How to Write for Animation by Jeffrey Scott

Getting Ready to Write

Understanding the World of Animation

Types of Animation

Types of Distribution

Audiences

Types of Animated Media

Genres of Animation

Writing for Animation

Basic Overview

TV most common format is the "half hour" (22 minute) 3 basic steps:

1. Premise
2. Story Beats - not included in this section, but the main step later in the book
3. Outline
4. Script

The Premise

Premise - a simple telling of the story, 1.5-3 pgs. Beginning middle end.

• Communicates the story
• Sells the story

Should be as short as possible but long enough to tell the story!

Economy of words.

Work well in context of series - fit characters and format

Needs to stand out as different

old idea + new time/place/characters = fresh idea

character-driven story

The less experienced (younger) your audience, the more interested in action rather than people.

Look at what's popular (really?)

Keep it simple

Working writer needs to be able to come up with LOTS of ideas. Like, 50+ at once, and at best half approved.

Keep a file of ideas.

Stay true to your audience - whether the ultimate audience of the show or the editors reviewing the premises.

What does the buyer/backer want?

Next Comes the Outline

An outline is a complete story, in written prose form, laying out every scene that will be in the final script. (Story beats)

Half-hour outline: 15-25 beats, 10-20 pages.

Beats (scenes): 5 sec to 5 minutes long

Dialogue optional!

Then Comes the Script

In screenplay format!

• description of the physical environment
• any action
• dialogue
• transitions, camera angles, camera moves when necessary

Format Lengths

7 minute

Looney Tunes, etc. Slapstick, no time for character or story

11 minute "Quarter Hour"

Powerpuff Girls, Dragon Tales, WordGirl - story arc, minor character changes, B story, no act breaks (act break between episodes)

22 minute "Half Hour"

My Little Pony, Batman, Muppet Babies. Time for A, B, C stories, character interaction. 2-3 acts, sometimes a cold open. 30-45 pages.

The following designations do not appear in the book

44 minute "Hour"

uncommon in animation as a format, but frequently done as a two-parter of 22 minute episodes. Also Star Trek: TNG. A plot, B plot, C plot, D-velopment. You can have one main story going on and a secondary framing story in the background, or something evolving over the course of the episode, worldbuilding, etc.

89 minute "Feature"

The minimum for a movie to be considered an animated feature - and hence the running time of most non-Disney animated features. Sometimes a 4-parter TV movie broken into 4 22minute episodes, for example WordGirl's "The Rise of Miss Power". Each act practically has its own 3 act structure, lots of time for musical numbers etc. Think of it this way: you can introduce a season-arc-sized problem in the first half and resolve it in the second, without having to reference it over the season. See also the (frequently overused) Blake Snyder's Beat Sheet, from Save the Cat, which expands each of the four acts of the dramatic structure with 3 acts or so each.

If you're not pitching to an existing show, choose your format based on how you like to write, or what depth of story you're best at.

How to Write a Premise

Practice makes perfect in cartoon writing.

This book focuses on half-hour action comedy, because it's the most common format.

When writing a premise for an existing series, make it:

1. As unique and creative as you can
2. Fit well within the format/characters expected
3. Familiar/relatable elements you can have fun with

Story can be fleshed out using subplots:

A-story (Action)

main action plot, what happens -= beginning, middle, end

B-story (Barrier)

a complication to prevent the A-story from resolving immediately, usually character-driven.

C-story (Character/Change)

In order to resolve the B-story, you need to have a character arc or change happen.

C-story is not mentioned in this section

This is not the only way to describe A/B/C plots or stories. Most resources describe the B story as a completely different thing that is developing during the course of the A-story sequence, that isn't so much a direct barrier as it is a distraction that also has to be dealt with. (Move this note to the subplot page when created)

Premise should be 1.5 pages or so.

Developing Your Story Beats

Easily moveable singel-line descriptions of what goes in the scene.

Too many beats will feel rushed. Half hour will be 15-25, but some will be determined later.

Comedy beats take longer than action, there's less sense of urgency.

To start: List the scenes that HAVE to happen for the plot as described.

Can help to cut apart the premise, to make beats.

Continue with what must be there, based on the existing beats. Also based on the format - if the show requires some comedy, make sure you have some comic scenarios.

Every scene should advance the story, or it will at best feel gratuitous, or at worst, be a Big-Lipped Alligator Moment

First brainstorm the beats you need. Then put them in order.

Logic

Logic is important for continuity. Not just action logic, character logic - a character who is upset will not make the same decisions as a happy character.

• "(is this) What would happen next?"
• "What would character do/say next?"

Movement creates interest, no movement creates boredom.

What's the dramatic tension of a scene - and what changes in it?

Movement that can be predicted is less interesting than movement that cannot be predicted.

Easy way to keep a story moving is to cut between subplots.

Also, exit a scene either before resolving everything about its conflict, or after opening another conflict - little cliffhangers you'll come back to. Just not with too predictable a rhythm.

Putting the Beats in Order

Apply logic and story pacing tastes for the beat order.

Also look for missing beats, or beats that can be combined - resolution of story forks, or contemporaneous events.

A good balance between substance and meaning, as well as between action and dialogue.

Breaking a Scene into Beats

Scenes can have beats, just like stories - and breaking up a scene's beats may be helpful if there's a LOT going on in one scene.

1. What elements/beats have to be in the scene
2. What elements have to happen for characters to reach the conclusions of the scene?

Story Dynamics

The patterns of change taking place in the story.

Always keep track of the dynamics operating in your story! This helps with story logic and prevents continuity errors.

What do the characters care about, what do they want? The personality and action needs determine the dramatic situations.

Story dynamics diverge as a result of the story, but converge at the end.

Tie your subplot beats together - an action from one character or plot affects another character or plot already involved. (otherwise you have more diverging elements to reconcile)

How to write an Outline

Each beat, numbered for reference, titled with a slug line, written as a few paragraphs.

Also:

• Filling in any remaining gaps
• Correcting anything that turns out to not work when actually expanded
• Adding details that may have been generic before - names, places, etc
• Expanding beats into what actually happens if they're too vague
• Further developing characters/relationships/interactions
• Easier for someone not familiar with the story to read.

This is the fun part! Most of the logic is solved, you're taking a structure and doing creative writing on it.

Keep in mind: sometimes you may find something that makes you go back and redo a stage, that's fine.

Writing Dialogue

Dialogue Checklist

Feature, Internet, and Sample Scripts

Writing Animation for the Internet

This book was written before YouTube existed, it has no useful information here.