Storyboarding
Storyboarding is the pre-production stage in which a script is broken into a sequence of drawn panels that define each shot's composition, action, and timing.
It is the roadmap for the entire production. Solving narrative problems in the storyboard phase is essential for a smooth production. Storyboards feed directly into animatics, which test the timing and pacing before full animation begins.
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Sources
Academic papers, recognised industry standards, and canonical industry texts that back up claims in this entry.
- D Storyboarding for Modern Animation. Gouvatsos, Bournemouth University, 2017Supports: pre-production stage definition
- The Walt Disney Story of Animation: an art form, a tradition, a career. Thomas, F., Johnston, O., Walt Disney Productions, 1981Supports: Founding chapter on storyboarding as Disney's contribution to animation craft
- Directing the Story: Professional Storytelling and Storyboarding Techniques for Live Action and Animation. Glebas, F., Routledge / Focal Press, 2008Supports: Industry-standard reference on storyboarding craft
Frequently asked questions
Why do we storyboard before animating?
Storyboards are the cheapest place to fix story problems. A storyboard panel takes minutes to redraw; an animated shot takes days. Sorting out shot order, framing, and action at storyboard stage is what protects the rest of the budget. It also gives every department, design, animation, sound, a shared reference for what each shot should be.
How detailed do storyboards need to be?
On most projects, storyboards are loose: line drawings showing the framing, the character pose, and the key action of each shot. Detail in the drawings is not the point; clarity of action is. We add notes for camera moves, dialogue lines, and timing. The polished visual look gets handled separately in design frames.
Can AI generate storyboards?
AI image tools can produce storyboard-style panels from text prompts and are useful for very early exploration. The trade-off is consistency: getting the same character in the same world across many panels is still hard. Most studios, including ours, use AI for reference inside AI-assisted animation, with the final storyboard drawn or directed by a human artist.