Creating a cartoon can be a long and complicated task, but if you are truly passionate and eager to see your stories come to life, the result is worth it. If you've decided to make a cartoon, read on to find out what you need.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Brainstorming
Step 1. Mind your resources locally
Your imagination may be limitless, but your budget and talent may not necessarily be too. When looking for the idea for a new cartoon, keep in mind how much you plan to invest in the process and what art skills you possess that can help you.
- If you are a beginner, avoid stories and themes that require complex animation scenes, such as large battles or complicated machinery. To be ready to embark on a project of this size you will need to practice a lot and study a lot.
- Also keep in mind that depending on the complexity of your cartoon you will need to purchase additional equipment. A stop-motion cartoon with two dozen characters and four sets will require more resources than a simple rode-glass animation with just one scene. If you're on a tight budget, keep it simple.
Step 2. Decide how long the cardboard will last
The right shelf life for the carton varies according to your target. Staring at it from the start can help you find a story that fits that particular time frame.
- If you intend to create a pilot episode for a possible cartoon series, your cartoon should be 11 to 25 minutes long.
- Animated films typically run between 60 and 120 minutes.
- If you're just going to make a cartoon to post on the internet, you can stick with 1-5 minutes. Any such project lasting longer than 5 minutes would end up boring most viewers.
Step 3. Set a target
Although cartoons are typically a product for children, there are many for teens and adults. You should set an age group and other demographics to work on to create your cartoon.
For example, a dramatic cartoon about love or death is better suited to a larger audience. If your target audience is made up of younger kids, you'd better choose a more concrete and easier-to-understand topic
Step 4. Build on experience
Or to put it in other ways: "write about what you know". Many authors write stories based on events, emotions or relationships experienced firsthand in their real life. Make a list of events that happened in your life that can be used as inspiration for your cartoon.
- If you want to keep yourself in a dramatic tone, try to think about past experiences that have made you grow or have left a mark on you, such as unrequited love, the loss of a friend, working hard to achieve a goal, etc.
- If you intend to create something more humorous instead, take an everyday situation, like being in a queue with the car or waiting for a phone call, and write an exaggerated story about these otherwise monotonous situations.
- Alternatively, you can base your cartoon on already fun events in themselves.
Step 5. Use your imagination
Of course, you can also create a storyline without just (or not at all) relying on your own real life experiences. You can create a new plot based entirely on your interests and imagination; the important thing is that you include situations in which all viewers can recognize themselves.
These situations are generally events in which everyone can recognize each other, such as the moment one becomes an adult, moments in which one generally feels special emotions, regardless of whether the story takes place in a contemporary world, in a spatial scenario of the future. or a medieval adventure of knights and sorcerers
Step 6. Draw a charming protagonist
Make a list of the traits you would like to see in a character. This list should include strengths and weaknesses of the character, so that he is not too perfect.
This is a very important step regardless of the complexity of your cardboard. Although it is true that a character from a more serious or longer cartoon will have to be developed more carefully than that of a more humorous and short cartoon; the latter type of cartoon requires a protagonist who has very clear objectives and characteristic signs and which allow him to get into funny situations
Part 2 of 5: Writing the Script and Storyboard
Step 1. If you are going to insert dialogue, write a script
If any of the characters in your cartoon have to say lines, you will need to get a voice actor to recite them. He will need a written script to know what to say into the microphone.
You have to write the script even before moving on to animation. The mouth moves differently for different phonemes. You will need to create believable movements for the character's mouth so that you can voice him later
Step 2. Write down a basic storyline
If there is no dialogue in the cartoon, you can simply write a draft. However, you need to draft at least a basic narrative of the events so that you can keep track of the development of the story.
Before starting the production phase, write several drafts of the script. Write the first draft, put it aside, reread it after a day or two and see if it actually needs improvement
Step 3. Divide the story into main parts
A short-lived cartoon might consist of just one scene, but if it were a bit longer, you'd better split it into multiple scenes or acts to be able to handle it better.
Step 4. Make a sketch of any major changes in the scene
When drafting the storyboard, any changes in actions should be shown in one of the storyboard squares. Less significant changes need to be described, but not necessarily drawn.
- Use basic shapes, stick figures, and plain backgrounds. The storyboard can remain simple enough.
- Try drawing the storyboard on some cards, so you can move them around to change the timeline to suit your preferences.
- You can also include notes under each frame to help you remember the plot better.
Part 3 of 5: the Animation
Step 1. Familiarize yourself with the different types of animation first
Typically, most forms of animation can be included in the categories glass animation, stop motion animation, 2D computer animation, and 3D computer animation.
