An animation script tells everyone what happens and what's said: the animators, the storyboard artist and the voice actors. It looks a lot like a screenplay, with a few habits that matter more in animation. Here's how to write one, with a short example.

The format

• Scene headings say where and when: INT. WIZARD TOWER - NIGHT.
• Action lines describe what we see, in the present tense. Keep them short and visual.
• Character names go in capitals above their dialogue.
• Parentheticals under the name give a quick acting note, like (whispering). Use them sparingly.

Free screenwriting apps like Trelby handle the formatting, but a plain document works fine for a short.

Example

INT. WIZARD TOWER - NIGHT

Candles gutter. PIP (12, apprentice, all elbows) tiptoes
past a sleeping DRAGON the size of a cat.

                    PIP
          (whispering)
     Okay. Okay okay okay.

The dragon opens one eye.

                    DRAGON
     You're doing the thing again.

                    PIP
     What thing?

                    DRAGON
     The "okay" thing. It means you broke something.

Write for animation

• Every word costs drawings. One minute of animation is a lot of work, so short scripts get finished. A page covers roughly a minute of screen time.
• Show, then trim. If a look can say it, cut the line.
• Describe characters once, briefly, the first time they appear: age, look and attitude. It helps the character designer and the voice actor.
• Give actors something to play. Clear wants and reactions make better auditions than lines that just explain the plot.

From script to screen

1. Write the script.
2. Storyboard it and make an animatic to check the timing. See how to make an animatic.
3. Cast the voices and record the dialogue. The timing of the animation comes from it.
4. Animate, then add music and sound.

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