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After Effects, 2D tradigital

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All tutorials and videos for Stringbing Workshop

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and links to materials

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Learn everything about the 3D texturing software tools Substance Painter, Designer and B2M, with free video tutorials, courses and documentation.

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Visual effects and animation magazine from journalist Ian Failes.

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Procreate is the most advanced painting app ever designed for a mobile device. Created to work in harmony with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, Procreate gives you the feeling of real-world drawing with the power of digital art.

How to Use this Handbook

A mobile guide for the studio that travels with you.

Use this Handbook to help you discover Procreate's many features, and how to use them. Read it start to finish or click from link to link and explore. Refer to a specific section to fill a gap in your knowledge, or use Search to find the answers you need faster.

Let's get started.

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Procreate is the most advanced painting app ever designed for a mobile device. Created to work in harmony with iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, Procreate gives you the feeling of real-world drawing with the power of digital art. How to Use this Handbook A mobile guide for the studio that travels with you.

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For iPad: $5.99

For Android: $5.99

For Mac: $5.99

For Windows: $5.99

Mobile animation software!

Fully featured hand drawn animation application runs on iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows. Powerful enough for professional animators, simple enough for beginners. Everything you need to create traditional hand drawn animation, anywhere you go!

Features:
- Timeline with unlimited layers and easily adjustable exposure length of individual drawings, for pose-to-pose or straight-ahead animating
- Onion skinning
- Preview playback
- Scrub along timeline
- Import audio for lip syncing
- Import video for rotoscoping animation
- Custom brushes
- Supports Apple Pencil, Logitech Crayon, Adonit & Wacom styluses for iPad
- Supports Samsung S-Pen and other pressure sensitive Android devices
- Control framerate and resolution
- Export animation to Quicktime video, GIF, or image sequence
- RoughAnimator projects can be imported to Adobe Flash/Animate, After Effects, and Toon Boom Harmony

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Mobile animation software! Fully featured hand drawn animation application runs on iPad, Android, Mac, and Windows. Powerful enough for professional animators, simple enough for beginners. Everything you need to create traditional hand drawn animation, anywhere you go! Rough Animator

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We'd like to show you a new way to create hand-drawn animation. So playful you'll think it's a toy, but it's secretly a robust app with a reimagined UI for animators and creators.

Wonderfully musical

Taking inspiration from music creation tools, using Looom feels more like playing an instrument than operating software - exploring lines, shapes and colors through loopable time and rhythm.

Watch demo videos

Everyone in the loop

Looom is all about looping animation with a smile. It was designed for professionals and beginners of any age, and is already being used by some influential indie animators.

ortho remote!

The ortho remote, made by our friends at teenage engineering , can be used as a wireless controller for Looom! Connecting through lag-less BLE, this lovely knob will add that tactile feel to your animated workflow.
Get yours here

Fluid Time

No first frame or last. Looom's threads are independent in length and speed, always tweakable.

Open-Ended

Looom uses SVG as it's native file format. Your work can be viewed in browsers and opened in desktop animation software.

Infinite Canvas

Lets you go as deep or as far as you want thanks to a completely resolution-independent vector engine.

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We'd like to show you a new way to create hand-drawn animation. So playful you'll think it's a toy, but it's secretly a robust app with a reimagined UI for animators and creators. Taking inspiration from music creation tools, using Looom feels more like playing an instrument than operating software - exploring lines, shapes and colors through loopable time and rhythm.

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Quick Start

Follow these three steps to quickly become familiar with the basic usage of Monster Mash. See the rest of the page for more details.

Example Gallery

Click/tap on an example below to open it.

Give us Feedback

We started a discussion thread about Monster Mash on CGSociety forum. Let us know what you think about the tool in this forum!

What's New

Detailed Information

1. Getting Started

Monster Mash is a new sketch-based modeling and animation tool that allows you to quickly sketch a character, inflate it into 3D, and promptly animate it. You can perform all interactions in the sketching plane. No 3D manipulation is required.

This demo accompanies a paper Dvorožňák et al.: Monster Mash: A Single-View Approach to Casual 3D Modeling and Animation published in ACM Transactions on Graphics 39(6):214 and presented at SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 conference. The demo is free to use for evaluation and research purposes.

1.1. Requirements

Monster Mash demo should work on any platform in a recent browser that supports WebAssembly & WebGL 1.0. The device should also have sufficient computational resources. If the Monster Mash demo is crashing on your device, please check if you have installed the latest version of the operating system and your favorite web browser.

Although the Monster Mash demo should also work on recent more powerful phones, it is preferable to use it on a tablet with a larger screen. The current user interface is not optimized for small screens.

Monster Mash demo can be controlled using a mouse, touch, or stylus. For the best experience, we recommend using a stylus on a tablet.

2. Creation Modes

The tool offers three basic modes of creation: Draw, Inflate, and Animate.

2.1. Draw Mode

In the mode, you can sketch a character part by part using strokes that delineate boundaries of individual regions. The order in which you create the regions corresponds to their relative order in depth. Each region's boundary is represented by a single stroke (opened or closed) that you can create using a click/tap-move-release sequence (using the left mouse button or a stylus/touch). Closed strokes delineate regions that represent the character's main body. Opened strokes are used for regions that are smoothly attached to other regions (e.g., limbs). The gap in the stroke is automatically closed by a line that outlines a junction along which the newly drawn region is smoothly connected to another region.

In addition to drawing strokes, you can click/tap anywhere inside the region to select it or double-click/tap to make its duplicate and place it behind already drawn regions. Selected regions can be deleted using the button in the menu. You can also select multiple regions by clicking/tapping and dragging a selection rectangle over them, or select/deselect them all in the sub-menu.

Now, let's try to create a simple monster. We start by scribbling the main body; then we add limbs and eyes. As we need limbs to be attached to the main body, we draw an open curve, and the system automatically connects it. To create limbs and eyes on both sides of the main body, we duplicate them using a double-click/tap.

2.2. Inflate Mode

The mode is useful for a quick preview of the resulting 3D model. You can rotate (middle mouse button) or pan (with shift pressed). If you are using a stylus/touch or you do not have a middle mouse button, you need to switch on the button in the main menu and use click/tap-move-release to rotate (left mouse button). When the button is off, you can play with the model by clicking/tapping on its parts and moving them around.

2.3. Animation Mode

After clicking/tapping on button in the menu the model can be animated by placing control pins on it and moving them around. Tap or click using left mouse button to create a control pin and drag it to make it move. Control pins can be selected by clicking/tapping on them and deleted using the button in the menu. You can also select multiple control pins by clicking/tapping and dragging a selection rectangle over them. Alternatively, you can select/deselect all control pins or change their visibility in the sub-menu where you can also use option Copy selected animation and Paste animation to transfer already recorded motion to other control pins.

Animation mode: Placing control pins

The position of multiple control pins can be recorded in time and played back to create more complex animation. To activate the recording, press the button (it will turn red). Then by tapping or clicking on a control pin, the recording starts and stops when the mouse button, touch, or stylus is released. The animation can be paused and played back again by pressing the and button.

Animation mode: Recording position of control pins

The system uses a simple strategy the synchronize the motion with other pins. The first pin motion you record will define the length of the entire animation cycle. A pin that corresponds to this master motion is marked with green color, and its position in the first frame is denoted as a bold black dot laying on its recorded motion trajectory. The system automatically starts the motion of a new recorded control pin at a frame that corresponds to the currently played frame of the master pin. You can shift this relative position in time using plus and minus keys on the keyboard.

2.4. Redraw Mode

The button has a special Redraw option, which you can use to alter the shape of existing regions by re-sketching them without modifying their relative depth order. To do that, you can select a region that you want to change and redraw it. Note that it is necessary to redraw the entire shape of the modified region.

3. Create/Open/Save/Export Project

Monster Mash demo starts with a new empty project. You can always get back to this initial state by clicking/tapping on the button in the main menu. You can also open an existing project from your local hard-drive using the button or load some of the examples visible on this help page. When you create an animated 3D model, you can save it onto your local hard-drive using the button.

Optionally, you can upload a template image (using button's option Import template image...) over which you can then trace. This template image will also be used as a texture of the final 3D model. Alternatively, you can also upload a background image (using button's option Import background image...) which will replace the default white background. You can show/hide the template image as well as your custom background by checking/unchecking their visibility in the sub-menu or alternatively switch on/off the shading effect using Enable shading option.

When you already draw a shape in the Monster Mash demo which you would like to texture, use button's option Export a template image.... This option allows you to save an image of the current shape on your hard-drive over which you can then draw using your favorite drawing/painting tool and then upload it back using the button's option Import template image....

The current animation frame can be exported to the Wavefront .obj file by selecting Export the current animation frame as .obj file... from the sub-menu of the save button . If a template image is mapped to the mesh and Show template image option in the sub-menu is checked, a material .mtl file with a .png texture image is also exported.

4. Other Settings

In the sub-menu, there is also an Other settings option where you can enable/disable experimental armpit stitching algorithm and normal smoothing of the resulting 3D mesh.

5. Mouse buttons

Draw Mode:

Click-and-move: Draw a boundary of a main body part or a part that lies in front of already drawn parts.

Single click: Select an existing part that is closest to the mouse pointer and lies closest in depth.

Shift + Single click: Add an existing part to the current selection or remove it from the current selection.

Double click: Duplicate an existing part and move it in depth to lay behind the other drawn parts.

Inflation Mode:
Click-and-move: Move a part of the model that is closest to the mouse pointer and lies closest in depth.

Animation Mode:

Click: (a) Create a new control pin so that it is closest to the mouse pointer and lies on a part that is closest in depth or (b) select already existing control pin that is closest to the mouse pointer and lies closest in depth.

