Screenwriting : Screenwriting For Animation by Steve Mallinson

Hi Steve! Nice meeting you!

In terms of format, they're pretty identical. However, live action descriptions are mostly up to the director to interpret. Animation is a much more visual medium. Scenes are laid out by the storyboard artist. Considering some of your script lends itself to rotoscope you may need detailed descriptions in those specific scenes. I'm pretty sure storyboard artists are familiar with the software and techniques and can take it from there. I hope this helps! :)

Did research for myself, Animaker has guide for beginners.

Thanks for the input and perspectives - very helpful!

You can check how Pixar makes animation in the link I shared below. You will know why I'm sharing this at the end and I will write about Rotoscoping too. Please read through. As I often write elaborate to put my overall concept behind why I am writing this.

Now Animation and screenwriting, if you have connections with the big studios than it's whole different ball game. But if you are doing it alone with few designers artist animator friends than it's whole different thing and process is bit different. Because in this situation, it's not going to be screenwriting , it's more of a story board artist who will be creating the rough sketch of the story as their own process and they kind of don't appreciate screenwriting the way live action/stageplay is written or big studios goes at it. As it's considered counter productive and counter intuitive to the story telling itself.. Even if one wants to write it's ok for a two column script at times with minimal dialogue or minimal direction hints/not hand holding the story bits in each lines. Think of it like writing cartoon dialogues.

Most independent animators approach how Studio Ghibli works behind the scene where it's always going to be first a story board artist/Art director given the first preference who can tell a story, who does the first sketch of a story because for them or even in Eastern artists you can say animation is whole different thing than how Western and European animators work with their studios. Just like Action choreography in East is different than how West or European studios does.

Process in East is: Imagination:concept+ Storyboard+ layout+ cleanup+ keyframe+coloring+Lighting+ Editing etc

Process in West is: Story + Script+Storyboard+ layout+ cleanup+ keyframe+coloring+Lighting+Editing etc

So here in East if someone gives animation script it feels us like say how you feel if 10+ people holding your hand forcing you to write in a way a visual element should be, while you are trying to write your own intended story. That's how it feels.

Because for big studios in West they got like 500+ artists working like farm chicken animators(Pun intended) not caring too much about visual story, imagination, just what's written put the visual elements to it and cranking hours unconcerned about story but confident on what's written, just like "Spider and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" . It was filled with great work but story sort of failed in a way.

So if you are writing story for Western European animation studios than you can freely write as you want, write for live action. But if you are writing for someone like Japanese or Chinese or Indian animators than the process is different like I shared. Because even though they can take a written script, but it's looked down considering it feels restricted, restrained for the creative abilities of artist themselves who do the work later stages and a disconnect for bringing imagination. Though they may not tell you it hurts to save their jobs but internally it's very painful. Like for a writer taken off from his pen and paper and given a stone and slate to scribble.

So if you are writing for any of the above studios keep it simple, don't need to be too precise.

Be it any studio, for even 1 minute of a animation scene it takes months of hard work of many artists to even bring the needed look. It takes close to 1 year to somewhere 2 to 3 years to even bring the first final look of the film. So, that understanding one needs to have while writing it for big or small studios and while they too might have their own creative writing team. And if a screenwriting is very specific it often feels like I said forcing an artist to draw on a grid lines. That will delay the process even more. So there is this sense of optimal way to write for animation depending on whom you are collaborating with.

So don't think of I'm writing for animation or live action. It would putting more hurdles to your script writing. as it's going to get reworked later. So just keep it optimal and best story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIFN7k8H3Gw

Now Rotoscoping is a process which falls in between the above said two different styles of creative process mostly the art director decides it. Screenwriter though they can write it visualizing it in a certain way, but the beauty of rotoscoping will be considered cheapskate and cheating th art work and wouldn't be valued as an art in itself in such case. Because the frames, photos, actions or even live to sketch becomes so hard consciously or deliberately decided scene structuring . Hope you get my point why I explained the whole thing at beginning..

I tried to explain these aspects of Idea, Creativity, how brain works on script writing and modern screenwriting tools becoming counter intuitive in film making and many aspects . But people sort of couldn't get my POV. So I sort of held back my thoughts, letting it go.

But I hope you get my point regarding why Rotoscoping screenwriting is bit tricky. I would say go with Documentary style writing. That would be easier. (Psst.. I'm writing on a Rotoscoping style story too, so documentary style 2column script writing is more easier to me so far, just to give a tip) Because it gives liberty for artist and even novice writer like me. . Rest is your discussion with studios. So check with studios around once if they are fine with just a normal script or one who is associating with you.

Sorry for long post. Best of luck.

Rotoscope is a post process drawn on footage that was shot like traditional filmmaking. You are either paying to shoot the script you wrote like live action and pay in post to have it Rotoscoped; OR you are paying a storyboard artist to work with you in Development, pre-production, to perfect your art and characters and then in production you add animation, VO.