Storyboarding is one of the important processes for creating awesome animated videos. It’s the step where your script comes alive, and where characters and concepts take form instead of just text on a white background.
A storyboard would dictate how your animated video would look like, that’s why it’s crucial to get it right. Luckily, here at Motion Cabin, we know a couple of expert tips that will surely come in handy:
Don’t let the opening sequence eat up your time
In any form of storytelling, establishing the character is important. In books, novelists can paint a clear picture through a paragraph or two. While in storyboarding, you can do that by establishing shots through panels.
But be careful. While it’s an important aspect of storytelling, you shouldn’t let it eat up the opening frames. Use establishing shots but keep it to only one or two frames as much as possible.
Make Every Frame Count
There is a certain freedom that comes with creating an animated video. And if it comes with a strict running time in mind, then you should make every frame count. Essentially, you need to condense your script into a limited number of frames. Everything you add to your storyboard should be justified. Ask yourself why it should be included in the panel.
Consider the Flow Between Shots
Perspective, move, and composition is important in storyboarding because this will be adapted to the final animated video. But, another important aspect is the flow of your animated video. In short, each frame has to connect.
Even if you’re animating in a 2D style, thinking in 3D is a must. This will help you visualize and consider the following:
- How will the “camera” transition from one scene to the next?
- How will the character blocking look like?
- What happens to your characters when they move off-screen?
Ensure Continuity
Maintaining continuity not only looks good but it creates consistency in conveying the story and message of your animated video. As mentioned before, while you may opt to animate in a 2D style, thinking in 3D is vital. This means, being consistent with how you compose each panel like the 180-degree rule.
The 180-degree rule is a basic guideline that creates consistency by factoring in the spatial relationship between characters, objective, and where the “camera” is placed.
Make It Accurate
The aim of storyboarding is to show how your animated video would look like, meaning, it should look as accurate as possible. This includes providing notes of the transitions from one frame to the next, the camera angles, and the movements of characters.
If the animated video comes with a voiceover (VO), it would help to include the VO line per frame to help you visualize the corresponding narration.
Figuratively, storyboarding is like a sonograph for artists. You can get to see a clearer look at your hard work and creative efforts before producing the end result, your animated video.
Collaborate with us! For inquiries, just message us at info@motioncabin.com, and let’s turn your creative ideas into actions.
Motion Cabin is a full-service digital advertising agency that can produce creative high-quality content from stunning animation videos to on-trend graphic designs and articles that effectively engage with your audience.
