animation storyboarding an animated short 1copyright © texas education agency, 2011. all rights...

Animation

Storyboarding an Animated Short

1Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Image 1. Used with permission.

What is a Storyboard?

Storyboarding is the process of producing sketches of the shots of your script. The end result looks like comic book of your film (without the speech bubbles).

Storyboards are part of the preproduction (or planning) process that can include creating a logline, character development, scripting, and sound design.


Storyboard Example



History of Storyboards

Walt Disney is credited with creating the modern storyboard. In 1933, “The Three Little Pigs” was completely storyboarded.

Animators at Warner Brothers (Leon Schlessinger) used to post gags and try to link them together into one coherent story.

Today, most all major animation studios, along with the gaming industry, use storyboards.


Storyboards in Live Action Movies

In the late 1930’s, David Selznik hired William Menzies to storyboard “Gone With the Wind.”

The popularity of storyboarding motion pictures continued with Orson Welles, Howard Hughes, and Alfred Hitchcock.

A large majority of present day directors have their films storyboarded including Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, and the Cohen brothers.


Group Projects

Most productions are group projects and the storyboards are essential to communicate the goal to all group members.

An animator working on an individual project may still want to create a storyboard to plan the project, choose the camera angles, and set the timing.


Benefits of Storyboarding Reduces the time spent on unfocused, undirected

discussion Allows everyone to share ideas equally and promotes

consensus Helpful in generating alternatives Cost effective, accurate planning Perceive possible continuity problems before they

happen Communication between departments Artistic and aesthetic vision remains consistent Communication with client funding the project


Sound Design The step following the

storyboard process is creating the sound audio recording. Usually, audio is recorded first and the animation is designed to fit the audio.

The storyboard helps the actors understand their role when recording audio.

The sound design should include dialog or narration, sound effects, and music.



Animatics

The audio track and storyboard can be combined to create an animatic to check timing.

Animatics sometimes include some simple 2D animation or camera moves.

Many current movies push the storyboard to create a 3D previsualization (previz) using simple 3D models and very limited animation; a kind of 3D animatic.


Continuity and Understanding

If your audience does not understand some portion of your project, the visual element usually needs to be corrected.

If your audience does not feel the proper emotion, the audio element usually needs to be corrected.

Try to create a storyboard that communicates the story without the viewer hearing or reading the dialog.


Do I Need to be an Artist? Any drawing exercise is an

important part of your portfolio. Many jobs expect you to be

able to draw to some degree. Most colleges and art schools

require students to draw (even 3D students).

Many colleges will not allow you into their animation program until they approve your life drawing samples.



Storyboard Paper Storyboards used for beginning story

development are often rough drawings on 4” x 6” index cards tacked to a bulletin board. Panels can be easily added and the order can be shuffled.

Once the story is established, storyboard paper with 9 to 12 panels maybe be used to thumbnail (tiny rough drawings) the board.

Final production storyboards are usually done using one, two, or three panels per page.

A wide panel frame may be needed for pans and trucks (explained later).

Production storyboards should include action and dialogue.



Camera Placements

Strive to use a series of shots from different camera angles that rarely last longer than a few seconds.

Try to find interesting camera angles rather than straight-on.


Visual Focus

Always ask yourself, “Where do I expect my view to look?”

Arrange your visual elements and camera so your viewers easily understand where to look.

In most situations, do not position the subject centrally in the picture.

Use the rule of thirds by visually dividing the width and height of the frame into three parts. Try to put the most important object at one of the intersections (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right).


Rule of Thirds



Horizon Placement

In geographic terms, the horizon is where the sky meets the ground. In art, the horizon is the eye level. In an exterior scene, they may or may not be the same line.

Do not let the horizon (either artistic or geographic) split the frame in half.

In most cases, lower the horizon.


Horizon Examples



Camera Lens and Perspective

Understand the difference in camera lenses. In 3D, use wide-angle or telephoto settings when appropriate.

Lens are usually identified by millimeter measurements. Wide-angle lens: around 12 mm. Normal lens: 24 to 50 mm. Telephoto lens: 100 to 200 mm.

In 2D, push the perspective when needed by changing the position of vanishing points.


Lens Examples



Camera Shots: Wide and Establishing Shots

Wide shot – This is the name for a shot which is taken from a long way away showing the surroundings and the actor(s).

Establishing Shot – A wide shot that lets the audience know where the action is taking place. Usually, your audience has to understand the setting at or near the beginning. Sometimes, you might choose to hide the setting from the audience on purpose.


Wide Shot



Camera Shots: Long Shot

Long shot – This is closer than a wide shot. You can see the person from head to toe, but you can still see what's around them. Many times the action is best displayed using this full-body shot.


