Layout, Storyboard & Animatic

• Use this Storyboard Template (the FLA version) (download)

• Draw Boards in Adobe Animate (or in another software and import it in)

• Add narration text and sound notes on the storyboards

• Import the narration into Animate (or create scratch audio narration while waiting for finished audio)

• Create an animatic (see example below)

• Distribute segments to artists and animators as needed (using copy and paste animatic frames)

• The animatic segments will become the final animation segments as the story board art is replaced with the final art. Here is an example file that shows how that work (external link).

Set up segments to match the animation script framework:

1. (5 - 20 s.) Set Expectations: the preamble

2. (60 - 80 s.) Tell The Story

3. (10 - 20 s.) Offer a Value Proposition

4. (10 - 20 s.) Connect it With the Viewer

5. (3-10 s.) Call to Action

Camera Location Affects Emotion

Camera Shot Guide

• Close is intimate

• Far is isolating

• Medium is neutral

• Up shot empowers the actors

• Down shot diminishes the actors

• Tilt is disorienting

Editing

• Mix up the shots to support the narrative. Don't use one type of shot over and over in sequence.

• Leave "lead room". For example, if a character is facing left, position them towards the right (leaving room in the scene for them to look into).

• Pay attention to the lines of action. For example if a character exits stage left, have the next character in the next shot or same shot enter stage right. In other words, make the eye movements for your audience smooth not jerky.

• Try to keep the focal point from the end of one shot to the beginning of the following shot in the same place (as often as you can).

Considerations for Each Drawn Board

• Where , What, Who, When, How, Why

• Do you need to include elements that show scale?

• Are characters or the camera moving? Show the line of motion using arrows.

• Write the narration on each board along with sound design notes (foley and/or effects).

Transitions

• Do not design animated transitions between segments. That would make the animation far more complicated to assemble later.

• Cut on motion (from action to action)

• Cut on pause (opposite of cutting on action)

• Slide scene elements in and out

• Transition to/from black

• Cross Dissolve