Shift + Click: Add an existing control pin to the current selection or remove it from the current selection.

Click-and-move: Create and animate a new control pin or just animate closest pin.

Inflation & Animation Mode:
Click-and-move: Rotate (or pan with Shift pressed) the 3D model.

Right mouse button performs the same actions as the left mouse button with these exceptions:

It draws behind already drawn parts.

It selects a part that lies farthest in depth.

It creates a new control pin so that it lies on a part that is farthest in depth or selects a control pin that lies farthest in depth.

It duplicates an existing part and moves it in depth to lay in front of the other drawn parts.

6. Hot-keys
Monster Mash v.

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Monster Mash: New Sketch-Based Modeling and Animation Tool

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Monster Mash is a new sketch-based modeling and animation tool that allows you to quickly sketch a character, inflate it into 3D, and promptly animate it. You can perform all interactions in the sketching plane. No 3D manipulation is required.

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We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

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We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and our services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

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Waterside is delighted to welcome you to the Cosgrove Hall Films Archive.

Since October 2017 Waterside has become home to the internationally acclaimed animation collection. Including some of the best-loved children's characters Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Chorlton & the Wheelies and many more Cosgrove Hall creations. Waterside are custodians of the CHF archive, based in Sale, Trafford our role is to house and preserve the collection. Waterside hosts a number of animation related networking events and talks. Visit Waterside's website for future animation events, exhibitions and updates.

The Chorlton-cum-Hardy based studio was founded by Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall in 1976, it quickly became the UK's largest animation house. Cosgrove Hall Films produced quality animation by bringing together some of the biggest talents, puppet-makers, actors and animators in the UK to create, adapt and produce popular animations, including Noddy, Animal Shelf and Postman Pat. They also brought characters from popular childhood fiction to life in animations such as Roald Dahl's The BFG (1989), Kenneth Graham's Wind in the Willows (1983), and Terry Pratchett's Truckers (1992). Puppet-makers Mackinnon & Saunders started their careers at the studio, as did BAFTA-winning animator Barry Purves and Art Director Bridget Appleby.

With the help of ITV, Westley Wood, ex-development producer for Cosgrove Hall, rescued the archive with the sole intention of preserving its history and artifacts. Westley says 'The work from Cosgrove Hall Films is part of Manchester's cultural heritage and was important to the development of the animation industry in the UK. It's with enormous gratitude and pleasure that we are working with the Sale Waterside team, to set up a new home and preserve the archive for people to love and enjoy for generations to come.'

This archival project has been supported by Heritage Lottery Fund in partnership with Creative Industries Trafford.

The Archive contains a mixture of 2D and 3D animation material and is split between the two. Cosgrove Hall created and adapted both hand drawn animated series and film, and stop motion series. The 2D store contains hundreds of plan, script, storyboard and editing material from an assortment of Cosgrove Hall Films series, including Engie Benjy, Fifi and the Flowertots, Bill and Ben and the Likeaballs. 2D also encompasses select hand drawn set design and character design on paper, hand drawn backgrounds. Hand painted transparent cels from Dangermouse, Avenger Penguins and Victor and Hugo.

We also have an extensive array of 3D assets from Cosgrove Hall Films, including puppets from your favourite animated series, such as Wind and the Willows, Truckers, Engie Benjy, Fetch the Vet, Oakie Doke, Fetch the Vet, Noddy, Postman Pat, Cinderella and many more. Set parts from Fool of the World and the Flying Ship and Wind and the Willows. Props from Noddy and Engie Benjy. Model-making materials, including spare puppet parts, armatures and a selection of original moulds. The 3D store also contains some costume, mainly from Wind in the Willows and Truckers.

As custodians of the CHF archive, our role is to house and preserve the collection. In 2017-2018 Waterside hosted a celebratory Cosgrove Hall Films exhibition and host a number of animation related networking events and talks. Visit the Waterside website for future animation events, exhibitions and updates.

A portal dedicated to media and digital projects created in partnership with CIT (Creative Industries Trafford) who are responsible for artist development at our venue, Waterside Arts . Including new commissioned animation to support new animators in the field, animation projects with groups in the local community to promote and share traditional animation techniques with new audiences.

We're delighted to announce that we have acquired 25 original Wind in the Willows puppets.

The Wind in the Willows was one of the studio's first major successes in stop motion. The animated film was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films in 1983, adapted from the Kenneth Grahame classic. The film earned Cosgrove Hall Films a BAFTA and an Emmy award, and this success led to the creation of a stop motion series for ITV also produced by Cosgrove Hall Films. The show was voiced by Sir David Jason, Michael Horden, Peter Sallis, Richard Pearson and Ian Carmichael.

Thanks to the generosity and kindness of both Andrew Dunning and Lee Young - the MD at Duke's Auctioneers - Waterside has been gifted these treasures for posterity and its archives.

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Since October 2017 Waterside has become home to the internationally acclaimed animation collection. Including some of the best-loved children's characters Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Chorlton & the Wheelies and many more Cosgrove Hall creations. Waterside are custodians of the CHF archive, based in Sale, Trafford our role is to house and preserve the collection.

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Competition Ended February 29th, 2024

Congratulations to Matt, winner of the 11 Second Club February Competition! There were a lot of great entries this month, but Matt's entry won over the voters!

In recognition of their work, Matt has won a professional Animation Mentor eCritique of his entry.

All February entries can be viewed in the competition results page and all winning entries eCritiques can be viewed on the Animation Mentor YouTube Channel

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11 Second Club - The Monthly Character Animation Competition

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Competition Ended February 29th, 2024 Congratulations to Matt, winner of the 11 Second Club February Competition! There were a lot of great entries this month, but Matt's entry won over the voters! In recognition of their work, Matt has won a professional Animation Mentor eCritique of his entry.

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Winners of the “Raccoon Burglar” Challenge

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Galleries, tutorials, interviews, reviews and animated shorts for your daily dose of inspiration! Discover the most gifted and influential artists working in animation, comics and illustration, today.

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Free version of Editing software

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DaVinci Resolve 18

DaVinci Resolve 18

Professional Editing, Color, Effects and Audio Post!

DaVinci Resolve is the world's only solution that combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics and audio post production all in one software tool! Its elegant, modern interface is fast to learn and easy for new users, yet powerful for professionals. DaVinci Resolve lets you work faster and at a higher quality because you don't have to learn multiple apps or switch software for different tasks. That means you can work with camera original quality images throughout the entire process. It's like having your own post production studio in a single app! Best of all, by learning DaVinci Resolve, you're learning how to use the exact same tools used by Hollywood professionals!

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High end professionals working on feature films and television shows use DaVinci Resolve more than any other solution! That's because it's known for incredible quality and creative tools that are light years beyond the competition. You get DaVinci's Emmy™ award winning image technology with 32‑bit float processing, patented YRGB color science and a massive wide gamut color space for the latest HDR workflows. You also get the legendary quality of Fairlight audio processing for the best sound in the industry! With DaVinci Resolve, you get the same tools professional colorists, editors, VFX artists and sound engineers use every day to finish your favorite films and streaming television shows!

What's New in DaVinci Resolve 18.5

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Works with 3rd Party Plug‑Ins and Storage

With all the different workflows and systems available, you need a post production solution that's compatible and open enough to handle anything! DaVinci Resolve can be used with any type of storage ranging from direct attached hard drives to NAS and SAN systems. You can extend DaVinci Resolve with third party Open FX and audio plugins, or add third party title and motion graphics templates. New workflow integration and encoding APIs let developers integrate workflow and asset management systems with DaVinci Resolve. Plus, it works with all major file formats and post production software, making it easy to move files between DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, Media Composer, and Premiere Pro.

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Professional video editing, color correction, visual effects and audio post production all in a single application. Free and paid versions for Mac, Windows and Linux.

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Rigging and more in Maya

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wacom painting cintiq reviews review art cg 3d digital tutorial learning tips help maya autodesk zbrush substance pixologic iphone stylus ipad procreate phot...

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Founded in 2014 by industry veteran Antony Ward, author of Game Character Development in Maya (2004), Game Character Development (2008) and 3D Modeling in Silo (2010). antCGi boasts over two decades of experience in digital media, as well as a vast suite of courses available through Digital Tutors, 3DWorld and CGTuts+.

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Talks and Blog on Fanstasy genre in Animation

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Fantasy/Animation examines the relationship between fantasy cinema and the medium of animation. The website provides a space for discussion and debate among like-minded academics, practitioners, special interest groups and fans of fantasy and/or animation. We are dedicated to the study of the rich legacy and complexity of animated fantasy media, in whatever form it might take.

RT @ KodiMaier: *excited chanting* Anifest! Anifest! Anifest! 🤩😍 https://t.co/A1Rpkbd8hZ

RT @ chrisholliday7: Join us this Friday 26th Feb as we takeover @ CburyAnifest! We've curated blogs and podcasts featuring... https://t.co/QKAyUfjJPz

For those academics, artists and fans who want just a bit more @ fananimresearch, then do join @ chrisholliday7 and... https://t.co/rloBzzAa2l

RT @ freudisfunny: Always a pleasure to feature work by @ lilly_husbands on our blog. As insightful as always. https://t.co/6VcY2K8SdW

RT @ CineFeline: Fantasy/Animation is becoming such a reliable source of queer animation scholarship that I might just make the enti... https://t.co/gNm7sUNoP6

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fantasy/Animation examines the relationship between fantasy cinema and the medium of animation. The website provides a space for discussion and debate among like-minded academics, practitioners, special interest groups and fans of fantasy and/or animation. We are dedicated to the study of the rich legacy and complexity of animated fantasy media, in whatever form it might take.

