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Published :23 July 2024
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Storyboarding for Animation: A Guide

Storyboarding for Animation

Animation productions begin with a storyboard, a visual narrative that guides animators through rough sketches of key scenes. This crucial step helps define creative vision and direction, whether created by professionals or beginners, ensuring organization and clarity throughout the animation process. This blog will help you to understand the concept of storyboarding in animation, frames for storyboarding, tips for creating, and their advantages.

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What is Storyboarding in Animation?

When creating any animation, there are three main stages: Pre-Production, Production, and Post-Production. Storyboarding is a vital part of pre-production.

Think of storyboarding as a comic or rough sketch version of the animation. It includes directions about camera angles, character movements, and scene narrations, serving as a reference for animators to create animations and then the final animation.

Storyboarding in Animation

Storyboarding is the next step after preparing your storytelling for a game, video advertisement, or any animation concept. An animation storyboard illustrates, structures, and organizes animation scenes, which are later brought to life with voice acting, transitions, and effects.

An animation storyboard can include:

  • Illustrations of entire scenes, frame by frame

  • The flow, appearance, and expression of the finished product

Depending on the concept, artists may utilize several screens/frames to demonstrate the preliminary visual narrative of the animation. For example, in our game Dots & Boxes marketing campaign, we used storyboarding to visualize the animation.

Frames for Storyboarding

Animation takes time, and storyboarding guarantees that it begins and ends on schedule, making it easier to sell as intended. The approach and type of storyboarding can vary based on the animator's and storyboard artist's time and expertise. 

Here are the different types of storyboards in animation based on varying requirements: 

Traditional Pen and Paper-Based Hand-Drawn Storyboards: Ideal for motion graphics tasks and short video animation projects.

Digital Storyboards: Used by today’s animation and storyboard artists to visualize their ideas about animation frames and motions, suitable for lengthy animation projects. This method is often employed by artists at major studios like Disney.

Animatics: Also known as animation storyboards, these are created concerning initial storyboarding or directly as a rough animation reference. They show how the animation will look, though with less detail on colors and effects.

These are the three main types of animation storyboarding, but other types include written or explainer storyboards with sketches guiding animators.

Tips for Creating Your Storyboard

Once you've decided on the type of storyboard you want to create, gather your materials—be it a piece of paper or a computer. The process is simpler than you might think and offers many benefits to animators. Here are our tips: 

Break Down Your Script:

Whether you're making an animated short or a feature-length film, start by breaking your script or character dialogue into smaller scenes and key shots. Number each area to identify your storyboard panels, as this shot list will be required during production. 

Define Your Visual Style:

This step is particularly important when collaborating with an animation client. The visual style must be communicated through the storyboard, as a script alone cannot represent it. Consider your color palette, character designs, key shots, and backgrounds. If you're uncertain about the direction, create an inspiring mood board with reference images before starting your storyboard. List everything you need to draw, such as key scenes and the sequence of events according to your script.

Create a Template:

Create an animation storyboard template when you've decided on the sort of storyboard. For a traditional storyboard with detailed drawings and notes, use pencil and paper or digital tools to make equally sized panels with space for notes. For a thumbnail-style storyboard, use smaller panels that fit more into the grid without extra space for notes. Number your panels according to your script breakdown to stay organized. 

Start Drawing:

Now for the fun part. Begin by establishing the scene's location in the first panel, then match the script parts to the frames you want to produce. Fill in each panel with sketches that highlight the most important parts of the story, such as character movements. Remember, the storyboard is not the final product, so detailed drawings aren't necessary at this stage.

Add Descriptive Notes:

Enhance your visuals with handwritten notes detailing character actions, dialogue, and brief descriptions of each scene. This helps convey the creative direction.

Explain Technical Details:

Direct animators with specific action notes about how you want each shot to look. For example, indicate zooms, pans, tilts, or specific transitions with notes or simple arrows, ensuring a coherent story flow.

Gather Feedback:

Gathering feedback is crucial for any creative project. Present a first draft of your storyboard and expect a few changes. Ask for feedback from clients, team members, family, or friends, leaving space for comments. Apply any necessary edits. Once everyone is satisfied, you can move from pre-production to animation.

Advantages of Storyboarding in Animation

Just as a movie requires a proper script for direction, animation needs a well-drawn storyboard for structure and coherence. Here are key reasons why a storyboard artist is essential for creating impactful, immersive animation: 

Clarity of Vision: A concrete storyboard provides animators with a clear understanding of the game project's vision, ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Visualizing Possibilities: Storyboards enable animators to experiment with an infinite number of animation possibilities, providing the ideal narrative for them to weave their magic.

Smooth Flow: By breaking down the animation into detailed scenes, storyboarding ensures each part gets its proper time to shine, maintaining a smooth and engaging flow.

Composition Guidance: Storyboards guide animators in composing individual scenes, indicating how characters and elements should be positioned within the frame for balanced visuals and aesthetics.

Detailed Planning: They enable animators to meticulously plan character expressions and movements, enhancing the believability and emotional impact of the animation.

Creating Experiences: Storyboarding is not just about generating ideas for scenes; it’s about crafting a believable, eye-catching, and dynamic experience.

Final Words

Storyboarding is an essential tool for animators, helping streamline animation flow by detailing scenes, compositions, visual consistency, and smooth transitions. At Osiz, our storyboard artists and animators expertly handle these aspects to deliver exceptional animation services. Share your animation needs with Osiz, a leading Game Development Company for complete solutions, from ideation to final animation.

Author's Bio
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Thangapandi

Founder & CEO Osiz Technologies

As the CEO of Osiz Technologies, Mr. Thangapandi has exhibited exceptional leadership and innovation in the field of game development. An early adopter of new technology, Mr. Thangapandi asserts, "The world of games has always held a special place in my heart. It's a realm of boundless creativity, where imagination takes form and stories come alive. As CEO of Osiz Technologies, it's been an immense privilege to be a part of the gaming universe" With Osiz on the verge of game development, the future of gaming is bright, brimming with innovative experiences and captivating narratives.

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