There are many reasons animators use storyboards, ranging from cinematic convention to checking whether something is viable within a production. Key reasons why they are often essential include:

• Tried and tested method. Animators and filmmakers started using storyboards in the 1930s and continue to do so to this day.

• Captures a vision. Until the storyboard stage, an animated film exists largely in the heads and imaginations of its creators — namely the director and scriptwriter. The storyboard is the first time that vision is presented visually, as a basic narrative.

• Combines words and pictures. Films are made of words and pictures. And at the storyboard stage, a story artist (as they’re called at Disney) or board artist, can collaborate with a writer to see how the two mediums will come together to match the director’s vision. 

• Can plan scenes and shots. The storyboard is a great tool for planning and organising a production. You can use it to break down the animation into scenes and then label the individual camera shots within each scene. 

• Provides a checklist. A well drafted storyboard will double as a checklist of things you need for your production. Do it right and you’ll know how many scenes you have, which characters are in them, whether there’s any audio requirements, a list of shots to complete and more. 

• Builds a reference document. Storyboards often undergo several revisions, which means they change significantly as documents. By archiving each version of your storyboard, you get a complete view of the project from day one to the last shot. 

• Allows for feedback. By storyboarding their animation, a director can use this to understand what works and what doesn’t, identify specific challenges and obstacles and gather constructive feedback from others on the planned vision. This feedback could be as crucial to the success of a feature film production, as it might be for a student filmmaker consulting their teacher.

1. Getting started

To get started with a storyboard, you first need an idea of the animation you want to create, as well as the basic materials for setting it out.  

• Create your synopsis. This is an overview of the plot, including key characters, acts, conflicts and resolutions. 

• Know your narrative structure. As well as the overall plot outline, you need to have an idea of what will be happening to who and in what order. In short, a breakdown of the narrative, scene by scene. 

• Know the action. What will the characters be doing in the shot? Will they be moving, will they be speaking? What will be going on around them? Will there be cars, planes, falling buildings? Or perhaps just gently swaying trees or rainfall? 

• Have your materials. You’ll need high-quality pens, pencils and paper to start your sketches. Or you may prefer to sketch using a drawing app. For the creation of panels you’ll likely want to use software like Photshop or hand draw your sketches. 

2. Sketching your animation storyboards

Sketching your storyboard begins with paper and pencil. You might start by roughing up a small thumbnail sketch for each shot. These should be drawn from the perspective of a viewer would see on screen. If you have to move your head to see something else, that means a new shot and therefore a new thumbnail. 

This helps you to get an overall view of the animation on one page.

Though many animators still draw storyboards by hand, professionals and hobbyists alike are increasingly using drawing apps to sketch out their frames.