Long Shot



Camera Shots: Medium Shot

Medium shot – This shows someone from just below their waist to just above their head. When you use a medium shot, the viewer is close enough to see actor's expressions but can see what the actors are doing with their hands as well.


Medium Shot



Camera Shots: Close-up

Close-up – This shows just the head of the person being filmed. You can use this sort of shot when it's important to see someone's expression: for example, if they are scared or angry.

Extreme Close-up – A dramatic shot that shows the actors eyes and mouth.


Close-Up



Shot Comparison



Camera Shots: 1, 2, 3, OTS

One Shot – Only one actor is in the frame. Two Shot – Two actors are in the frame. OTS – Over the Shoulder Shot. A two shot which

puts focus on the character facing the camera. This shot sets up for the One Shot, as if the viewer has assumed the other character’s point of view (POV).

Three Shot – Three actors. Angle the camera so that the focal point actor is closest. Look at the triangle created by the three actors. The “power spot” is the top of the triangle.


OTS – Over the Shoulder



Camera Shots: Inserts

An insert shot is a full screen close-up of actions, objects, text, or a character’s reaction placed as if inserted over a longer scene or over dialog.


Insert Example



Camera Shots: Dutch Angle

A Dutch Angle tilts the camera on its bank axis which slants the horizon. It is used to create tension in a scene. Fast shots at a Dutch Angle might be used during a chase scene, a fight scene, or when a character becomes violent or confused.


Dutch Angle Example



Camera Movement: Dolly

Dolly is moving the camera into the shot, getting closer to the action. This is similar to zooming in on the action.

To show this on the storyboard, a floating frame is draw to show the final placement. Arrows from the corners of the original frame to the new frame indicate trucking.

Use thick white arrows to show camera moves and thin black arrows to show objects or actors moving.


Dolly Storyboard



Camera Movement: Pan

Panning is rotating the camera on a tripod to slowly reveal a wide section.

To show this on the storyboard, create a wide drawing and use a floating frame. Connect the frames with arrows to indicate the direction and mark “start” and “stop” on the appropriate frames.

Normal storyboard paper often makes this difficult to show. A wider panel frame is better.


Storyboard Pan



Camera Movement: Trucking

Trucking is the lateral movement of the camera. Like panning, it reveals a wide section.

Trucking usually follows an actor or an object, so the background is actually moving through the frame.

Keep some space in front of a character in the direction they are moving. Don’t crowd into the edge of the frame.


Camera Movement: Trucking

To show this on the storyboard, use a circled “BG” with arrows to indicate which direction the background is moving.

It may or may not be necessary to draw the entire background on a wide panel with a floating frame.


Storyboard Trucking



Transitions

When possible, help your audience with scene transitions by hinting at the new location in the final frame prior to the cut. Example: First scene is in a school hall and second shot in a classroom. Show the door to the classroom prior to the transition.

Special transitions may be needed for the passage of time, flash backs, dreams, etc. Simply write on the panel a description: clock wipe or fade to black.


Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

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Image Credits Image 01. Storyboard. Created by Aaron Gallimore. Used with permission. Image 02. Storyboard. Created by Aaron Gallimore. Used with permission. Image 03. Photo of microphone. Photograph by Doctor Bob. Used. with permission from MorgueFile.com

(http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/55317). Image 04. Photo of drawings. Photograph and drawings by Mark Harman. Used with permission. Image 05. Storyboard paper. Created by Gladys Cardenas. Used with permission. Image 06. Rules of thirds. Created by Summer Pirkle. Used with permission. Image 07. Horizon examples. Created by Mark Harman. Used with permission. Image 08. Lens examples. Created by Mark Harman. Used with permission. Image 09. Boy at locker (wide). Created by Mandy Lansford. Used with permission. Image 10. Boy at locker (long). Created by Mandy Lansford. Used with permission. Image 11. Boy at locker (medium). Created by Mandy Lansford. Used with permission. Image 12. Boy at locker (close-up). Created by Mandy Lansford. Used with permission. Image 13. Boy at locker (shot comparison). Created by Mandy Lansford. Used with permission. Image 14. Drawing of man and witch (ots). Created by Summer Pirkle. Used with permission. Image 15. Drawing of man by subway (insert). Created by Mark Harman. Used with permission. Image 16. Drawing of girls in hall (Dutch). Created by Nghi Pham. Used with permission. Image 17. Drawing of man and volcano (dolly). Created by Mandy Lansford. Used with permission. Image 18. Drawing of palm trees (pan). Created by Joey Ellerd. Used with permission. Image 19. Drawing of van and road (trucking). Created by Mark Harman. Used with permission.

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