The script is everything. It is what sets down the entire story. If it’s not great on the page, it won’t be great in the final work. You have to make sure everything works, is as strong as can be and that the storytelling is clear and impactful. It all comes down to the script so never let a script go that isn’t 100% ready yet.
Remember: the script is everything.
To storyboarders:
The script isn’t everything. It’s merely the start of the process. The visual storytelling is where a story is really told. The storyboard is everything. Nobody can make a good show from a bad board. So you have to make sure everything works, is as strong as can be and that the storytelling is clear and impactful. It all comes down to the storyboard so never let a board go that isn’t 100% ready yet.
Remember: the storyboard is everything.
To animators:
The storyboard isn’t everything. It’s a working, evolving document of the storytelling intention. The scenes are where the story is really told. The animation is everything. Your shots are what will make it up on screen. So you have to make sure everything works, is as strong as can be and that the storytelling is clear and impactful. It all comes down to the animation so never let a scene go that isn’t 100% ready yet.
Remember: the animation is everything.
Feel free to insert your own role in any of these stages. Everything you do has to be the best it can be.
When looking at actual production for preschool media (television or otherwise), I see one particular quirk occur again and again in the visuals. I see it in animation and live-action, and it’s harder to forgive in live-action for reasons that will become clear later in this post. Pointing out this quirk and showing people how to avoid it is one of the most repeated pre-production/production lessons I have to give, whether working on my own productions or advising others on their own. It’s a simple practical tip but it all comes down to audience awareness so thinking about the fix can really help far beyond visual production – it’s about understanding point of view and that is relevant across creation, writing, direction, sound and every other part of the process.
So here it is. Have a look at this setup…
Character, background, a few details. It’s very simple. So what’s wrong with the picture?
Well, consider the position of the horizon. It’s rising up above the character. For this to happen, we have to be looking over that character, like a very tall adult looks over a child. This is not a child’s viewpoint. This is not how kids see the world. It’s how adults see the world.
Wherever you are right now, stand up and find a horizon or even look at the angle of the ground. Now get down on your knees and watch what happens. The ground flattens out and the horizon drops. If you had a little character in that setup, the horizon would be below the top of that character and you would be looking the character right in the eyes. This is how kids see the world.
This should be really apparent shooting live-action because you would see very clearly whether your cameras are at the height of an adult or a child. So if your setup is for something aimed at young children and you want to make a real connection, the first image should have looked more like this:
Drop the horizon. Those three words help make a connection in storyboarding, layout, background etc. But they also serve as a reminder across the whole process. Is the viewpoint you are depicting really that of a child? Or does it belong to your adult self? Find the child’s viewpoint and you will create something much more relevant with a stronger connection. You will make something that really means something to your audience.
