The power of storytelling in animation

Animation never loses its appeal, no matter how old we get, but what is it about storytelling in animation that has us gripped? Is it the unlimited creative possibilities, the fantastical worlds they offer, or just the sheer power of their storytelling compared to live action? Maybe it’s all of these—let’s take a look!

Animation has endless scope for creativity. With live action, the story is usually limited by reality (not to mention the laws of physics!), but animation isn’t—it can be anything that can be imagined, and that’s powerful stuff.

In Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, we’re dropped into a dream-like world with spirits and magical creatures. And Pixar’s Inside Out is told from the mind of a girl, personifying her emotions as real characters in a beautifully detailed inner world.

There’s a misconception that animation and cartoons are mostly for children, but the versatility of animation means that it’s just as compelling for adults. As well as references and jokes for adults being included in many kids’ films, animated storytelling aimed at adults can be sophisticated, thought-provoking, and really resonate.

A film based on Marjane Satrapi’s life (adapted from her autobiographical graphic novel), Persepolis tells the story of her childhood and early adult years through the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

This is a Japanese sci-fi film animation following a psychologist who has a device that can enter the dreams of patients!

BoJack is a washed-up actor who also happens to be a horse… he deals with addiction and depression, and the vibe is very much that of dark humor!

When it comes to visual storytelling in animation, there’s a lot of scope. The imagery is used to get across emotions and to tackle certain themes without needing to rely on the dialogue. To do this, animation filmmakers use techniques like:

Want to know more? Read about Travis Knight’s Unique Approach to Stop-Motion Storytelling.

We need to believe in what we’re seeing when it comes to animation films, and sometimes that means suspending our disbelief. We can only do that if creators make detailed and consistent environments that feel real and lived-in.

In this world, people can bend the four elements (water, earth, fire, and air), and we follow the last ‘Avatar’ who can do that, a boy called Aang. The world is divided into four nations, each one corresponding to the elements, so world-building is really important because we need to understand that each nation has its own culture, geography, and bending style. Its style combines modern American animation with Japanese anime.

We follow a family of superheroes living undercover in this animated movie, and it has a funky retro-futuristic setting, with mid-century modern design mixed with advanced tech. Through excellent storytelling techniques, we understand the backstory where superheroes used to be celebrated but were forced to go into hiding, which gives the whole film more resonance. The Incredibles is 3D CGI created, which is Pixar’s signature look.

Wolfwalkers is fairly recent and is a great animated show from Cartoon Saloon, blending Irish folklore into the world-building so that the whole film is grounded in cultural context. The theme of nature vs. civilization is illustrated beautifully through lush, untamed forests. Wolfwalkers is 2D hand-drawn animation with intricate line work and gorgeous textures.

The settings in animated stories do more than just provide a backdrop; they often play a crucial role in the narrative, as we’ve seen already!

If you’d like to create your own awesome animations but need a little help getting started, you can try a pre-made template.

We know that characters are at the heart of any good story, and with animation, there’s a real opportunity to develop characters in new and memorable ways through design, voice acting, and animation techniques.

If you’ve seen Up, then we refuse to believe that you didn’t cry at the opening montage. That’s good character-building! We instantly care about Carl and his wife and are invested in what happens to them. The designs here are deliberately exaggerated, so Carl has rounded and expressive features in contrast with the more angular design of what’s around him.

The Lion King is a classic for good reason, and each character’s design reflects their nature and status. Scar is lean and angular with darker coloring, while Mufasa in contrast has a robust build and warm colors to show us he’s strong and noble. The 2D animation style here aims for realism because we all know what animals are supposed to look like!

Couldn’t resist finishing this trio of Disney films with Coco, which is packed full of rich detail inspired by Mexican culture and traditions. The characters in Coco include skeletons, which could be a tricky thing to make us love, but they nail it, with a high level of expressiveness and really intricate designs.

Voice acting is a really important part of bringing characters to life, and the actors’ performances need to complement the work of the animation to get across all the nuances of emotion and personality. Take Shameik Moore as Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)—he brings a great balance of youthful high spirits and vulnerability. He’s authentic and compelling, and that makes him instantly relatable and likable!

Arguably, voice acting is even more crucial to get right when dubbing a foreign language film, because it could lose some cultural nuances and emotional depth that the original had, and this can either make it feel inauthentic, or may even be offensive if something becomes misrepresented. In Porco Rosso, originally a Japanese animation by Studio Ghibli, Michael Keaton plays an ex-fighter pilot who has been cursed to look like a pig and is now a bounty hunter. Keaton brings depth and dry humor to the role and makes Porco seem world-weary but somehow still quite charming… for a pig!

We’ve talked about character design, but what about development and story arcs? Good characters are one thing, but we also need to see them grow and change through a story. Here are some great examples:

The character arc of Princess Kaguya in this film is really moving. She starts out as a kid full of curiosity and joy and grows into a young woman who struggles with societal expectations and longs for freedom.

Flee is actually an animated documentary film, and it tells the story of a real-life refugee. Amin Nawabi narrates his journey from Afghanistan to Denmark, and the film shows his growth from a traumatized child fleeing war to a resilient adult. The blend of animation and documentary is a really creative approach to storytelling.

This French animation draws from West African folklore. Kirikou is a small but brave boy who tries to save his village from the wicked sorceress Karaba. Kirikou’s intelligence, bravery, and compassion drive his character development and his arc challenges usual ideas of heroism and strength, showing that even the smallest individuals can change the world.

If you feel inspired to create your own amazing animations after reading this, then why not try some of our free animation tutorials:

In this free animation tutorial, our expert illustrator Akansha will show you how to create a fun text animation using Procreate and turn it into a GIF!

Jonathan Lam will show you how to make a color script for your animation in Photoshop in this detailed tutorial. He’ll explain exactly what a color script is and how it can help you with your animation.

It’s a cliché, but it’s true: the power of storytelling in animation is really only limited by our imaginations. Well, maybe that and honing our skills, so if you feel like creating the next big animation that everyone will love and remember, then be sure to check out our free animation tutorials, like The Art of Animation and How to Become a Motion Designer. And subscribe to our brand new Envato Video YouTube channel to get regular updates on the latest tips and trends.