In motion projects there are several different types of storyboards. The pencil storyboard is a common format for long-format animation or building a plot driven story. This makes sense because people will have meetings to discuss characters, plot development and the pencil format makes it easy to make changes to the story.

Motion graphics typically are created in a much more polished way and also serve a different purpose. Here are some good examples of professional motion graphic storyboards:  Antonio Cicarelli.  Scroll down to Turbo TV in particular, since it shows how a storyboard is used to ‘sell’ a concept.  These storyboards have all been created prior to any animation with the sole purpose of creating a design ‘look’ that is appropriate for a particular show. Often, a studio will commission several firms to produce  these storyboards and based upon the storyboards the studio will award the job.

The goal of a motion graphics storyboard is to establish a ‘look’.  For example does Turbo TV want to go with a retro, 50’s kind of feeling or a slick and dark kind of realism. Each look will appeal to a different audience and may help make or break the show as the motion graphics sort of set up the mood for the show itself. There are some indications about transitions but primarily the goal is to establish a look for the animators to match and to do that as completely as possible in order to compete with other firms who may be presenting.

It is not unusual for the storyboard artist to provide the files used to create the storyboard and to explain how the layered compositing file was created (usually in Photoshop). The layered file is an important structural “blueprint” for the kinds of layers and effects that will need to be done for the final animation in After Effects.

For Digital Design, we are expecting storyboards in a polished “motion graphics” format when that is appropriate. We are providing students with  StoryboardTemplates, please use them and enter the information in the provided spots with appropriate typographic choices.

StoryBoard_Thumbs_Template.pdf This template is designed with 9 images per sheet and provides minimal space for text. Use this in planning out your project and presenting early drafts of the story concept.