It is founded on Pre-Production (concept, script, storyboard, tools).

  • Animation (keyframes, in-betweens, coloring, compositing).
  • Sound, editing, and polishing (Post-Production).
  • Apply such industry-standard tools as Adobe Animate, Toon Boom Harmony, or OpenToonz.
  • Find out how to avoid the most typical errors, and get advice from the team of experts in Swift Animation.

Even though 3D and AI-powered graphics have gained prominence, 2D animation still stands as a default option for both storytellers and marketers. Its visual legibility and hand-crafted look provide a distinctive method to reach out to the audience on an emotional level.

We have served the USA with professional 2D animation at Swift Animation, and we have been in the business for over 8 years, making it easier to convey the message and engage the brand.

This guide will teach you to make your beautiful 2D animation, step-by-step, and provide industry-insider tips on how to follow our tried and tested workflow.

Pre-Production- Planning to Win

1. Clarify Your Idea and Your Readers

Start with clarity first before you draw a single frame. What is the story? What is it for? So, what are the viewers to learn?

Your tone, style, and pace are influenced by what you know about your audience, including what pains them and what they prefer. Dream Farm Studios notes that the best animation is useless when the message does not match the expectations of the viewers.

“A focused concept ensures every frame has purpose.” – Julia Higgins, Head Animator at Swift Animation.

2. Scriptwriting

The project depends on your script. It establishes the tempo, tone, and shifts. CG Spectrum states that basic animation can be powerful with the support of good storytelling.

Tips:

  • Make it short and natural.
  • Make use of a clear beginning, middle, and end.
  • Put visual notes or VO cues to help animators.

3. Storyboarding

A storyboard shows a visual guide of the narrative before production. It can be drawn by hand or with software such as Storyboarder or Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.

MyPromoVideos describes the role of storyboarding in providing a smooth flow of the narrative and keeping the team in line, particularly when the animators and scriptwriters are not collaborating.

4. Select the Proper Tools

Your software determines your workflow, the pace, and the end product. These are some of the best ones:

  • Adobe Animate is an excellent choice when it comes to vector-based motion and web delivery.
  • Toon Boom Harmony is, professional studio standard. 
  • OpenToonz, a free software used by Studio Ghibli.
  • Krita, Pencil2D, and Synfig Studio, minimalist software to use as a freelancer or an indie creator.

Apply what best suits the level of your team and the requirements of your style of animations.

Production – Making Your Dreams Real

5. Keyframe Animation

Keyframes indicate the critical points in motion, that is, the beginning, the middle, and the end. Animost says that creating good keyframes at the beginning of the work guarantees uniformity and rapidity at the end.

6. In-Betweening (Tweening)

When the keyframes are established, the in-between frames smooth out the motion and make it fluid. You may do it through manual tweening or through the capabilities of your software.

Although such tools as Adobe Animate provide automatic tweening, manual editing is essential to bring a sense of realism, as it is emphasized in Animation Wallah’s guide.

7. Clean-Up & Line Art

This step is the one that makes your rough animation clean and smooth. It is tedious work, but the professional touch. The main thing is a stable line width.

Apps such as Toon Boom and Krita have onion-skinning, which enables you to compare the last and the next frames to create seamless transitions.

8. Coloring Shading

Color makes your characters and scenes come alive. Employ coherent palettes, clean fills, and layering. Based on your style, you can use flat design (think explainer videos) or use shadows and lighting to give depth.

SproutVideo suggests that you establish a hierarchy of colors in advance so that coloring becomes easier within your team.

9. Compositing

This is where all of this, characters, backgrounds, and effects, meet. Finalize your scenes, add camera motion, put transitions or effects, and use programs such as After Effects, Harmony, or HitFilm Express.

Finishing Touches Post-Production

10. Sound Design & Voice Over

Half of the deal is sound. The voiceover makes the sound clearer and more emotional, and the music and sound effects provide your video with rhythm and a realistic vibe.

Adobe Audition and Audacity are some of the tools that Swift Animation utilizes in:

  • Voice-over recording
  • SFX design
  • Background music incorporation

MyPromoVideos gives importance to sound as the silent storyteller, which usually sets the mood of a scene.

11. Review and Proofread

After synchronizing the animation and the sound:

  • Perfect timing
  • Include transitions
  • Make the pacing natural
  • Perform a complete quality control (frames, color, sound synch)

It is also the turn of team/client feedback and updating.

12. Export and Delivery

Based on your platform

  • Most web and social media applications use MP4 (H.264).
  • Exports in 1080p or 4K at the time of need.
  • Use programs such as HandBrake to compress files and make them smaller without reducing their visual quality.

Insights from the Swift Animation Team

“It does not matter how good your visuals are, when your story is weak, the animation becomes a failure.”

  • Michael Reese, Creative Director, Swift Animation

“Clients do not realize the importance of good design, especially in sound design, but the difference between a good audio and a bad audio can make a tremendous difference in the engagement of viewers.”

  • Post-Production Lead, Lena Ward

Case Study: The success of Fintech Explainer

A fintech startup in Chicago was one of our clients who required a clean 90-second explainer. We developed a visual story with a storyboard, professional voice-over, and flat-style animation to make it clear.

Outcome: 70% more demo sign-ups in the first month of the video publishing.

Typical Mistakes and the Ways of Preventing Them

Mistake Solution
Making the story too complex Keep it simple in the story and pictures.
Jumping animation Use reference guides and check your onion-skin layers.
Bad sound Buy professional microphones or pay to use a VO talent.
Hurrying the schedule Never forget to allow reviewing and revising.

Resources and Tools

Recommended Software

  • Adobe Animate – general use of motion graphics and 2D
  • Toon Boom Harmony – popular among professionals such as Dream Farm Studios
  • OpenToonz is powerful and free, employed by Studio Ghibli
  • Krita, Pencil2D, Synfig – indie creators paradise

Learning Platforms

  • CG Spectrum – animation training with a career orientation 
  • Udemy, Skillshare, software instructions, and practical courses
  • YouTube Channels: Alan Becker, Jazza Studios, Proko

Books

  • The Animator Survival Kit by Richard Williams, the classic all-time book that Animost recommends

Forums and Communities

Pro-Level Advice on Making Your Animation Better

1. Read about the 12 Principles of Animation

These were initially described as squash and stretch, timing, and anticipation by Disney animators (CG Spectrum).

2. Apply the Use of Real-Life References

Record yourself doing something to enhance natural movements and gesture precision.

3. Combine Frame-by-Frame and Rig-Based

Frame-by-frame makes it alive; rigging saves time. A blend of the two will enable you to animate effectively without getting emotional.

4. Emphasis on the Minor Details

Human touch can be provided through eye blinks, hair flicks, or even subtle hand movements.

5. Revisions should always be planned

Time is money, so consider putting in at least one complete review stage in your production.

Final Thoughts

Producing professional 2D animation is a creative and technical balance of creativity, planning, and technicality. The proper organization and instruments will help you create entertaining, educational, and inspiring animations.

Swift Animation has assisted brands all over the USA to reach their audience by telling their stories and working wisely with design. When you are willing to convert your ideas into effective movement, we are there to assist you.