Storyboards are an important part of the animation process, however, they're often overlooked by animators. This is a shame because storyboards have the power to help you improve your animations and make them easier to animate.
But how about elevating those storyboards and making them even more effective? That's when animatic storyboards come in and take your average animation storyboards to the next level.
In this blog post, we'll go through the reasons why animatic storyboards are essential to creating the perfect animations
A Brief History of Animation Storyboards
Animation storyboards are used to plan out animations and videos. They allow you to visualize your idea before you begin production so that you can ensure your animation will be what you want it to be.
Storyboards have been around since the early 1900s, when they were used by filmmakers who wanted their movies made according to their vision. Today, animators use storyboards in exactly the same way--to create animations that look exactly like they imagined them while they were still on paper or computer screen.
What is an Animatic Storyboard?
GIF by Amazon Prime Video via GIPHY
An animatic storyboard is a series of drawings that show the movement of elements in an animation. It's basically a rough version of your video, but with no sound. Animatics are used to plan the timing and layout of an animation before it's finalized--and they can be very useful when you want to make sure everything is working out as planned.
Animatics help you figure out how long each scene should be, how many shots you need to film, where certain characters should be placed in relation to other characters (and props), what kinds of camera angles work best for certain scenes...you get the idea!
Animatics are also a great way to test whether or not your storyboard is working. It's much easier to make changes to an animatic than it is to change the actual video itself--so before you go through all of the work of creating an animation, it's a good idea to make sure everything looks right!
What are the Different Types of Animatic Storyboards?
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Animatics are used in a wide range of industries and can be a great way to communicate ideas to your team. Here are some examples:
Games
An animatic can help you visualize what the final game will look like, allowing you to make changes before investing time or money into development. This allows you to focus on creating an enjoyable experience for players without worrying about technical details.
Commercials & Ads
An animatic can help sell your product by creating an emotional connection between the viewer and what they see on screen. A well-crafted commercial will give people something interesting enough that they want more information about it, but doesn't give away too much before it airs (or releases).
How to Create an Animatic Storyboard?
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To create an animatic storyboard, you will need to use a storyboard software. You can also create one by using a whiteboard and markers or even physical storyboards. Digital storyboards are another option for those who want to keep it simple and easy-to-use. However, there are many other ways of creating an animatic storyboard such as using paper or video (animation).
How to Use an Animatic Storyboard?
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An animatic storyboard is a tool that can be used to communicate ideas with clients and colleagues, as well as with animators. It's like a finished scene in animation, except it's not animated yet.
An animatic allows you to show what your final product will look like without having to spend time on creating artwork or animations that may change over time. This is great for getting feedback from others who may have different ideas about how the project should turn out!
Animatic Storyboards and the Pre-Production Process
Animatics are a key part of the pre-production process. They allow you to see and feel your story before you start animating it, which makes it easier to catch mistakes or problems before they happen.
Animatics can also help with planning your budget for an animation project. For example, if you have an animatic that shows a scene with 20 characters in it and each character is going to be animated by hand (meaning every single frame will be drawn by hand), then you know how much time will be spent on this particular shot and what kind of price range that puts on your budget estimate.
Timing
Timing is the process of planning how long each shot will last. It's a crucial part of creating an engaging storyboard, because it helps you to create a storyboard that is entertaining and interesting.
Timing can be used to add excitement and drama to your animation, but it can also be used in other ways too:
- To make sure that the audience knows what's happening in your animation at any given time - for example, by using slow motion or fast forward effects so that they can see exactly what happens when something happens (such as someone walking through a door).
- To show different points-of-view from different characters within one scene - like when two people are talking about something important together but only one person has their back facing towards us so we don't know exactly what he/she looks like yet until later on when we finally catch up with him/her again after walking around some bushes nearby! This creates anticipation for our next meeting between these two friends who have not seen each other since childhood days gone by..."
Benefits of Animatic Storyboarding
GIF by SpongeBob SquarePants via GIPHY
Animatic storyboards are a great way to turn your ideas into reality. Here are some of their benefits:
- They help you visualize your animation before you begin working on it. This can be especially useful if you're planning to create an animated short film or web series, since it's often difficult to imagine how everything will look in motion until the actual animations have been completed. Creating an animatic allows you to see what kind of shots would work well with certain characters and settings before spending unnecessary time working on something that won't work at all!
- They allow for easy collaboration between artists who may not be able to meet face-to-face due to distance or other reasons (such as cost). If two artists live thousands of miles apart from each other but want their ideas combined into one project, then creating an animatic beforehand will save both parties time and effort later down the road -- especially when changes need made midway through production!
They help you save time and money by avoiding costly mistakes. Animatics are a great way to test out your ideas before spending hours on them only to realize later that they're not going to work at all!
Why You Need to Create Animatic Storyboards
GIF via GIPHY
With the help of animatic storyboards, you can create great animations that will engage your audience. They give you a chance to make changes before animating and save time and money by doing so.
For more information about animatic storyboards, as well as answers to any other questions you might have, be sure to follow our blogs, check out our free masterclass, and our Animation Business Accelerator Program, download a copy of our free marketing handbook, and check out our blog on “How to Start an Animation Studio”!
