2D

ANIMATION
PROCESS
Janelle Mikaela C. Balicoco
2D Animation
2D animation is a complex
process that takes a lot of time
and effort.
STEP 1: Storyboard
It is where the script of the
animation is written out.

The best way of editing the

story before it is being
animated.
Storyboard
PLOT of your animation.
Consists of rough sketches of
your story and fellow editors
and animators will critique and
point out what needs to be
changed.
STEP 2: Audio Production
Once the script or the
storyboard is finalized, the
writers and editors will adapt
the storyboard into a written
script, complete with an outline
what every character is doing.
Animation Audio Production
In audio production, voice-
actors takes the script and
record each line of the
dialogue.
Animation Audio Production
Voice-actors plays an
important role in animation as
they give life and
characterization of the various
characters in the story.
Ex: Genie in Aladdin
Animation Audio Production
This includes everything that
the character says, from words
to grunts and even singing (if
the animation has a character
singing a song).
STEP 3: Visual Development
Artists and animators would
draw thousands of sketches of
characters, scenes and objects
to perfect the aesthetic of the
film.
Visual Development
Sketches from the original
storyboard will be slightly
more detailed and enhanced.
A halfway point between the
extremely rough storyboard and
the actual animation of the film.
Visual Development
Artists strive to perfect the
appeal of every character.
Artists take into account the
personality formed by the voice-
actors.
Ex: Genie in Aladdin
Visual Development
These days, visual
development requires much
less manual labor since there
are many digital devices and
specialized tools to digitally
draw.
Visual Development
More papers and ink are
saved in the process of
animation because of the new
special tools for digital
drawing.
STEP 4: Animation Production
BEFORE:
Every shot of an animated film
is around ten to twenty frames
or drawings.
STEP 4: Animation Production
BEFORE:
The top animators will draw
the most important frames in
the animation, called the key
frames.
STEP 4: Animation Production
BEFORE:
Tweens – frames between the
key frames are drawn by the
junior editors.
STEP 4: Animation Production
BEFORE:
Then all the frames are put
together and photographed to
for an animation sequence.
This process is repeated for
every shot of the film.
STEP 4: Animation Production
NOW:
Whole lot easier and requires
less man power than the classic
animation.
STEP 4: Animation Production
NOW:
Because of many emerging 2D
animation technology and
software, artists and animators
can produce their own animation
film without leaving their desks.
STEP 4: Animation Production
NOW:
Massive digital drawing tablets
enable animators to draw their
key-frames digitally and create
the tween automatically using 2D
animation software.
STEP 4: Animation Production
NOW:
Characters and backgrounds are
drawn separately then
transposed on each other and
saved as a video file, saving the
studio both time and money.
STEP 5: Post-Production
The characters have been
colored, animated, and set on
their backgrounds. Every key is
colored, every tween in place,
and the animation is essentially
complete!
STEP 5: Post-Production
In this phase, all there’s left to do
is to edit and polish the final
product with special effects.
STEP 5: Post-Production
Post-production is usually when
the entire team sits down to
review their work and make
whatever tweaks are necessary to
call the film complete.
Reference:
Imagic Institute. (n. d.). The 2D
Animation Process. Retrieved from
https://imagic.net.in/blog/2d-
animation-process