Whiteboard animation videos have become extremely popular in recent years as an engaging way to explain complex ideas and market products and services. The hand-drawn style gives a personal touch and allows viewers to easily follow along as concepts are illustrated step-by-step.
Creating a whiteboard animation may seem complicated, but it’s actually quite simple with PowerPoint. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of making a professional whiteboard animation, from storyboarding to final rendering.
Step 1: Write a Script
Just like any video, your whiteboard animation needs a solid foundation in the form of a script. Outline the key points you want to get across and plan the flow of the video. Keep sentences short and conversational as if you’re explaining the concepts right to the viewer.
Aim for a length between 60 to 90 seconds. You really need to distill your message down to its essence. Remember, animation allows you to show visually what would normally require paragraphs of text.
Step 2: Storyboard Your Animation
After writing the script, the next step is breaking it down shot-by-shot. Each key point or visual concept will be its own scene. Sketch out the storyboard to plan what the drawings will look like and the order they will appear.
You don’t need to be an artist here. Simple stick figure sketches are fine. This helps you visualize the final video and make any necessary tweaks before you start animating.
Step 3: Record Your Voiceover
With the storyboard finished, now is the best time to record your voiceover audio. Read your script aloud in a clear voice, leaving pauses between each scene. Save the audio file to import later.
Having the voiceover done first prevents you from having to manually sync the timing later. The drawings will automatically match the timing of the narration.
Step 4: Create Your Assets in PowerPoint
Open a new PowerPoint presentation. The standard slide size of 10″ x 7.5″ works great since it matches the ratio of a whiteboard.
Start adding shapes to represent the drawings from your storyboard. Group related elements so they move together as a single unit. Make sure to leave one slide per scene.
PowerPoint’s shape tools have everything you need to recreate whiteboard-style illustrations. Use rectangles, circles, arrows, lines, and text boxes.
Step 5: Animate Your Assets
Now the fun begins! Select each asset you created and add an animation so it draws on matching the voiceover. For example:
- Entrance effect: Draw for hand-drawn style
- Duration: 0.5 seconds so it draws at a natural pace
- Start: With Previous to automatically sequence
Customize the effect options so drawings start from a single point and expand outwards as they appear. This enhances the whiteboard aesthetic.
Step 6: Add Transitions
Make your scenes flow smoothly by adding subtle PowerPoint transitions between slides:
- Effect: Push Right so the next slide moves in from the right
- Duration: 0.25 seconds for a quick change
- Sound: Whoosh for a whiteboard marker sound effect
The transitions act as the “hand” moving the whiteboard along so the viewer knows they are progressing to a new concept.
Step 7: Import Your Voiceover
With all the visual assets animating properly in sync, all that’s left is adding the audio. Import your voiceover file into PowerPoint.
Stretch it across all the slides, either in the timeline editor or directly on the slides. The animations and transitions should perfectly match the pacing of your narration.
Step 8: Export Video
You’re finally ready to export your completed whiteboard animation video! Go to File > Export and select MP4 Video Format for the best quality and compatibility.
For the highest resolution, manually change the output size to 1920×1080 pixels. Then sit back and watch your custom whiteboard animation come to life!
Get Creative and Have Fun!
The great thing about PowerPoint whiteboard videos is that they allow you to showcase your creativity. Don’t be afraid to add a personal spin with unique illustrated metaphors relevant to your industry.
Now you have all the techniques to make an engaging whiteboard animation that brings your message to life for viewers. So grab those virtual pens and pencils and start animating your next cool concept!
