Production Process
Style design options
A style frame was designed to give an idea of how the final animation would look. The style designs were created using Procreate on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil.
Sketched Storyboards and Animatic Video
A storyboard was sketched out based on the script. The storyboard images were then put into a video sequence with a draft voiceover recording so we could test the timings and ensure the script and images made sense when played together. At this point we made some script and image revisions before moving to the next stage.
Illustration of Animation Assets
Once the sketched storyboards were signed off, the storyboards were illustrated in the style design.
The illustrations were created using Procreate on an iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil. They were then polished and prepared for animation in Adobe Photoshop.
Some revisions were made before moving onto the next production phase.
Animation
The animation phase started by preparing all the illustrations for animation. This involved separating artwork out onto layers and naming them.
The Photoshop illustration files were imported into Adobe After Effects then animated!
A professional voice over artist recorded the script then the audio track was mixed and edited so it could be animated in time to.
Results
Tom is using his animated video to successfully explain and engage people in his research.
The animation was released publicly on Twitter and received positive feedback and engagement.