Storyboards

In order to create my motion graphic, I first need to research and create a storyboard. Storyboards are used to create rough illustrations that communicate the ideas for a final animated product. Here I have looked at four different storyboards, three from a different form of film and one from game 

The first storyboard I looked at was for the 2D animation film, Kiki's delivery service. I like the pencil drawn style of this, and the Studio Ghibli style really shines through even though it is so rough. Some things I noticed were that some scenes had no background which showed movement different from the previous panel, yet still took place in the same setting, when Kiki is looking out the window, we can see the house and trees around her, yet in the next panel her head has moved and she is looking in a different direction and the backdrop is clear white. I conclude that this is to save time, why draw out the same thing again when it can be made clear this way.

This is a video comparing the storyboard and final product, of the film, Monsters Inc. In this you can see how the storyboard artists have captured the most important frames that explain exactly what is happening in each scene. 

This is a storyboard for the game, Silent Hill, again the video shows both storyboard and final product so they can be compared. Similar to the Monsters Inc video, the storyboards show the key frames that clearly explain each scene. 

Star Wars Storyboard for the Podrace sequence, even without the comparison of the final film, the story is still clear.

The art of Glen Keane

Glen Keane is and American animator author and illustrator who has worked at the Walt Disney Studios since 1974, he has also helped out with storyboards and storytelling in films such as Tarzan and Pocahontas.

Even though this storyboard is very sketchy, again the story and important features are clear and easy to follow. In comparison to Keanes, Tarzan storyboard, his Pocahontas storyboard is much more visually appealing and the use of charcoal helps set the mood as well. I personally prefer the style of the storyboard to the final polished look, which has inspired me to ensure my motion graphic has a strong visual style that focus more on the artwork and illustrations over the animation. 

Ridley Scott discussing the art of storyboarding, and his pieces of work for his films.