In the 21st century, things move fast. People lose interest in reading long boring pieces of writing, instead, people are more attracted to animations and short video clips. The concept of animation has evolved so much in the last decade. However, these animated videos are not easy to produce. There is a huge effort involved in their production.
When it comes to developing an animated marketing video, it’s not always as easy as taking the client’s brief, whipping out an animation masterpiece, and delivering it before settling in with a warm drink in hand. There are several processes that must be followed to ensure that the work not only reflects the client’s vision but is also produced to a high standard.
In this article, we will be shedding light on how style frames can help you meet your video deadline.
The basics of style frames
A significant stage in the animation production process is the style frame, or concept art stage. It is the first piece of visual elements to be developed, taking the written text and transforming it into a visual representation. After creating the script, you will have a better notion of what your customer is looking for in terms of vision and messaging. However, because there are various graphic paths one may take at this point, this visual direction must be fully agreed upon to guarantee that the result checks all the requirements. The style frame comes into play here.
The steps which are taken before the production of a video are called pre-production steps. These steps are critical in determining the outcome of your video. Such steps include planning, scriptwriting, designing mood boards, style frames and storyboarding, etc. Style frames are the basic part of the pre-production of an animation. It is a simple, visual representation of what the final animation will look like. It is important to grab the attention of the audience or to retain the clients. Your motion video is based on the style frames that you have selected.
The colours, graphics, and texts that are used in the style frames of a video clip give a complete representation of the animated video. A style frame is an image that represents what the final animations will look like. A snapshot to help the client or other animators to get a sense of what exactly will be made.
Style frame helps to manifest key visuals which are going to be used in the videos and it helps to deliver the message effectively through colours, graphics, and typography. It saves us the time of making the whole video as we use a style frame to give the sample or idea to the client. Style frames identify the essential aspects of the motion videos but it is difficult to understand what the whole video will look like as it does not capture everything. Texture and typography can be changed during revision.
Many designers or animators use style frames to present the ideas to the clients before starting the animations. After presenting many concepts to the client and getting feedback, the clients have a clear idea how what the motion video will look like, and the animator can start their creative work. A motion video requires extensive efforts and planning to make mood boards, style frames, and storyboards. Mood boards help to outline the mood or feeling of the animation which colours to use, character styles, etc. After making mood boards, the next part is the style frame which is the more advanced version of mood boards.
Style frame helps to start designing your animation elements. Style frame focuses to ensure the design is aligned with the client’s vision. Style frame options are made by considering the different questions of a target audience, characters, Features, typography, etc. By answering these questions, the Style frame gives the idea of what type of video should be made. It clears the vision or path for the motion video. It helps to complete your video within a specific deadline. After the client’s approval, the animator has the idea of the characters, visual concept, animation style, and background, he devises strategies and selects the technology to be needed while making the video.
Designing world is evolving, thousands of designs are available. It will take a much longer time if you are making the animated videos again and again. It cost you so much time and effort, So the designers usually make a few designs concept for their clients which meets their goals and vision, After the approval of the design, it is quite easy for the designer or animator to work on the motion video because the direction is clear although there can be some differences in the style frame and real video.
The process starts with the basic brief being which is being written into a script that reflects the client’s tone of voice while also covering all of the content’s most important elements and messages. After it’s been decided that the script meets all of the proper notes and it’s been signed off, it’s turned into visual style frames to show the client some other alternatives for how the final animation might appear. After deciding on a stylistic approach, it’s meticulously incorporated into a storyboard that depicts each of the script’s story beats alongside the custom-designed materials. Then comes the fun part…everything gets turned into an animated video that will captivate your viewers.
The storyboard stage
After the style frame, there comes a storyboard stage. In this phase, we combine the style frames and the script, and the designer illustrates the meaningful animation by using the images. The animator designs the scenery and the background, the character poses and the expressions, colour, framing, and transition are applied. Making animated videos is not an easy task.
Designers face many problems, from time management to focus on projects. By using style frames all your issues can be solved. Style frames provide you with the general idea of what sort of video should be made and you can concentrate and focus on one design, it saves you time. Before starting work on animations, you can ask for approval of the design from the client. It is quite discouraging to start the project without a clear plan and receive vague feedback. You can submit some style frame designs to your client before starting work on your creative video, explain what you did for each style frame, and ask for their opinion. It will eventually help you to save time and you can focus on your work effectively.
Final words
The Style Frame’s purpose is to provide everyone with a clear idea of how the final product will look and ensure that everyone is on the same page and satisfied before moving on to further steps. So that Therefore, at every level, everyone may look forward to the final video with optimism.
Before we get too far into the project, we use style frames to make sure that we and our customers are on the same page. Early agreement on an aesthetic eliminates the need for adjustments later on after more work has been spent on the project.
The most essential thing to remember at this point is to think about any changes you might want to make or items to keep in mind when you begin storyboarding. As flattering as it would be if a client said the style frame is flawless in every way, constructive criticism will help you realize your initial vision. As a result, getting the style frame just right not only increases the animation movie quality but also makes for a smoother production process and faster delivery of your bright new video.
