STORYBOARDING

As part of the storyboarding process, I put my boards on a timeline with rough sound from the very beginning to get an idea of the flow of the story, timing, composition and editing. This allows me to see where the story works and where it needs any improvements. As I progress, I move around and replace panels, add camera and character animation, transitions and effects, including 3D tools where needed, to convey the story clearly and in an engaging way.

I create storyboards to convey information about the scene, shot and panel number, shot size, camera movements, action and dialogue and any other comments that are necessary for production. I adjust my approach based on whether the film is animation or live action, with more panels showing acting for animation and staying on model, and more focus on the setup for live action to be used in the shot list and for the planning of the order of shooting for live action.

Before drawing the storyboard and creating an animatic, I go through the script and create a shot list, thumbnails and plan views. This not only allows me to consider the best setup to tell the story, but also allows me to see where shots may be merged together and told in one, which reduces the time spent on thumbnailing and also reduces the time spent on animating and shooting during a live action production. Telling the story in the least amount of shots saves time and work for everyone and ultimately leads to a more streamlined story.