Step 2. Try out the animation on the glass first
This is animation in its traditional form. The real "cartoon". In fact, you will have to draw each frame by hand on a special box and obtain the images with a special camera.
- The glass animation works in a similar way to the famous flipbooks. A series of drawings is created, each of these images changes slightly from the next. Seen in rapid succession, the subtle difference between one image and another creates the illusion of movement.
- Each image is drawn and colored on a transparent sheet, called “rhodovetro”.
- Use your camera to photograph these designs and edit them together using software to manipulate the animations.
Step 3. Stop Motion
Another traditional animation technique is stop motion, which is less common than the one discussed earlier. “Claymation” (clay puppet animation) is the most common form of stop motion animation, but puppets of all types and materials can be used.
- You can use shadow puppets, sand art, paper puppets, or anything else that can be moved and held in place.
- The character has to make small movements on each frame. Every time you move a character, take a photo.
- It mounts the various frames together to be shown in quick succession creating the illusion of motion.
Step 4. 2D computer animation
For this type of animation you will need to get a special program and the result will be a smoother version of a cartoon created with traditional animation.
- Each 2D animation program works differently, the purpose of this guide is not to explain how it works, so you will have to look for an in-depth guide on the subject and on the individual programs.
- A common example of 2D animation are those created with Adobe Flash.
Step 5. 3D computer animation
As with 2D animation, special software is used for this type of animation.
- In some ways, 3D animation is similar to stop motion animation. With this type of technique it is possible to produce very fluid animations, but also very jerky. It depends on you.
- As with 2D animation, any 3D animation software works differently. An example of these software can be Maya and 3D Studio Max.
Part 4 of 5: Sound Effects
Step 1. Get the right equipment
You will need to get a good microphone and a system to eliminate reverberations and any background noise.
- A high-end computer microphone will be fine for creating a beginner's cartoon. If you are serious about entering the market and distributing your cardboard, you will need to invest in more professional equipment.
- If you work with a small microphone, secure it in a padded tube speaker cabinet to eliminate echoes and background noise.
Step 2. Record the sound effects
Let your creativity work and always look for new ways to record and produce noises suitable for your cartoon.
- Make a list of the sound effects you will need. Make it comprehensive. Be creative. Include anything from the most obvious sounds (explosions, alarm clocks, etc.) to the least obvious (footsteps, background noise, etc.).
- Record different versions of each sound for more options.
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Some examples of sound effects you could create are:
- Fire - handles a fairly stiff piece of cellophane.
- Slap - clap your hands.
- Thunder - bang a piece of plexiglass on very stiff cardboard.
- Boiling water - blow air on a piece of glass using a straw.
- Baseball ball hitting the bat - breaks a wooden match.
Make a Cartoon Step 18 Step 3. Otherwise, look for pre-recorded sound effects
If you don't have the right equipment or can't create your own sound effects for a variety of reasons, there are CD-ROMs and websites that offer royalty-free prerecorded sound effects that you can freely use. The latter may be a more comfortable option for beginners.
Always check that the sounds you intend to use are not protected by copyright and that their license allows free use, especially for commercial purposes. Before creating your cartoon it is very important to know everything there is to know about what you are allowed to use and what you are not allowed to use
Make a Cartoon Step 19 Step 4. Record the entries if necessary
If your cartoon also has dialogue, you or someone else will need to record it for the characters to come to life. The lines are read from the script, using the appropriate intonation and expression, also making sure to match the dialogue with the movement of the characters' lips.
You could also manipulate the voices using computer software. If you have few voice actors available, you can make a single voice actor voice multiple characters by then changing each voice on the computer. For this step you will probably have to invest in a special audio manipulation program. Depending on the program you use, you will have the ability to change the pitch and add details to the voices such as metallic effects etc
Part 5 of 5: Distribute the Carton
Make a Cartoon Step 20 Step 1. You will need to distribute the cardboard using your own resources
If you've created a fairly short single episode or are looking to make a name for yourself in the industry, you can add the work to your digital portfolio by uploading a copy to your personal blog, social networking account, or video site like YouTube.
Make a Cartoon Step 21 Step 2. Contact a distribution company, entertainment company or TV station
If you have created a pilot for a series of episodes, send the cartoon to these companies. If it is accepted, you will need to create a production calendar to organize the work and continue producing the episodes of the series.
- A distribution company will review your pilot to determine how marketable and appealing it is to the public. In case the company accepts your carton, you will be given a distribution plan along with a profit forecast. At this point, ask for a formal letter of interest and show the letter to potential investors letting them know that a distributor is interested in sponsoring the carton.
- If you submit your pilot episode to an animation company or TV station, and they have gaps to fill in between shows they might accept it immediately.
