Storyboarding for a Great Visual Storytelling
                     Storyboarding for a Great Visual 
Storytelling
At Stytch, we believe that every compelling animation or video starts with a solid foundation—
storyboarding. It’s not just about drawing a sequence of images; it’s about visualizing your story, 
planning each scene meticulously, and ensuring that every frame speaks directly to your audience. 
Here’s everything you need to know about the art and science of storyboarding.
What is Storyboarding?
Storyboarding is the process of creating a visual blueprint for your project. It involves crafting a series
of sketches or images that outline the key scenes and sequences in your animation or video. These 
illustrations serve as a visual guide, showing how the narrative will unfold, the timing of each action, 
and how the camera will move from shot to shot. In essence, storyboarding translates your script or 
concept into a visual narrative, laying the groundwork for the production phase.
The Role of Storyboarding in Pre-Production
In the world of animation and video production, pre-production is where the magic begins, and 
storyboarding is a critical part of this phase. Here’s why:
 Visualization of Concepts: Storyboarding allows you to visualize complex ideas and narratives, 
breaking them down into manageable scenes and shots.
 Narrative Planning: It helps in planning the flow and pacing of the story, ensuring that the 
narrative remains engaging and coherent.
 Creative Alignment: Storyboards act as a communication tool, aligning the entire team—
directors, animators, editors, and clients—on the creative vision and direction of the project.
 Identifying Challenges: By visualizing the scenes early, potential challenges in execution can be 
identified and addressed before the production starts, saving time and resources.
Types of Storyboards
Storyboarding isn’t one-size-fits-all; it can be tailored to the needs of your project. Here are the main 
types:
 Traditional Storyboards: These are hand-drawn on paper, often used for their tactile feel and 
ease of iteration in the initial stages of conceptualizing ideas.
 Digital Storyboards: Created using software, digital storyboards allow for more flexibility, easy 
revisions, and integration with other digital tools used in production.
 Animatics: These are essentially animated storyboards, where still images are timed with the 
soundtrack to create a rough version of the final product. Animatics are particularly useful for 
fine-tuning pacing and timing.
Key Elements of a Storyboard
A well-crafted storyboard includes several key elements:
 Composition and Framing: Each frame is carefully composed to guide the viewer’s eye and 
convey the intended message.
 Camera Angles and Movements: The storyboard outlines the camera’s perspective, movement, 
and focus, whether it’s a wide shot, close-up, or a tracking shot.
 Action and Timing: It captures the timing and sequence of actions, ensuring that the flow of the 
story is smooth and logical.
 Dialogue and Sound Cues: Important dialogues, sound effects, and music cues are often noted to
sync with the visual actions.
 Scene Transitions: How one scene transitions to another, whether through cuts, fades, or other 
techniques, is also mapped out.
Our Storyboarding Process
At Stytch, our storyboarding process is a collaborative and iterative journey:
1. Understanding the Script: We start by thoroughly understanding the script or concept, 
identifying key scenes and the emotional beats of the story.
2. Breaking Down Scenes: The script is broken down into individual scenes and shots, each 
sketched out in rough thumbnails.
3. Sketching and Refining: We create initial sketches for each scene, focusing on composition, 
camera angles, and action. These sketches are refined based on feedback and collaboration with 
the creative team.
4. Review and Feedback: The storyboard is reviewed with the team and clients, incorporating 
feedback and making necessary adjustments.
5. Finalization: Once approved, the storyboard serves as the visual guide for the production phase, 
ensuring that everyone is aligned on the project’s direction.
Tools We Use
We leverage both traditional and digital tools to create our storyboards, depending on the project’s 
needs:
 Traditional Tools: Pencils, markers, and paper for quick, rough sketches and initial concepts.
 Digital Tools: Software like Storyboard Pro and Photoshop allows us to create detailed, editable 
storyboards that can be easily shared and revised.
Best Practices in Storyboarding
Our approach to storyboarding is guided by a few best practices:
 Clarity and Simplicity: We aim for clear, easily understandable images that convey the essence of 
each scene without unnecessary complexity.
 Consistency: Maintaining a consistent style and layout across the storyboard helps keep the 
narrative coherent and easy to follow.
 Audience Focus: We always keep the end audience in mind, ensuring that the storyboard aligns 
with the intended emotional and narrative impact.
Overcoming Common Challenges
Storyboarding can present challenges, but our experience helps us navigate them effectively:
 Time Constraints: Tight deadlines are common, but our streamlined process ensures we deliver 
high-quality storyboards on time.
 Creative Balancing: We balance creativity with practicality, ensuring that our storyboards are 
both innovative and feasible for production.
 Handling Revisions: We embrace feedback, viewing it as an opportunity to refine and perfect our
storyboards.
Conclusion
Storyboarding is the backbone of a successful animation and video production company. At Stytch, 
we understand its power to transform ideas into visual stories that resonate with audiences. By 
meticulously planning every detail, we ensure that the final product not only meets but exceeds 
expectations.