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Animation Tutorials for a range of software - Adobe / Autodesk

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An Everyday Resource for the Computer Graphics & 3D Community.

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Autodesk Maya is an industry leading 3D digital content creation software used extensively by movie, game, and FX studios both big and small. It features a w...

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Welcome to the Animation Industry Podcast!

Here you'll find interviews from today's leaders in animation with topics like:

Who Runs This Podcast?

My name is Terry, and I'm a Stop Motion Animator. I'm soaking up as much knowledge about the animation industry as I can and sharing what I learn along the way.
The Animation Industry Podcast was recently featured in Feedspot's Top 10 Animation Podcasts You Must Follow in 2020
Episode 86: Blizzard Senior Character Animator Peter Starostin Shares How To Excel In CG

This episode features Senior Character Animator at Blizzard Entertainment, Peter Starostin, who shares his top tips on how to excel in CG. Throughout his career, Peter has worked on the cinematics for games like Halo, Starcraft, Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diable.

You'll also learn:

Episode 85: Co-Creators Of Adult Swim's Tigtone Share The Epic 15-Year Journey It Took To Get On TV

This episode features co-creators Andrew Koehler and Benjamin Martian of Adult Swim's Tigtone. They discuss the origins of the show, the 15-year journey it took to get on television, and the most ridiculous joke they put into Season 2 (which just premiered on Adult Swim).

You'll also learn:

This episode is sponsored by Bloop Animation, which is an animation learning platform packed with premium online video courses for aspiring animation filmmakers.

They have courses for all major animation programs like Maya, Animate CC, Toon Boom, Blender, TVPaint, and many others, as well as some non-software courses like a storyboarding course, Animation foundations course, and even one about making graphic novels, which covers absolutely everything you need to know from start to finish.

The courses are all in video-form, so there's no deadlines or application process, you simply pick a course and start learning in seconds.

In fact, they just released a brand new course with over 5 hours and 38 video lessons teaching how to animate Moho. Moho, formerly known as Anime Studio, is a 2D animation software that's main selling point is its ability to easily build and animate with rigged puppet characters. It's balance of ease of use and powerful features makes it a popular option for hobbyists, and while it's not an industry standard yet, it has been used on some major productions such as the Oscar nominated feature films Song of the Sea, and The Breadwinner.

Episode 84: Character Designer Olivia Amoah's Detailed Journey From School To Looney Tunes

This episode features Warner Brothers Character Designer Olivia Amoah, who walks through her career journey from animation student, to intern, to first full-time contract, to how she was hired to work on Looney Tunes.

You'll also learn:

Episode 83: Producer Arnie Leibovit & The History Of George Pal's Puppetoons + Puppetoon Movie V2

This episode features Producer Arnold Leibovit who shares the history of George Pal's influential stop motion work with the Puppetoons. Arnold is also releasing a compilation of Puppetoon films not seen since they were originally in cinemas in the 1940s.

You'll also learn:

Episode 82: Maddi Patton Shares How She Funded And Produced The Viral Webseries My Pride

This episode features Maddi Patton, a Screenwriter, YouTuber, and self-taught Animator, who shares how she mustered a team of 30 to produce her original web-series My Pride, which has over five million views on YouTube.

You'll also learn:

Episode 81: Aaron Long's Journey from Student to Director of BoJack Horseman

This episode features Aaron Long, BoJack Horseman Director and current Supervising Director on Netflix's Tuca and Bertie. He shares how he got his first job animating on TripTank fresh out of Max the Mutt Animation School in Toronto, and worked his way up to Director on BoJack.

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

He also shares:

Tips to animate what a character is thinking

A simple switch in mindset that will improve your animation performance 10x

The simple trick that will get you animating twice as fast

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

This episode features animator Christian Lie on how he found success on YouTube and decided to change the trajectory of his career towards animation.

Episode 72: Development Exec Dave Padbury Shares How Pitches Are Turned Into New Shows

This episode features Development Executive Dave Padbury who shares a behind-the-scenes look at what happens to your pitch after you leave the room.

You'll also learn:

Episode 71: Aaron Hazouri Shares The Tough Reality Of Pursuing Storyboard Artist Work In LA
This episode features story artist and illustrator Aaron Hazouri who sheds light into the harsh reality of pursuing work as a storyboard artist in LA.
You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

This episode features Jackie Davis, the webcomic artist behind Underpants and Overbites. In our chat she shares how she figured out how to make a sustainable income off webcomics.

You'll also learn:

The not-so-talked about details of what quitting your job to pursue your passion is actually like

How Jackie deals with self-doubt

How Jackie smashed the perfectionist attitude while still making great art

Episode 68: Lauren Orme On How She Started The Cardiff Animation Festival
This episode features Lauren Orme, an animator and studio owner based in Cardiff, South Whales. She shares the story of how she started running Cardiff Animation Nights in 2014, which evolved into the Cardiff Animation Festival. You'll also learn:
Cardiff Animation Festival:

Cardiff Animation Nights:

Website:

Lauren's Social Media:

Episode 67: Liam Gilbey On How To Start An Animation Studio With Your Classmates Right Out Of School

This episode features animator and studio co-founder Liam Gilbey who shares what it took to create a studio with his classmates right out of school.

You'll also learn:

Animation Industry Podcast · Episode 67: Liam Gilbey On How To Start An Animation Studio With Your Classmates Right Out Of School

You'll also learn:

The reason Adam left the professional animation industry

How Adam's created a life that sustains his independent filmmaking

What he's learned from attending festivals all over the word

Episode 65: Director JJ Villard On How He Created JJ Villard's FairyTales For Adult Swim

This episode features director JJ Villard who shares what it took to create his recent show JJ Villard's Fairytales for Adult Swim.

You'll also learn:

Episode 64: Director Cat Solen With Behind The Scenes Of Adult Swim's The Shivering Truth Season 2

This episode features director and producer of Adult Swim's The Shivering Truth, Cat Solen. She shares how her career led up to directing The Shivering Truth, and a unique behind-the-scenes of how each episode was created.

You'll also learn:

Learn more about this podcast: https://terryibele.com/animation-industry-podcast/

Episode 63: Director Mike Owens and How He Created Danger & Eggs for Amazon Prime

This episode features director and creator of Danger & Eggs, Mike Owens, who shares the journey of creating his own show.

You'll also learn:

Reach out to Mike by email: mike [at] womostudio.com

Check out Mike's Animation Mentorship Nonprofit: https://nicemoves.org/

Episode 62: Stop Motion Director Jamie Caliri and How He Created Dragonframe With His Brother

This episode features Director Jamie Caliri, who shares how he created Dragonframe Stop Motion Software. You'll also learn:

Episode 61: Animation Writer James Walsh & The Successful Story Formula For Animated Shows

This episode features James Walsh, a writer for children's animated TV shows. James shares his journey into writing and how he landed a role on the smash hit Hey Dugee.

You'll also learn:

Episode 60: 3D Animator Gemal Plummer On What It Takes To Get Hired In CG

This episode features Toronto CG Animator Gemal Plummer who shares what it takes to get hired as a CG character animator.

You'll also learn:
*3 super tips that will speed up your workflow
*An overview of which studios in Toronto work in CG
*Which non-animation activities can help you improve your animation

[Sonsored Message] This episode is sponsored by The Animation Box.

The Animation Box is an online learning platform specialized in teaching 3D Character Animation. They currently have a special deal on their Cartoon Mechanics Masterclass where you will learn step by step how to animate a cartoon-stylized shot from blocking to spline in Autodesk Maya.

The Masterclass is a 20+hr video course full of unique lectures, tips and tricks and workflow methods that are used in the feature film industry. You'll also get access to unique Character Rigs for Maya that can be used to create your personal shots.

They also offer Mentorship training and more workshops are coming in the near future.

Episode 59: Stop Motion Animator Amber Padgett On How To Quit Your Job & Animate For A Living

This episode features Amber Padgett, a stop motion director, animator, and fabricator who shares how to quit your job and follow your ultimate dream.

You'll also learn:

Episode 58: The Sketch Effect Founder William Warren Shares His Journey into B2B Animation

This episode features The Sketch Effect Founder William Warren, who shares what the B2B animation industry is like.

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn

You'll also learn

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features animator and game developer Jess Stilwell (who's also a fellow classmate of mine at Sheridan College!), who shares her journey into indie game development.

You'll also learn:

Three free software tools to start making your own indie game

How Jess is developing an audience for her game before it launches

Why you shouldn't develop your "passion project" as your first game

You'll also learn:

You'll also learn:

Episode 45: Animator Erik Goulet And How He Founded The First Stop Motion Film Festival In The World

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Stop Motion Animator and Professor, Erik Goulet who shares how he founded the first stop motion film festival in the world.

You'll also learn:

Episode 44: Founder Of Bloop Animation Morr Meroz On How To Make A Killer Short Animated Film

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Morr Meroz, the Founder of Bloop Animation, an online learning platform for aspiring animation filmmakers. Morr shares what he's learned from producing three animated short films.

You'll also learn:

Episode 43: Director Animator Jonni Phillips on Why She Creates the Films She Does and How

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Jonni Phillips, an independent filmmaker, animator, and cartoonist. She shares the nitty-gritty details of how she creates her absurdly wonderful, and absolutely unique mixed-media animation style.

You will also learn:

Episode 42: Toronto Stop Motion Department Inc. Founders On How They Created The Studio From Scratch

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Toronto Stop Motion Department Inc. Founders Philip Eddolls and Evan DeRushie, and Production Manager Annick Counihan. They share how the studio came to be and how they've managed to grow the business over the last year.

