Storyboard Revision Rounds
Storyboard revision rounds are the structured cycles of client feedback and director amendment a storyboard passes through before it is locked, typically two to three rounds on most commercial projects.
Each round has a job. The first round usually surfaces high-level questions: pacing, structure, missing beats, or shifts in tone. The second round addresses panel-level questions: framing, character pose, scene transitions. By the third round, the storyboard should be near-locked; further changes after that point are expensive because they affect every downstream stage.
We ask clients to consolidate feedback inside each round rather than dripping comments in over weeks. A consolidated round produces a cleaner amendment and a clearer next-round target. This is part of the wider revisions and feedback protocols we agree at project start.
On a typical 60 to 90 second commercial, three rounds sit inside the pre-production window of three to five weeks. Faster turnarounds compress the rounds; bigger projects extend them. The number of rounds is set in the contract.
Locking the storyboard is the moment production begins in earnest. After lock, scene-level changes are change requests, not revisions, and the schedule reflects the cost of the change.
Related
Related services
Sources
Academic papers, recognised industry standards, and canonical industry texts that back up claims in this entry.
- Sketching user experiences: getting the design right and the right design. Buxton, B., Morgan Kaufmann (Elsevier), 2007Supports: Iterative sketching and revision methodology applicable to storyboard rounds
- The Animator's Survival Kit. Williams, R., Faber and Faber, 2001Supports: Industry text on storyboard revision discipline in production pipelines
Frequently asked questions
What happens if we need a fourth round?
We have it, but the schedule moves and the budget reflects the change. The two- or three-round structure is a target, not a hard wall, but each extra round delays everything downstream. Clear sign-off at each round is the cheaper path.
Who attends the storyboard review?
We recommend the client side bring the people who can give final approval, plus one creative reviewer. Bringing more reviewers per round tends to multiply the feedback rather than improve it. The decision-maker in the room is the most useful person for a clean round.
Can we change voiceover or script during storyboard rounds?
Yes, and that is part of what storyboard rounds are for. The earlier the script changes the better; script changes after storyboard lock force panel re-work and may delay animatic production. We surface this at every round.