Sound design for animation

Explainer animation, explanimation, explainer video animation.. different names for the same thing: an animated film that explains something. A household product, a software package, how a medicine works, or even how to get out of an office building when the fire alarm goes off. The aim of such a film is to make a complicated story easy to follow, using 2D or 3D animation and the right sound.

These films are often made by an animation studio, and for the sound they bring in a sound designer. That’s where I come into the picture. Or into the soundtrack, in my case. Over the years I’ve done the sound and music for quite a few explainer animations.

Voice-over and voice direction

Sound is incredibly important in explainers. Most of them start with a voice-over that explains out loud what the animation is showing. The voice actor reading the script needs to be directed by a voice director and recorded in high quality as well. That matters, because these films are often full of jargon, and it isn’t always obvious how to pronounce it. In explainer videos a voice actor can rarely do without proper direction.

With a voice director on board, you avoid the voice actor having to come back to the microphone again and again. Saves money. Especially when the sound designer is also the voice director, as in my case.

Sound effects

On top of that, the animation needs sound effects. Attention sounds, sounds that let you literally hear what’s happening on screen (a barking dog, a bicycle bell, etc.) and sounds that emphasise visual effects. Whooosshhhhh…

Over the years I’ve built up a sizeable sound library. But a sound you pull straight from a library almost never fits right away. Too long, too short, or just the wrong tone for that particular animation style. So I record a lot myself. And that’s when the real work starts: cutting, stacking layers, speeding things up or slowing them down, and tweaking until the sound lands exactly on the picture. A crisp 2D animation sounds very different from a realistic 3D one. So you won’t often hear a simple ‘plop’ straight out of a library in my work.

Music

There’s plenty of variety in music too. For a medical explainer you’re not going to use a cheerful banjo and a whistle, to name just one example. I can compose bespoke music, but if the budget is tight I’m also happy to find suitable stock music for you.

Since I record the voice-over and also make the effects and music, I do the mix myself too. That way you know the voice stays clear and everything else sits nicely around it.

Below you’ll find a few examples of explainer animations.