How to Make Whiteboard Animation Videos in just 5 Steps?

Animated videos are a great way to get your message across. Many businesses, marketers, and institutes use the power of animation on a daily basis to connect with their potential audience.

Studies have shown human brain processes visual content faster as compared to text. A recent survey discussed how you could increase your website’s conversion rate by almost 80% if you include an animated or live-action video on it.

Animated videos were clearly considered a novelty some years ago, but now it is becoming harder for content creators to make unique explainer videos. Whiteboard animation, luckily, has come to the creators’ aid.

Here, I’ll share steps to make a whiteboard video and how to stand out from the crowd of other explainer videos.

What is a whiteboard-style video?

Whiteboard animation video is actually a process of narrating a story and explaining a concept through doodle drawing. Whiteboard animation showcases hand-drawing doodles or pictures as a voiceover narrates the story in the background.

These videos were originally created by skilled artists who would draw all the pictures and doodles themselves and record a time-lapse. Whiteboard videos make great explainer videos as they have the power to instantly grab viewers’ attention.

With the latest technology, whiteboard animations now look a lot different. With online whiteboard animation tools, creators can make marketing and educational videos by just dragging and dropping a few clicks.

How to make a whiteboard animation video?

In five easy and simple steps, I’ll tell you how you can craft a picture-perfect whiteboard animation video without losing the plot.

Let’s get started!

1. Write a powerful script

The attractive visuals and fancy characters are not the keys to a great whiteboard video. You need a damn good script with perfect flow and timing to get your message across. Many people fall into the trap that visuals put life into an animated video, but it is the quality of the script that is more important.

Here are three things to focus on while writing a script for your whiteboard video:

The Hook:

What do we mean by the hook? Anything in your script that compels the audience to stay and watch. If your video is boring without any element of fun and curiosity, the viewer may not continue to watch it.

The Message:

No matter how interesting your hook is, if the core message is shaky, boring, or non-concise, it will ruin the vibe of the whole video. Your main message should be clear and brief so your viewers remain engaged.

Call-to-Action:

Marketing videos are often created as a means to drive traffic. If your whiteboard video doesn’t have any call to action, there is no point in publishing it. Therefore, subtly add a CTA button in your video so it doesn’t look forced or stuffed.

2. Create a schematic storyboard

Creating and organizing the storyboard is an important part of the animation process. When you finish your script, you can start sequencing your storyboard by adding key scenes in the animation software.

You can think of a storyboard as an organizer for your graphic ideas. Here, you can roughly sequence your story as you plan the final product.

Many creators and professional studios usually avoid this step and jump right on the animation, but it is crucial for a good production process.

Avoid going very deep into this step. Just prepare a rough schematic outline of your video and you are good to go!

3. Choose a board style

Whiteboard animation software allows users to choose from different board styles. Using the drop interface, you can choose your favourite board style and start working on your animation videos. Most software offers these board styles other than the classic whiteboard:

Glassboard:

Glassboard is one of the most unique board styles where your text and animated characters will appear from behind. Using a glass board, you can illustrate your story as if it was being presented on glass.

Stitchbaord:

Using a stitch board is yet another unique way to illustrate a colourful story. In stitch board animation, your drawing will appear like stitches on a denim background

Notebook:

Besides whiteboard, some software also allows you to illustrate your characters on a notebook or a crumpled piece of paper. Notebook drawings are also great for grabbing viewers’ attention as they look very natural and relatable.

4. Animate:

After adding the scenes to your storyboard and selecting the board style, the next step is to animate your story and make your characters come alive. Storyboarding is just an organizing stage in your production; the main work starts when you begin to animate.

The animation process will differ depending on your software or application. We recommend using Doodly, as this application can easily turn your imagination into an animated reality. Whether you want to create a whiteboard or a simple animation video, Doodly should be your go-to option.

Note: Check out my article on Doodly review or my in-depth analysis of Doodly vs Videoscribe

Using Doodly, you can easily animate a powerful story with the help of drag-and-drop features. You can also add effects, texts, characters, and images of your choice and customize them.

Doodly also has various tutorials on their website to help you make a whiteboard video like a pro!

5. Record voice-over

Your script is ready, your animation is all done, and now it is time to give a voice to your story.

If your story does not require any narration, you can add music or sound effects to your video. But if it does require narration, you need to record your voice-over.

Setting up an at-home recording studio will greatly help you if you are a professional creator. Buy a professional microphone and other tools to make your audio file crystal clear because you don’t want the bad narration to ruin your precious video’s quality.

Here is a pro tip: Always record the voice-over for shorter videos in one take because it helps you maintain the fluidity of the video.

Try to make your voice clear and use the right tone while recording the audio. If you are making an explainer video, imagine yourself speaking in front of a class or doing a presentation. This will help you catch the right tone and pitch.

Adding the voiceover and doing final tweaks will be the last step in creating a good animation.

Why whiteboard animation videos are so popular?

Whiteboard animations are everywhere these days. They can help you make a good whiteboard explainer video, presentations, marketing content, and much more. Among so many types of animated videos, why whiteboard animation style is so popular?

Note: Check out our article on VideoScribe review

Here are 5 reasons why a whiteboard animation video works:

Whiteboard animation is cheaper:

If you wish to create quality marketing content that incorporates animations but doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg, making a whiteboard video is a great way to start. Due to the white background and fun graphics, a whiteboard animation will help you explain complex topics in the simplest way.

Whiteboard animation is excellent for PR:

A creative whiteboard video evoking deep emotions is an amazing PR tool. How? Well, people on social media platforms often share and repost stories that they like. This helps businesses and educational institutes enhance PR.

Whiteboard animation increases outreach:

Whiteboard animations are for everyone. Even if your audience is comprised of visually impaired people or people from a totally different race, they will be able to get your idea through pictures and images.

Whiteboard animation delivers a clear message:

The whole point of creating a whiteboard video is to get the idea across uncluttered and undisrupted. Since these types of animated videos are only created using drawings, the message doesn’t get lost and keeps the audience focused throughout.

Whiteboard animation is easy:

Whiteboard videos require literally no vitalization or advanced editing. If you have the right whiteboard animation software and know the video style, you can create a whiteboard video in minutes.

Wrapping Up:

Whiteboard animation-style videos can land you hundreds of customers and subscribers if created in the right way. They have a way of attracting and engaging the audience and can become a powerful communication tool.

We discussed how to make whiteboard video animations using software like Doodly. There are tons of applications that can help you make great whiteboard content. But Doodly is the number one choice for most professional creators.

Using the above-mentioned steps, you can make videos that will definitely increase engagement on your page. Just be creative with what you make, and don’t let yourself lose consistency.

Mian Mohsin (MohsinZox)

About Author:

I'm Mohsin Raza the founder of MohsinZox Blog. Here, I share detailed case studies, step-by-step guides, and software reviews from my personal experience. Learn more...

Leave a Comment