The Importance of Storyboarding in Animation

Designer Roberto Puig talks about the importance of using storyboards and animatics in animation projects

Storyboarding is an integral process in the development of animation. It includes all the planned details of the piece, and it is a clear and detailed document of the ultimate result. Despite its importance, many professionals and animation studios jump this step of the process. Roberto Puig (@rpuig)—graphic designer and director of Don Porfirio studio—highlights how this step is fundamental and gives us some tips on how to execute it best.

Why is storyboarding important?

The main reason all animation projects must include a storyboard is to help us achieve exceptional outcomes. It also ensures that everyone involved in the production has a vision of the product from the start, including the client.

It is also useful for organizing all the individuals' jobs and tasks within the animation project pipeline. These tasks can be assigned from the beginning, even before the project is in development.

Furthermore, during the storyboard stage, our client can suggest any changes that can be easily applied. This would be more complex at a later stage.

What does a storyboard show?

The storyboard must show a generic idea of the animation project in just a few static frames. We can show the story we will tell concisely with it and, undoubtedly, it serves to visually emphasize the central focus of the story.

In the storyboard, we must also depict the types of planes we will use and the actions that will take place in each scene.

The importance of animatics

Although the storyboard shows the scenes as they will appear in the completed animation, it does not include each scene's timing. This type of information is shown through the animatic, the panel that defines the animation's pace and will show the animation’s real personality.

In his course Motion Graphics for Audiovisual Projects, Roberto Puig teaches you advanced digital composition techniques for 3D animation in After Effects.

English version by @acesarato.

You may be interested in:

- Storyboarder: Free Digital Storyboarding Software
- Learn to Draw Animations in 20 Hours
- How to Create an Animated Web Series