You'll also learn:

Episode 41: Animator, Filmmaker & Sheridan Animation Coordinator Chris Walsh's Journey Into Stop Mo

In this episode of the Animation Industry Podcast, Animator, Filmmaker, and Coordinator of Sheridan College's Animation Program, Christopher Walsh shares his journey into stop motion animation.

You'll also learn:

Episode 40: Sean Glaze on How to Get Paid to Make Ridiculous, Adult-Themed Shorts From Your Living Room

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Sean Glaze (otherwise known as Lord Spew on the internet). He shares how he lands gigs at Adult Swim, Cartuna, and more.

You'll also learn:

Episode 39: Castlevania 2D Animator Naseer Pasha on How to Pursue Your Dream Career No Matter What

In this episode Naseer Pasha, a Toronto-based 2D Animator shares what he did to break into 2D animation.

You'll also learn:

Episode 38: Melbourne Illustrator/Animator Neil Sanders on How to Create Everyday & Where That Leads

This episode of the animation industry podcast features Neil Sanders, an Illustrator, Animator, Lecturer, and Honcho of LoopdeLoop. He shares how to create something everyday and where that can lead to in your career.

You will also learn:

What the animation market is like in Australia

Three benefits that come when you post every day

How to submit your short animated loop for LoopdeLoop's bi-monthly animation challenge

Episode 37: Stop Motion Animator & Video Wizard Kevin Parry on Creating a Career from Social Media

In this episode, stop motion animator and video wizard Kevin Parry shares his journey from animating feature films at Laika to gaining over a million followers and developing a career out of social media.

You will also learn:

Episode 36: Toronto Video Game Art Director John Little on How to Pursue a Career in Video Games

This episode features John Little, a seasoned Video Game Art Director based out of Toronto. In our chat he shares how he got into the scene, and his latest endeavor at a video game start up.

You'll also learn:

Episode 35: Stop Motion Animator Colin Lepper on How the Storybots (JibJab & Netflix) Got Made

This episode features Colin Lepper, a stop motion animator who helped develop and animate the stop motion episodes of the Storybots (Jib Jab) on Netflix. He shares how he got into stop motion after graduating animation school, and the types of challenges small stop motion studios face.

You'll also learn:

Episode 34: Igloosoft Founder & RimWorld/Starbound Pixel Artist Rho On How To Get Into Indie Games

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Rho "Rhopunzel" Watson, the Founder of Igloosoft, the developer of Outworlder, and former Pixel Artist from RimWorld and Starbound. Rho shares their journey into indie game development and how to make the best pixel art.

You'll also learn:

Rho's top tips to get noticed as a pixel artist

Where to get really good reference for creating pixel art

The easiest and best way to get into the Indie Game Development scene

Which healthy habits will help you avoid burnout from art and animation

Episode 33: Instagram Famous Frantic Frames On How To Do 100 Stop Mo Posts In A Row No Matter What

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Ben Treat, otherwise known as Frantic Frames on Instagram. He shares how he challenged himself to create 100 stop motion posts over 100 days, and how he because sought after for branded sponsorships on Instagram.

You'll also learn:

Episode 32: Master Stop Mo Animator, Producer, & FX Artist Stephen Chiodo on How to Be Sought After

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Stephen Chiodo, who is one of the great masters of stop motion, puppetry, and special effects. He shares how he was able to carve out his career in stop motion specifically and become sought-after for his skills in animation, puppetry, and special effects.

You'll also learn:

How to mentally position yourself so you'll always be in-demand by studios

Important notes to make when negotiating a contract

How to gain connections at the top studios

What is was like working with Tim Burton on Vincent

Episode 31: Adventure Time Character Designer & Amphibia Director Derek Kirk Kim's Journey into Animation

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast featured Derek Kirk Kim, prolific comics writer and artist, Senior Character Designer on Adventure Time, and Director for Disney TV's Amphibia. In our chat, he shares the struggles of trying to make it as a comics artist and how that led to his career in animation.

You will also learn:

Episode 30: Claymation Encyclopedia Marc Spess Shares Industry Tips On Making Professional Clay Films

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features master claymation animator Marc Spess who shares his encyclopedia knowledge on everything you need to know about sculpting clay for claymation.

You will also learn:

Episode 29: Boxtrolls Vis Dev Artist Sylvain Marc on How to Develop Concept Art for Film and TV

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Sylvain Marc, a Vis Dev artist who's helped develop the look and feel (and characters) of BoxTrolls, Hotel Transylvania 2 & 3, and the Amazing World of Gumball. In this episode he shares how to develop concept art for film and television.

You'll also learn:

Episode 28: Javan Ivey on Everything You Need to Make a Beginner Stop Motion Studio in Your Bedroom

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features seasoned stop motion animator Javan Ivey, on everything you need to make a beginner stop motion studio in your bedroom that will give you professional-quality videos.

You will also learn:

People Javan mentioned on the podcast:

Resources Javan mentioned on the podcast:

Episode 27: Cuphead's Tina Nawrocki on How To Find Success in 2D Traditional Hand Drawn Animation

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Tina Nawrocki, one of the original hand-drawn animators on the Cuphead video game. Tina shares how she got her start in traditional 2D animator, how she landed Cuphead, and what opportunities exist for hand-drawn animators in the marketplace.

You'll also learn:
Watch this episode on YouTube
Follow Tina on:

Resources Tina mentions in this podcast:

Episode 26: Producer Barrett Slagle On Everything You Need To Know About Sound Design For Animation

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Mixer/Producer, and Studio Co-Owner Barrett Slagle, who shares everything an animator needs to know about sound design.

You'll also learn:
Watch this episode on YouTube
Episode 25: Creative Director David Braun on Everything You Need to Know About the Business Side of Pitching a Show or Series

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features David Braun, Creative Director at Open the Portal, a stop motion studio in LA. David shares the journey it took to create the studio from scratch, while also developing and pitching an original series idea to major networks.

You'll also learn:
Watch this episode on YouTube
Episode 24: Whit Theofrastous, on What It's like Being an International Animation Student in Canada and How to Get into Sheridan If You Live in the USA.

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Whitman Theofreastous, a second year International Animation Student at Sheridan College in Canada. Whit shares his experience with applying to multiple animation schools and the complete process to get into Sheridan from the USA.

You'll also learn:

Episode 23: Aminder Dhaliwal Director at Disney TV Animation & Creator of Woman World on Finding Success on Instagram as an Artist

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Aminder Dhaliwal, Director at Disney TV Animation and creator of the massively popular comic Woman World, on how to find success on Instagram as an Artist.

You will also learn.

5 Practical tips on how to stay mentally and physically healthy as a full-time artist

How to refine your storytelling process to be super punchy and clear

The difference in studio culture between Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney

Plus, why Aminder will never show anyone her sketchbook

And... Aminder's best advice for Sheridan students' grad film (she's an alumni!)

Follow Aminder and read her comics on Instagram

Episode 22: 2D Effects Animator at Pipeline Studios Tracy Strong on How to Become a Sought-After 2D Effects Artist

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Tracy Strong, 2D Effects Animator at Pipeline Studios on the steps to build a career out of 2D effects.

You will also learn:

Episode 21: Maximilian Lopez Founder of Apartment D on How to Get Stop Motion Client Work

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Maximilian Lopez, stop motion animator on Tumble Leaf and Founder of Apartment D Films on how to get stop motion client work.

You'll also learn:

Episode 20: Brent Dienst, Toy Story 4 Pixar Animator on How to Create Believable Character Performances

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Brent Dienst, Pixar Animator on how to create believable character performances.

You'll also learn:

Episode 19: Dale Hayward Director of Bone Mother for the NFB on His Latest Film and How to Build a Self-Sustaining Career from Stop Motion

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features NFB Director Dale Hayward on his latest film Bone Mother and how to build a career out of stop motion.

You'll also learn:

Episode 18: Bill Tedford, Art Director at Brown Bag Films on How to Develop Children's Programming IP

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Bill Tedford, Art Director at Brown Bag Films, on how to develop children's programming IP.
You'll also learn:

Episode 17: Fernando Stockler, Sheridan Animation Student on How to Get into the Program and Do Really Really Well

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Fernando Stockler, Sheridan Animation Student, on how to get into the program and do really really really well.
You'll also learn:

How to get top marks on your animation portfolio

What Sheridan's Art Fundamentals Program is like

The #1 thing animation students struggle with

How making your mom freshly squeezed orange juice can help you get better grades

(plus, hear me say "like" 12,000 times)

Episode 16: Davey Ferguson, Guest Animator for Adventure Time & Turbo Fantasy Shares Freelance Life

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Davey Ferguson, a freelance, Glasgow based animator who talks about how to specialize in silly animation and artwork for TV, games, and online content.

You'll also learn:

Episode 15: Andrew Strimaitis Animation Director At Guru Studio Talks Mentorship and Feedback Loops

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Andrew Strimaitis, Animation Director at Guru Studio who talks about mentorship and how a feedback loop can further your career (in leaps and bounds!).

You'll also learn:

Episode 14: Elyse Castro Creator Of The Summoning for Cartoon Hangover Shares How She Pitched Her Show Idea To Frederator

This episode features Elyse Castro, creator of The Summoning for Cartoon Hangover, on how she pitched her show idea to Frederator.

You'll also learn:

Episode 13: Emmy Winning Stop Motion Animator Sarah de Gaudemar on How to Make a Career out of Stop Motion

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Emmy winning Stop Motion Animator Sarah de Gaudemar on how to make a career out of stop motion animation.

