated show or video game. Without this, even the most advanced animation looks pointless. But how do you create a dream script that meets all your needs? It won’t be easy. But there are five basic tips for writing scripts for animated shows or games. This will be relevant for both beginners and professionals.
Find the Story with Your Team
Finding the story is the most important part as you need a baseline for your animated video or game. Without this, the characters’ actions will not make sense, and everything will be as unnatural as possible. Gather a team and brainstorm.
What, where and when will be the first three questions that you have to answer. When a customer issues an approximate task, you need to create a full-fledged script based on it. Then it will be much easier. Decide on the moral, the ultimate goal and the message that your video or game carries.
Write down the characters’ dialogues, think over all the plot moves and coordinate this with the animators. Then you will have a working template that you can tweak a little even in the final stages. But script writing can take all of your time. This is especially problematic for students who have a lot of other paperwork. In this case, you need a paper helper to stay focused on more significant activities.
Know Your Run Time
It is always important to know how long the video, game or individual parts will be created during the final editing. Your script should match the declared duration perfectly. And the voice actor should not rush like a rapper, reciting dialogues. This is an important part of scripting and should be discussed with the technical department in advance. Then you won’t have any problems with the duration.
The problem with the right duration affects not only the final result but also your daily schedule. If you are a student and running out of time, then a fast essay writer is needed. Third-party help will give you a little more time to polish your script.
Let Visuals Do the Heavy Lifting
Any animated video or game is not only thousands of scripted pages but also a visual story. Let the artists and animators do their job. Let’s say you need to tell a story with repeated repetition of certain information. It would be crazy to write about the same thing 3-5 times. Perhaps you need to present graphics or animated frames that speak more eloquently and understandably than a ton of script.
Sometimes a script can be written even without a single word that the voiceover has to say. But it takes a lot of skill. Think of a silent movie. These are situational sketches and full visualization despite technical limitations. This style is especially relevant for many video games. The script is not necessarily dialoguing.
Watch Your Transitions
This advice is especially relevant for those who create short videos or animated booklets. The author must understand that the script is not a loose interpretation of any topic. You need to keep track of the visual changes in frames and moods. Typically, a rough sketch needs to be done and coordinated with animators and visual artists. Then the final result will be better, and you will save a lot of time.
Sometimes a few words are enough to get your audience to believe you. It takes a lot of work. Imagine a one-minute animation of a family and the mother-child relationship. Would a few pages of text be appropriate here? You also don’t always need to go into details. Try to pull the strings that will reach the heart of your viewer.
Cut Your Word Count
If your video or dialogue in the game lasts one minute, then this does not mean that you should write as much text as possible. It would be ridiculous to hear an announcer struggling to read absolutely your entire script. It is necessary to make visual accents so that the end viewer can analyze and remember the information that you want to convey.
Sometimes you need to edit the script several times, cutting out everything that does not correspond to the general concept. This is true for both the game industry and visual animation. Don’t be afraid to convey the meaning of your video visually or to pause. This is normal and does not degrade the final result.
Conclusion
These five tips seem obvious, but not all screenwriters stick to them. You should understand that the text should work. Sometimes it’s better to sacrifice quantity for quality. Also, do not forget that you must be a team player. Visual animation or video games is a team effort that requires coordinated action. If you adapt to the requirements and do not follow the basic principles, your script will be great.
