Outside of animating, this is where I spend the most time and really in some cases is the hardest step. At this point you know the style for the video but you have to start thinking about how your video is going to move. I like to storyboard out the entire video before animating. This helps me and the clients I work with see what the video is going to look like before getting into the animation. Seeing it all laid out in front of you makes it a lot easier to make changes during this stage rather than later once you already started animating.

I recommend breaking the storyboard process into two parts. Pencil and computer.

First get a storyboard template and a pencil and sketch or doodle what each frame is going to look like. Don’t worry if you can’t draw, they don’t have to look nice they are just for you to get an idea of how it’s going to move and what needs to be on the frame. 

When I’m going through a script I like to take each sentence or every half sentence and make a frame for them. You usually end up with 20 - 50 frames depending on how long your video is and how many scenes you want to have. Being creative with your scenes is tough. It’s often hard to visualize how the video is going to move from one scene to the next without just cutting from one to the other. Try to avoid just cutting from each scene to the next and think about how you could make the transitions more interesting and have fun with it. 

Once you have all your scenes sketched out on a paper, now you can jump back on the computer. You now have an idea of what every frame or scene needs to look like so it makes designing all of them in your style a little quicker since you don’t have to do as much thinking and worrying about the movement. 

Styleframes or concept frames are terms that are used so commonly in my inner circle of friends and colleagues that I forget when I’m working with a new client that they might not understand what they are. For me, they are a very important step in the creative process so I always try to make sure the client will understand what they are looking at. 

Essentially, styleframes are a small sample or a few snapshots of how the video will look. Its a starting off point that determines the style and look of the video. Unless I’m doing a set of pencil or rough storyboards for the project, styleframes typically come before storyboards in my process. They usually look very similar to storyboards but allow me to experiment more before jumping into the project. When I’m doing styleframes I see it as an opportunity to try out different styles or new effects to see if they are what the client needs. It’s really the chance to play and have fun. You don’t have to worry about how one scene will animate to the next; the goal is to make a few very visually appealing frames so the client picks your work. Usually I’m trying out new character designs or styles as well as making sure colors and textures work together.

I typically show clients a couple different sets of styleframes, to give them a few different options or looks to pick from. Each set consists of three or four frames. This gives them a good understanding of how the overall piece will look.  It also gives them a chance to change anything or head off any issues, like the main character should be green not blue or a girl and not a guy. 

Once a set of styleframes are chosen, then I move onto creating the storyboards. By having a good base for the design it makes doing the full storyboards a lot easier. 

Most of the time my desk is a mess. Storyboards and notes are all over the place, spilling onto the floor. I’m alright with my messy desk especially when I’m going full throttle on projects. I do love that satisfying feeling of tossing out the storyboards and tidying up the desk when a project ends; creating that clean slate after its all over. This past week I had two projects that finished up so I figured it was time to clean up the mess. Over the weekend I took the time to clean up the desk and toss out random sticky notes I’d been scribbling on for the the last couple weeks. As well as making sure all the invoices were prepared and mailed out. I was shocked at how much stuff I had accumulated. Having a clean and tidy desk definitely makes you feel refreshed and ready for something new. The clutter is now removed, ready for a fresh start this week.