You'll also learn:

Episode 12: Scarlet Nelson on How to Become a Stop Motion Animator for TV Shows

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Scarlet Nelson on how to become a TV show stop motion animator.

You'll also learn:

Episode 11: Jim Bryson on Being a Jack of All Trades and Making Your Own Show

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features 'Jack off all trades' animator, Jim Bryson on how to find success in a variety of roles and end up making your own show.

You will also learn:

Episode 10: Vadim Bazhanov on the Top Skills Needed to Become a Successful Story Artist

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Vadim Bazhanov on how to become a successful Story Artist working on feature-length films.

You will also learn:

Episode 9: Rikke Asbjoern and Chris Garbutt on Being Showrunners for Netflix

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Rikke Asbjoern and Chris Garbutt on how they became showrunners on their own series for Netflix.

You will also learn:

Get in touch with Rikke and Chris through their Instagrams: FattyWhale and ThatDamnGarbutt

See Feedspot's full list of the top 10 animation podcasts here.

Episode 8: Humberto Rosa on Being a Lead Animator at Sony Pictures

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Humberto Rosa on how he became a lead animator on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at Sony Pictures Imageworks.

You will also learn:

Episode 7: Ronald Stanage on How to Break into the Animation Industry and Make Fart Jokes for Kids

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Cartoon Network's Ronald Stanage on how to break into the animation industry and make fart jokes for kids.

You'll also learn:

Episode 6: Lawrence Hugh Burns on What It Takes To Do Freelance And Professional Illustration

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Lawrence Hugh Burns on what it takes to do freelance and professional illustration.

You'll also learn:

Episode 5: Colin Jack on How to Become a Story Artist at DreamWorks Animation

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features DreamWorks Animation's Colin Jack on what it takes to become a story artist on feature-length films.

You'll also learn:

Get in touch with Colin through his Instagram

Episode 4: Dodge Greenley On How To Become A Super Rad Storyboard Artist

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Cartoon Network's Dodge Greenley on how to become a super rad storyboard artist.

You'll also learn:

Get in touch with Dodge and see his ridiculous comics on his Instagram

Episode 3: Ryan Quincy On Creating and Running Successful Animation Television Shows

This episode of the Animation Industry Podcast features Emmy award winning South Park producer Ryan Quincy on how to create and run a successful animated television show.

You'll also learn:

Episode 2: Fred Seibert on How to Pitch a Show

This episode features Fred Seibert, founder of Frederator Studios, on how to create your own show. You'll also learn:

This episode features Brett Jubinville, creator of Super Science Friends, on how to create your own show. You'll also learn:

Looking for More Great Animation Podcasts?

If you're looking for other great animation podcasts, I also compiled a list of every animation podcast that exists! The list contains over 50 current and discontinued animation podcasts filled with TV show reviews, news, interviews, and software tips.

Here it is: Every Animation Podcast in One Big List (50+)

Happy listening!

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Welcome to the Animation Industry Podcast! Here you'll find animation podcast interviews from today's top leaders in the industry with topics like: The best way to pitch a show How to successfully market your work online What kind of skills will land you your dream job and more! ...

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Welcome, animators, to the home of stop motion apps

We've been developing award-winning stop motion software for you to enjoy for more than two decades(!) and pride ourselves on producing powerful yet intuitive, fully-featured programs which allow all ages to get started quickly and easily. Simply choose between animating in the cloud using any modern device with our browser-based solution, or install the latest version of our software on your PC, Mac or iPad...

Animation Kit Education Start Animating

Cloud Stop Motion and Zu3D

Cloud Stop Motion and Zu3D are comprehensive stop motion solutions - if you can imagine it, you can create it! Both Zu3D and Cloud Stop Motion are great tools for promoting creativity, encouraging concentration, and building adaptable problem-solving skills. They make seamless integration across the entire educational curriculum possible, due to the versatility of our animation apps.

Make movies on your smartphone, laptop, desktop, Chromebook, tablet. Cloud Stop Motion is a powerful stop motion animation package which runs directly in the browser on any modern device. There is nothing to install, everything is saved to the cloud. Switch device seamlessly at any point.

Zu3D is a fully-comprehensive software package available to install on PCs, Macs and iPads. Originally designed with children, for children, it combines ease of use with sophisticated features.

Cloud Stop Motion and Zu3D are being used daily by thousands of schools, students and organizations internationally, as well as by tens of thousands of animators encompassing all range of ages from across the world!

With both solutions you can easily work with your animation on a zoomable, scrollable timeline. Add sound effects, music, titles, credits and speech bubbles. Render to an MP4 movie. Both Zu3D and Cloud Stop Motion have exhaustive libraries encompassing music, artwork, visual and sound effects - all included as standard!

Zu3D then steps it up by incorporating green-screen functionality, rig removal, drawing tools, and allowing imports of your live action movies, providing hours more fun whilst editing together your even greater, more diverse stop motion animations! Zu3D also has auto-capture so that you can capture frames automatically!

Examples of Stop Motion Films:

Stop motion animation is an amazing and fully immersive filmmaking technique - the only limitation really is your imagination! Below you can see a selection of some of our favourite stop motion films. The following have mostly been created in Zu3D or Cloud Stop Motion, by animators between the ages of 4 and 100.

Year 6 Autumn Fireworks

Year 6 Autumn Fireworks

Pupils at Sandringham School have created a wonderful film about autumn and fireworks using natural materials for their fantastic stop motion animation! Made with Zu3D

The Dragon who ate our school‌

The Dragon who ate our school

Combining stop motion animation and live action through the added medium of green-screening (intuitively possible within Zu3D) is one of our favourite things. In this fun film a dragon (animated paper on green screen) comes to the school and they were hungry!... Based on the poem by Nick Toczek

Dinosaurs in Space

Dinosaurs in Space

There is something very special and exciting about being able to grab a bit of modelling clay, squish it around a bit, and bring some characters to life. And what could be more cool than finding Dinosaurs in Space?

See More Films

Education through Animation!

Schools and Organizations working with Cloud Stop Motion

Create free, unlimited student groups and accounts. View, edit and delete student accounts, projects and movies. Empty student recycle bins. Render, watch and export student animations as MP4 movie files. Manage organization storage. Students and administrators can access their accounts anywhere on any modern device.

Educational, Creative, STEAM

Cloud Stop Motion and Zu3D have become the educators' choice for animation software in thousands of schools across the UK, Europe, the USA, and beyond!

Animating across both of our apps can easily integrate into covering the whole curriculum by: Telling stories, Modelling processes, Performance poetry, Animating algorithms, News reports, Instruction manuals, Book reviews, Music videos, Digital fact files, Adverts, Animating life cycles, Video diaries, Interviews, Religious stories, Campaign videos, Weather forecasts, Multilingual films, Historical reenactments, Illustrating mathematical concepts, Plant growth timelapse, and that doesn't even begin to cover the storyboarding, prop making, and character planning!

Whether it is to enhance literacy skills, or explain a science topic, Cloud Stop Motion and Zu3D allow children to quickly and easily create mini movies to demonstrate their knowledge. In addition, students gain valuable skills in team work, problem solving and communication.

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Cloud Stop Motion | Make stop motion animation in your browser

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Welcome, animators, to the home of stop motion apps We've been developing award-winning stop motion software for you to enjoy for more than two decades(!) and pride ourselves on producing powerful yet intuitive, fully-featured programs which allow all ages to get started quickly and easily.

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We're committed to supporting our community of creators during these uncertain times by making Learn Premium available to all users at no cost. Get access to Unity experts, live interactive sessions, on-demand learning resources, and more.

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We're committed to supporting our community of creators during these uncertain times by making Learn Premium available to all users at no cost. Get access to Unity experts, live interactive sessions, on-demand learning resources, and more. Demand for real-time 3D development skills is growing fast.

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Free offer of Digital Art Package - includes a simple frame by frame flipbook mode too...

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Sketchbook - For everyone who loves to draw

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SketchBook is sketching, painting, and illustration software for all platforms and devices. With professional-grade drawing tools in a beautiful interface, Sketchbook is easy to use for anyone who wants to explore and express their ideas.

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Tutorials and Tips for Digital Art

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sketchbook pro autodesk mobile ipad iphone mac pc university architecture engineering art digital tutorial

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Autodesk® SketchBook® is a professional-grade painting app that is easy to use for every artist- available on Windows and Mac, tablets and mobile phones.

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News and Context in Animation Industry and History

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A gathering of fun and inspiring news related content from the global animation industry.. See more stories about Animation, European Travel.

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

To log in and use all the features of Khan Academy, please enable JavaScript in your browser.

Pixar in a Box is a behind-the-scenes look at how Pixar artists do their jobs. You will be able to animate bouncing balls, build a swarm of robots, and make virtual fireworks explode. The subjects you learn in school - math, science, computer science, and humanities - are used every day to create amazing movies at Pixar. This collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy is sponsored by Disney. If you have questions or ideas, email us at piab@khanacademy.org.

Introduction: Pixar's filmmaking pipeline

This video will give you an overview of Pixar's filmmaking pipeline and prepare you to dive deeper into the STEAM topics that follow in the Pixar in a Box curriculum.

Start here!

Introduction: Pixar's filmmaking pipeline

This video will give you an overview of Pixar's filmmaking pipeline and prepare you to dive deeper into the STEAM topics that follow in the Pixar in a Box curriculum.

Start here!

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Pixar in a Box | Computing | Khan Academy

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Digital Art

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The Free & Open Source Image Editor

This is the official website of the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP).

GIMP is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows and more operating systems. It is free software, you can change its source code and distribute your changes.

Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done. You can further enhance your productivity with GIMP thanks to many customization options and 3rd party plugins.

