Process.
Whether you need a straight up traditional storyboard an animatic or one off illustration my process is very similar across the board. I work in stages and get client approval at the completion of each stage before proceeding to the next. It saves time and angst for everyone involved.
Below is an outline of the process I use to produce animatics for my clients in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.
Start at the start.
The client supplies me with a script, design pack, directors brief and an audio track.
Rough Blocking
Based on the client brief I rough block the shots in blue and rough time them to the sound track provided by the client. This is a quick broad brush strokes, stick figure representation of where things will appear in the shots and what is happening. Detailed refinements like character acting poses are usually left for the clean up after the client approves the shot blocking.
Rough blocking of two scenes.
Rough Review and Notes
The client pours over the time coded Quick Time making notes on the relevant shots that they require changes made to. At this stage notes are mainly about shot blocking, composition and camera angles but can be more detailed if the director has something quite specific in mind. If a director wants to make a big change to the scripted action or sequencing, this is the time to ask for it. Because this review is done when the anamatic is still at a rough stage, large changes to cameras, composition and shot reordering can be done and turned around much quicker and with less expense than if they were done after the cleanup stage.
Cleanup
I clean up the rough animatic, incorporating the notes from the director, refine the timing and add panels for more detailed character posing and action description.
Clean up of two scenes. Adding panels to flesh out action.
Cleanup Review and Notes
The client again receives a time coded Quick Time of the animatic for review. I accept one last round of notes. These are generally only small things like refinements to timings, character expressions or posing. If it is a large production like a TV series the director usually chooses to do these themselves or have some one on their in house production team do them.
Cleanup Polish
All the minor polishes are done and the storyboard / animatic is good to go into production.
Directors polish notes added to the cleaned up panels.
Delivery
Everyone is happy. The client pays me and they get the files they need, when they need them and in the format they need.
