1. Write a rough script out, imagining what words will trigger visual moments.

2. Come up with a general visual look, keeping the script in mind and the aesthetic look that you feel may work with that rough script. This can be a few sketches or some Photoshop stills. For this piece, the visual look was our previous branding, so there wasn’t too much to consider.

3. Compare the rough script with the visual look and make sure they are working together.

4. Finalize the script and record the voiceover. (obviously, you can also do this first and then start thinking about visuals).

5. Start sketching and laying out the storyboard, envisioning how the words/visuals should be laid out and flow together from one phrase to another. It helps to think of sentences or phrases as “moments” or “sections” of the script. Dividing the script up into parts helps a lot, so you can animate one phrase and then figure out how to link it to the next phrase…eventually animating your whole voiceover.

6. Start animating, using the finalize voice over as your base soundtrack. It’s very important that the final soundtrack is complete and exact how you want it. Animate each phrase as a separate movie sequence, so you can manipulate the entire section to link it up with another section.

7. In the end, it’s lots of trial and error with the animation to get it right

By having an eye for visuals and some decent knowledge of writing, I can help to make a script work “better” with any visual ideas. I’m not sure what you mean, though, by already having an AE file and then asking someone to put in text and extend the trailer…wouldn’t an AE file consist of the text and voiceover already (if you have one)? Or is there something else in the AE file already?

Question: do you also help folks with the voiceover script to make the animation pop even more? What if I already have an AE file but need somebody to put in the text, as well as extend the trailer to accomodate my text?