High Quality Photo Manipulation

GIMP provides the tools needed for high quality image manipulation. From retouching to restoring to creative composites, the only limit is your imagination.

Original Artwork Creation

GIMP gives artists the power and flexibility to transform images into truly unique creations.

Graphic Design Elements

GIMP is used for producing icons, graphical design elements, and art for user interface components and mockups.

Programming Algorithms

GIMP is a high quality framework for scripted image manipulation, with multi-language support such as C, C++, Perl, Python, Scheme, and more!

Key Component in a Desktop Publishing Workflow

GIMP provides top-notch color management features to ensure high-fidelity color reproduction across digital and printed media. It is best used in workflows involving other free software such as Scribus and Inkscape.

Extensibility & Flexibility

GIMP provides extensibility through integration with many programming languages including Scheme, Python, Perl, and more.

The result is a high level of customization as demonstrated by the large number of scripts and plug-ins created by the community.

High Quality Photo Manipulation background image by Pat David ( cba )

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GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program: The Free and Open Source Image Editor

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3D modelling / 3D printing

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Tinkercad | From mind to design in minutes

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Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use app for 3D design, electronics, and coding.

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Join for free and help shape the future of 2d animation. Available for macOS and Windows.

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This is a podcast about the ups and downs of directing animation films and series. Hosted by Avgousta Zourelidi (Moominvalley / Monster High / Angry Birds)

Twitter @DIA_Podcast
Instagram @Directors_In_Animation_Podcast.
Intro music is Happy Life by Joystock

This is a podcast about the ups and downs of directing animation films and series. Hosted by Avgousta Zourelidi (Moominvalley / Monster High / Angry Birds)

Twitter @DIA_Podcast
Instagram @Directors_In_Animation_Podcast.
Intro music is Happy Life by Joystock

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‎Directors In Animation Podcast on Apple Podcasts

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This is a podcast about the ups and downs of directing animation films and series. Hosted by Avgousta Zourelidi (Moominvalley / Monster High / Angry Birds) Twitter @DIA_PodcastInstagram @Directors_In_Animation_Podcast. Intro music is Happy Life by Joystock This is a podcast about the ups and downs of directing animation films and series.

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The Jungle Book (Disney, 1967)

How about one more from JUNGLE BOOK?

The enchanting storytelling gets a lot of help from these incredible backgrounds, as well as the voice talent and animators!

Baloo teaches Mowgli about "the Bear Necessities" -

Here's the fabulous BG! I got to the very end of its reconstruction and had one tiny section I had to digitally hand paint, as it was never revealed in the scene. This always stretches my abilities (I'm not really an artist) but on completion I think I matched it pretty darn well! There's a slight pan to the right so you never saw this complete BG on the screen - until now!

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The Jungle Book (Disney, 1967) How about one more from JUNGLE BOOK? The enchanting storytelling gets a lot of help from these incredible backgrounds, as well as the voice talent and animators! Baloo teaches Mowgli about "the Bear Necessities" - Here's the fabulous BG!

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AnimationResources.org - Serving the Online Animation Community

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The Genesis of the Project
Bill Scott, the voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose, came up with the original idea of an "Animateque" devoted to the art of animation.
After 20 years as an animation Producer, Stephen Worth decided it was time to give back to the muse. He went to work full time at ASIFA-Hollywood to try to build support for Bill's concept of the Animateque. "The animation business is in dire need of inspiration and new ideas," Worth explains. "I kept reading in the trades that traditional animation techniques were dead and artists would soon be replaced by technology. But I know from working with innovative filmmakers like Ralph Bakshi and John Kricfalusi that the principles that created Pinocchio and Bugs Bunny are the same ones that will lead new technologies to the same heights reached in the 'golden age' of animation. The technology is just a tool. The artist is the one who creates. We need to invest in artists."
Katie Rice, Stephen Worth and David Gemmell refer to artwork in the collection of Animation Resources. (photo: Lori Shepler)
Almost overnight, Worth established a world class facility for self-study and research into the art of animation. Housed in a storefront in Burbank, the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive provided information, digitized animated films, assembled biographical information and prepared high resolution scans of artwork for use by countless animators, educators, art students and researchers. The facility became world famous through its exhaustive website and extensive collection of material from the personal files of legendary animators like Grim Natwick, Les Clark, Michael Lah, Herb Klynn and John Kricfalusi. A dedicated group of volunteers worked tirelessly digitizing and cataloguing the material, guaranteeing that future generations will be able to benefit from the valuable information.
Studio gag drawing of Grim Natwick at the Ub Iwerks Studio with his "kid assistant" Chuck Jones. Jones would go on to become one of the most influential directors in the history of animation.
In January of 2011, ASIFA-Hollywood informed Worth that regrettably they were no longer able to sponsor his project. Worth wasn't willing to let Bill Scott's dream end there, so he scrambled to create a permanent organizational umbrella for the collection. He established Animation Resources, a 501(c)(3) California non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and encouraging animation education. The core of Animation Resources' offerings is Stephen Worth's valuable research and curation efforts and the generous efforts of the dozens of dedicated volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to creating this resource.

Do You Know This Man?

Though few would recognize his name, and even fewer his face, nearly every person on earth knows of this man's work. This is Ub Iwerks, the man who created Mickey Mouse.
This self portrait from 1931 was found in a trash can at a local TV cartoon studio. No one knows how the drawing got there and no one at the studio could identify him. At a reunion of animators from the most successful animated feature of recent times, this sketch was shown to a hall full of employees from the studio this man made famous- not a single person recognized him.

Read more about Why We Need an Animation Archive.

This means that it is possible to search for an artist's name and find his biography and filmography, then click through to watch a digitized movie file of a film he worked on. One more click reveals animation drawings by that artist from that particular film. "It's a way of organizing information that's never been attempted before," says Worth. At this point, the database is not available on the internet, but plans are in the works to build the infrastructure required to share the entire collection online with the world.

In the "golden age" of animation, production designers didn't look to other cartoons for inspiration on how their films should look... they looked to classic illustration, like that of Gustaf Tenggren. Animation Resources's archive database includes hundreds of illustrated children books, each one bursting at the seams with new ideas for how animated films can look. Animation Resources's archive database contains information on influential women animators like Lotte Reiniger, the creator of the oldest surviving animated feature.

Ralph Bakshi, the animator who was responsible for bringing about the modern age of animation has written several inspiring articles for the Animation Resources blog and has contributed material to the collection. The storyboard section above is from Bakshi's "Cool World" and was drawn by Louise Zingarelli.

Story artist Eddie Fitzgerald offers storyboarding tips to volunteers Michael Fallik, Max Ward and Art Fuentes.
The animation related material in the collection includes storyboards, animation drawings, production correspondence, exposure sheets, publicity materials, production photos, model sheets, pencil tests, background paintings, and more.

The family of legendary animator, Carlo Vinci has been sharing artwork from Vinci's fifty year career in animation. The collection includes a number of class assignments from his studies at the prestigious National Academy of Design, documenting the education of a golden age animator. Students at the National Academy of Design in the early 1920s. Traditional art studies from the past form the foundation for artists of the future.
Digitized films in the collection include rare cartoons by the Fleischers, Terry-Toons, Iwerks, Lantz and Columbia studios. "These are primarily films that have never been released to home video. Many of them haven't been broadcast on television since the 50s or 60s. We're specializing in the studios that don't currently have extensive commercial distribution." says Worth. Animation historians like John Canemaker, Leonard Maltin, Jerry Beck and Mark Kausler have been supporting the project as well by sharing valuable research and helping to acquire rare animated films for digitization.

A Non-Traditional Approach
Animation Resources hosts an online drawing course based on Preston Blair's "Advanced Animation".
In the era of YouTube and Google, this is beginning to change. Digital technology removes the problems associated with storage and preservation of vintage artifacts. Once digitized, a film or piece of artwork can efficiently and inexpensively be backed up and distributed, making open access a possibility. Without physical objects to catalog and store, archivists are able to shorten the time it takes to prepare a group of items for public access. This allows the collection to be curated as it is assembled. The curator isn't limited by the pool of material that he has to work with. He is free to actively solicit outside sources for material that fills in gaps in the rest of the collection and relates to the concepts he is trying to put across. Most collectors are more than happy to share a digital copy of their items.
Animation Resources's archive database contains many one-of-a-kind treasures from the estates of legendary animators like Les Clark and Grim Natwick.
Milton Caniff at work in his studio in the late 40s. The estate of Caniff, the creator of Steve Canyon and Terry and the Pirates, has shared original artwork and biographical material with Animation Resources.

