Just as writing a screenplay or novel begins with creating a plot structure, and a route planning begins with a map, animation (so as live-action film production) begins with a storyboard.
What is storyboard in animation
Essentially, a storyboard definition is a sequential series of drawings that depict scenes from a film (sketches) that reflect key events. In addition, the storyboard displays the essence, structure, and general concept of the finished animation.
Visually, a storyboard is very reminiscent of a comic book, as it is a set of blocks with sketches depicted in chronological order in accordance with the plot.
A storyboard is not just images. It can also include notes on actions (including character actions), dialogue, camera angles, and notes for artists.
What are the functions of storyboards for animation
- Visualization of the script. One of the main tasks of the storyboard is to help understand how the scenes will look, what the pace and character of the story will be. After all, transferring the script to the screen is not as easy as it seems, especially when a whole team of people with different understanding of the material is working on it.
- Timing. At the storyboard stage, you can not only decide on the timing, but also remove unnecessary scenes before the production stage, thereby avoiding unnecessary expenses.
- Framing scenes. Thanks to the storyboard, artists can experiment with composition and frame construction before the animation stage.
- Resource allocation. Thanks to the storyboard, you can determine the scale of scenes and effectively distribute financial, human and time resources.
The importance of storyboarding in animation is hard to overestimate, as this tool not only allows you to build a general concept of the project, experiment with all sorts of ideas and concepts, but also competently build the production stage, reducing unnecessary costs.
