Storyboarding is the process of brainstorming an animation before animating it. An animatic is one step further, it applies these storyboards to key frames before finishing the animation with images called in betweens. These are both important functions to making something animated.

What I enjoy about making a storyboard is that it’s a very organic approach to drawing. Of course, most art is organic though when drawing a storyboard, you really put yourself in the character’s shoes and atmosphere, and it’s as if your drawing next to them. You’re not just drawing one picture to capture the moment, you’re capturing something that is alive (perhaps). You’re the camera and storyboarding is your movie set.

My biggest learning curve with this animatic was use of needed devices and overall lack of experience. I know the principles behind doing in betweens for an animation and storyboarding, though have never made an animatic. It’s a very different use of my time, and overall it was a great learning experience for my own animation productions. Making a storyboard or applying that to an animatic is a battle plan for the final product an actual animation, and it will be the first battle plan of mine of many more to come in the future.