Supplementing Animation Education

In tough economic times, the studios cut budgets for in-house training, so the young artists aren't able to pick up the fundamentals on the job either. It's a difficult situation, and many students of animation aren't even aware of the vital need for self-study until after they have graduated and joined the ranks of job hunters. By that time, it may be too late for them to pick up the creative skills they need to be a productive employee in animation.
A rough animation drawing by the legendary Milt Kahl. The animation of the past is being put back to work, educating and inspiring the animators of the future.
Joseph Baptista, a student intern on the project who is now a professional animator comments, "Doing an exercise for a class at school, you're not really sure how it fits in functionally and how those principles apply to a real world job. You just do it for a letter grade and you move on. But if you are trying to learn to animate, the best way is to first learn about the principle, and then to try to understand how it was applied through analyzing and imitating the work of great artists." Worth set out to fully integrate an educational mission into the structure of Animation Resources. Educational material is accompanied by contextual information to help a student fully understand and absorb it and is accompanied by real-world examples of the principles in use. Through self-study, a student learns to recognize principles among the art in the vast collection and, with practice and determination, begins to master the techniques for themselves.
Animation Resources depends on the support of the people who benefit from it. If you feel that this website is of value to you, we encourage you to contribute, volunteer and support the project. With your help, Animation Resources can grow. Together, we can take the project forward.
However, changes in the business environment in animation in the 1960s and 70s stopped this system in its tracks. Studios were downsizing and sending work overseas. Experienced "old timers" who possessed the accumulated knowledge of decades of experience were retiring without passing along their techniques to the next generation. By the mid 1970s, it looked as if animation was a dying artform in the United States. A few animators, most notably Eric Larson, Ralph Bakshi and Richard Williams refused to let the artform die, and acted as a bridge across the gap, instituting training programs at the studios where they worked. Most successful animators today who got their start in the early 1980s have one of these three men to thank for their careers.
Animation Resources' Goals and Projects The Officers and Board of Animation Resources Animation Resources 2015 Annual Report KCET: Animation Resources Aims To Build A Massive Digital Archive Of Cartoon Art
In the 21st century animation business, the employment of an animator only lasts the life of the project, and the ladder of upward mobility is either weak or non-existent. Art schools have largely shifted towards a "trade school" approach, focusing on technical skills like proficiency in Flash and Maya instead of classical art training. This leaves young animators without a means of developing their craft and growing as an artist. Animation Resources steps into the breech, acting as an adjunct to animation schools and training programs, encouraging students to begin an organized program of creative self-study early on so they will be prepared when the time comes to find a job in the industry.

"Everything an animator needs to know is in those old films and sketches." Worth explains. "The great animators of the past may no longer be with us, but that doesn't mean that we can't still learn from them. It doesn't matter if artists animate using a pencil or a computer. The fundamental principles are the same. All a student of animation today needs is access to the material, a mind for analyzing what makes a scene work, and lots and lots of practice." Animation Resources is trying to help fill the gap by providing a facility for artists to study core art skills and encouraging them to carry the art form forward.

You might wonder where the funding to accomplish all of the things Animation Resources is doing is coming from. "We're very much flying by the seat of our pants." Worth admits. "Thankfully, there are a lot of great people who believe in this idea who are willing to support it through individual donations. The student volunteers are enthusiastic too and are willing to roll up their sleeves and make it happen. Everything is on an achievable level and momentum is building to allow us to take on even more in the future."

The full collection is not yet able to be shared online, but a wonderful selection of images and information are available on the Animation Resources blog, which can be found at www.animationresources.org. The website contains thousands of images and streaming videos, along with biographical articles and information on the progress of the project itself. According to Stephen Worth, the blog serves over a quarter of a million articles a month to over 1.5 million unique visitors. "Our web traffic comes from around the world. We've heard from artists as far away as Japan, Kazakhstan and Italy who follow our progress on the internet every day."

"The next step for us is to establish a steady stream of revenue to fund the sustained growth of the project," says Worth. "I see in my head a full brick and mortar museum dedicated to animation with satellite facilities all over the world. I'm willing to do whatever I can to make this a reality. There are a lot of other people here who love animation and are happy to help. I don't think it's an unattainable goal."

Certainly the professional world contains a scattered sampling of people as committed to their medium as Stephen Worth and his group of dedicated volunteers, but it's extremely rare to find such a concentrated few in any one place. Their passion and co-operation are achieving great things. Archivists and librarians might have a lot to learn from these animators. Animation Resources is rapidly becoming the model of what the "21st century archive" must become.

Hopefully, seeing the incredible work of artists of the past will inspire current artists to set the bar higher. There is no reason why animation can't be better than classic cartoons. The technology is better and there's no lack of talent. All young cartoonists need is a foundation of knowledge to build upon. Worth expands upon this point, "What point is there pickling the past in formaldehyde and setting it up in bottles on a dusty shelf? The past should be put to work informing the present and helping to improve the future." It's clear that the people behind Animation Resources don't think small.

Other Articles About Animation Resources

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About The Animation Archive Project - AnimationResources.org - Serving the Online Animation Community

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The Genesis of the Project Bill Scott, the voice of Bullwinkle J. Moose, came up with the original idea of an "Animateque" devoted to the art of animation. After 20 years as an animation Producer, Stephen Worth decided it was time to give back to the muse.

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Animation Podcast | Interviews, Reviews & Chat, Worldwide

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The Skwigly Animation Podcast is a monthly look at animation news, interviews & reviews from the international animation scene. Hosted by Ben Mitchell & Steve Henderson.

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Adobe Character Animator

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Okay Samurai showcases tutorials and creative projects from me (Dave Werner). I currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area in California and work as the Se...

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We provide the collective clout that individual businesses cannot achieve alone. We proactively raise issues, drive the debate and lobby to influence Government, broadcasters and other industry bodies.

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Happy Thanksgiving to our USA users! Here comes the fourth part of the Flash Studio photoshoot with Sadeq. There's a big mix in this set, ranging from Sadeq swinging a baseball bat, swinging a lasso, chopping firewood and doing some gymnastic jumps.

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NICK ANIMATION PODCAST

"How do they make cartoons? Who are the amazingly brilliant weirdoes making them? Somebody tell me!" Ease down cartoon lover: the Nickelodeon Animation Podcast is here to help. Hosted by Hector Navarro, our podcast takes you behind the scenes and into the brains of animation creators, artists and voice talent. So grab a Krabby Patty, get comfy in your Thinking Chair and let our podcast entertain you with the people and stories behind some of the most memorable animation in the history of TV and film.

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NICK ANIMATION PODCAST "How do they make cartoons? Who are the amazingly brilliant weirdoes making them? Somebody tell me!" Ease down cartoon lover: the Nickelodeon Animation Podcast is here to help. Hosted by Hector Navarro, our podcast takes you behind the scenes and into the brains of animation creators, artists and voice talent.

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Store version
Windows Store Steam Store Epic Store MacOS Store
Paid versions of Krita on other platforms. You will get automatic updates when new versions of Krita come out. After deduction of the Store fee, the money will support Krita development. For the Windows store version you will need Windows 10.

Nightly Builds

Test out the latest builds that are created every day.

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Windows Shell Extension
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The Shell extension is included with the Windows Installer. An optional add-on for Windows that allow KRA thumbnails to appear in your file browser.

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Download the latest version of Krita for FREE on your device. Available on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Android tablets.

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Pro animators, students, film makers and game developers will love the ease and speed working in Animation Paper for PC, Mac and Linux.

Quickly test ideas - or train your skills. Work rough - then clean up.
This awesome app will feel effortless, while super efficient and powerful. And so much fun!

This looks like really intuitive and exciting software. I can't wait to get my hands on it!Victor Navone, Supervising animator, Pixar

Wow! This looks great! I really like the layout. Just like working on paper at my desk!Aaron Blaise, Director of Brother Bear, Disney

So excited about Niels and his work to create a great 2D animation app! Please support him!Jason Schleifer, Animation Industry Veteran

Developing our favorite animation tool

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Watch the original concept for Animation Paper - a tour of the early interface design.

Recommend watching in full screen and HD

For more current viewing, watch our
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Many alternative ways of flipping (keys, wheel, return flip, etc)

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Dear Animators,
My name is Niels Krogh Mortensen - I'm the creator of Animation Paper.

For the past 30 years I have worked as a character animator, graphic artist, creative software developer, game designer, animation producer and animation director.

2 decades ago I founded the predecessor, Plastic Animation Paper (PAP), which became an acclaimed and very popular 2D animation tool, that helped many take the leap from good old analogue into digital.

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Animation from short film Mops & Ollie by Christian Kuntz. Thanks Christian!

Go to the blog section for more detail, the thoughts behind Animation Paper and the latest news. Make sure to post your comments or questions too.

FREE! Download the original old version of Animation Paper (PAP:Pro4 for Windows) and get animating right away. No strings attached. Enjoy!

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Pro animators, students, film makers and game developers will love the ease and speed working in Animation Paper for PC, Mac and Linux. Quickly test ideas - or train your skills. Work rough - then clean up. This awesome app will feel effortless, while super efficient and powerful. And so much fun!

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Free and Open Source

Blender is a public project hosted on blender.org, licensed as GNU GPL, owned by its contributors.

For that reason Blender is Free and Open Source software, forever. Learn more

Part of the industry

Blender is a member of ASWF, Khronos, Linux Foundation and OIN. It's also well supported by major hardware vendors such as AMD, Apple, Intel, and NVIDIA.

It's about people.

Designers, developers, engineers, artists. All driven by passion. All using Blender to make an impact.

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Countless communities and thriving businesses are built around Blender.

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Find Blender Communities
Everything You Need

Cycles is Blender's built-in powerful unbiased path-tracer engine that offers stunning ultra-realistic rendering.

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Minimal Design

Lightweight and easy to use so you can focus on animating and not what button to hit next.

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Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard.

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Storyboarder makes it easy to visualize a story as fast you can draw stick figures. Quickly draw to test if a story idea works. Create and show animatics to others. Express your story idea without mak

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Game industry news & tips

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80 LEVEL is an industry-leading platform for game developers,, digital artists, animators, video game enthusiasts, CGI and VFX specialists. Join us to learn about new workflows, discuss new tools and share your work

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From JJ Abrams to James Cameron, some of the world's most celebrated storytellers and filmmakers have given their "TED Talk." Topics range from viral videos to the secret source of creativity. Our favorite, hands down, is Andrew Stanton's talk on storytelling. We'd love to know if we're missing any of YOUR favorite videos. Here are our 10 favorite TED Talks that all filmmakers, screenwriters and storytellers should watch:

10. Kevin Alloca: Why Videos Go Viral

9. Elizabeth Gilbert: Your Elusive Creative Genius

8. Rob Legato: The Art of Creating Awe

7. The Mystery of Storytelling: Julian Friedmann at TEDxEaling

6. Julie Burstein: 4 Lessons in Creativity

5. Don Levy: A Cinematic Journey Through Visual Effects

4. Joe Sabia: The Technology of Storytelling

3. James Cameron: Before Avatar... a Curious Boy

2. JJ Abrams: The Mystery Box

1. Andrew Stanton: The Clues to a Great Story

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Top 10 TED Talks on Storytelling and Filmmaking - ScreenCraft

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From JJ Abrams to James Cameron, some of the world's most celebrated storytellers and filmmakers have given their "TED Talk." Topics range from viral videos to the secret source of creativity. Our favorite, hands down, is Andrew Stanton's talk on storytelling. We'd love to know if we're missing any of YOUR favorite videos.

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Motion Reference for Animators and Artists

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The Bancroft brothers interview their good friend Mike Nawrocki, the co-creator of "Veggietales" and voice of #LarrytheCucumber ! Mike talks about how the Veggies were created, its unexpected success, how he came up with the voice and about his new #book and #animated series "The Dead Sea Squirrels" !
#veggietales #podcast #larryboy #thedeadseasquirrels

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

Imagine working hard at your craft, getting to the best studio in the world, working on some of the best films of the decade and then deciding to quit to make a radical life pivot. Why would you do that? Both brothers did- and in this podcast they tell their stories.

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by CTN Animation Expo, StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

The Bancroft Brothers zoom-call all the way to Kilkenny, Ireland to interview WolfWalkers co-directors Ross Stewart and Tomm Moore. Their studio, Cartoon Saloon is one of the most exciting independent animation studios producing some of the most personal and artistically challenging films since Walt made Fantasia. Yes, I said it! As Stewart and Moore are set to release their 4th hand-made film, WolfWalkers, world-wide on Apple+ and select theaters, we talk about their inspirations of Irish Folklore, Mighty Mouse and Flipper the Dolphin in this raucous conversation.

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by CTN Animation Expo, StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

A BONUS episode LIVE from Lightbox Expo! Tom and Tony discuss the Future of 2D Animation with legendary artists Tomm Moore (co-founder of Cartoon Saloon known for their award winning films Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner, and their newest film Wolfwalkers), Tracy Butler (2D and 3D artist who created the webcomic Lackadaisy) and Sandro Cluezo (animator on Anastasia, Fantasia 2000, Emperor's New Groove, The Princess and the Frog, etc.) Discover the history of 2D animation in the early 2000's, where it is in the present and headed in the future!

Rise Up Animation Interview! Animator twins Tom and Tony interview the three founders of the POC promoting "Rise Up Animation": Bobby Pontillas, Frank Abney, and Trent Correy! In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, these three industry giants jumped into action and organized professionals to review portfolios and help people of color "rise up" the latter in the animation industry. Recorded live as part of Icon Manila weekend.

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by CTN Animation Expo, StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

In 2004 The Walt Disney company decided to shut the doors to its second animation

studio in 50 years- the Disney Feature Animation Florida studio. In this episode Tom

and Tony talk with old friends and former Disney Florida alumni Aaron Blaise and Jim

Jackson about what made that studio so special and how it quickly became the hidden

jewel in Disney's artistic arsenal.

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

In this episode, the Bancroft Brothers speak with legendary animator and character
designer Dan Haskett! They talk about his stellar career and Dan addresses his
thoughts on the #BlackLivesMatter movement and how much we still need to see its
effects in animation!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

In this episode the twins answer the question- once and for all- that they get more than
any other: "How do I get into Disney?" Find out what it takes to win the gold medal of
animation: a job at Disney!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

It's the big 1-5-0 episode of the podcast and the Bancroft brothers are Hashing IT Out - they tell some of their favorite Disney Animation stories! Favorite celebrity they've met? Hardest scene to animate? Hidden Disney images in the films? Find out in this episode!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

In this special episode, the Bancroft bros talk to fellow twin animation artists Sergio and Edgar Martins- both of whom worked on Netflix' fantastic "Klaus" animated feature film! What's it like being twin artists? Twin to twin we compare notes.

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

In this episode the brothers interview the talented character designer behind the hit Netflix film "KLAUS" - Torsten Schrank! Find out how to stay fresh when you have to design- literally- hundreds of characters for a feature film and what his day to day was like on KLAUS.

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

Join the Bancroft Brothers as they get to know Kris Pearn, the creative genius behind the "Cloudy with A Chance of Meatballs" films as well as the new Netflix original film "The Willoughbys "! Kris talks about the things he's learned along the way that make him the perfect director for this unique new film!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com & SketchWallet.com

In this episode, twin animators Tom and Tony Hash It Out over how the Covid-19 virus is starting to affect the animation world. Also- They share some positive news, discuss how hard it is to draw Bugs Bunny and Tony lectures Tom again.

This episode the Bancroft's enjoy a conversation with their good friend, Disney and Warner Brothers Animation artist Rubén Procopio! Rubén is a multi-talented artist that sculpted the final maquettes for films like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, was the head of clean up in the Florida Disney studio, is a comic book artist and- well, you name it- he's done it! Even more fascinating, find out how the Procopio family are Disney legacy!

In this podcast, pre-recorded LIVE from CTN Animation Expo 2019, Los Hermanos Bancroft interview two prominent social networking artists: Laura Brouwers, known as "Cyarine" online with 1.5 Mill followers and Asia Ladowska aka "ladowska" with over a million followers. They deep dive into how they became known online and ways to use social networking to make a living as an artist! Learn from these pros some ways you can improve your presence online!

We have another edition of Breakfast With the Bancrofts recorded from the Sheraton during day three of Lightbox Expo! The brothers interview Disney background artist and YouTube celebrity Laura Price! Enjoy a bagel and listen as they discuss how she got to Disney and her social media conquests!

In this podcast the Brothers Bancroft help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of Don Bluth productions - makers of great films like The Secret of Nimh, An American Tale, The Land Before a time and more - with an interview with two of the key founders, John Pomeroy and Gary Goldman. Enjoy!

In this episode, Tony goes it alone while in Italy for ETNA Comic Con with special guests Shiyoon Kim and Jihyun Park. This man and wife team literally helped design Sony's Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse. Shiyoon as the lead character designer and Jihyun as storyboard artist. Besides Spidey action, hear how young love budded in college, how Shiyoon proposed and how they had a baby while Spider working! This is like an Anime romance! Bam, Bap, Pow! Let's listen now!

Finally! In this episode, the Bancroft brothers interview the one that started it all - their mother! Cori Crismon tells some embarrassing stories and gives her thoughts on supporting an artist child - or children, in this case!

Support the podcast on Patreon!

In this episode Tom and Tony talk to their amazing concept artist friend Bobby Chiu. Find out what drives Bobby to be the best he can be in all of his different businesses: online teaching through Schoolism.com, his Imaginism concept studio, publishing and more! Best yet, he tells the brothers all about his newest creation: Lightbox Expo! And - they get an announcement or two out of him!

Hear the extended version on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/25543159

With the Academy Awards looming, the Bancroft bros interview Andrew Chesworth, co-director of the animated short "One Small Step". Hear of his love of 2D animation, how he switched to CG animation, and rose to the top as a Disney animator only to leave it to start Taiko animation studio with his partners! What drives a man to leave a dream job? Find out on this episode of The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast!

See the extended edition on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/posts/24873078

Legendary Disney and Bluth animator John Pomeroy joins Tom and Tony on this episode! Of course, you will hear about his career in animation but John is an amazing painter! He talks about a new children's book he illustrated called "Walt's Imagination: The Life of Walt Disney". Get to know Walt like never before, plus this book comes alive with original paintings by John!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughByAPro.com & sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com, SketchWallet.com & GalleryNucleus.com

Use coupon code bancroft2018 to receive 15% off everything from GalleryNucleus.com except original art (coupon expires 11/1/18)

Tom and Tony hash out developing projects! They discuss ideation, creation, funding, distribution, and more... Real-world examples of how to turn that dream into reality! Some of their results may not always be what you want, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Learn from their experiences in this episode!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughByAPro.com & sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com, SketchWallet.com & GalleryNucleus.com

It's the 100th episode!! For this historic occasion, Tom and Tony are joined by Disney legend Mark Henn for a live show in front of their animation classes at Lipsomb in Tennessee and Azusa-Pacific in California! The Brothers allow Mark to do the teaching on this episode, and even have a Q&A exclusively for the Patreon sponsors! Join us for this amazing event!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughByAPro.com & sponsored by StuartNgBooks.com, SketchWallet.com & GalleryNucleus.com

It's a triple threat of names that begin with "T" as Tom and Tony are joined by Tim Hodge to reminisce about their time on "Mulan"! Tim worked in story on the film, so hear how ideas were formed, storyboards were created, and what ended up in the film, or on the cutting room floor! It's a behind the scenes look to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Mulan"!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books at & SketchWallet.com

In this episode of the Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast, Tom and Tony take some time to answer their most frequently asked questions. They tackle subjects that include networking, portfolios, charging for your work, and a lot more! Also, hear about a special project Tony is working on to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "Mulan"!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books at https://stuartngbooks.com/ & SketchWallet at
https://www.sketchwallet.com/

In this episode, Tom and Tony spend time with Bobby Pontillas! Hear how Booby came out of school wanting to be a hand drawn animator during the time CG was taking over! But, he overcame that and has become a CG animator on some the biggest hits of the last few years. Also, learn the art of interviewing the interviewers as Bobby takes over the podcast!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books & SketchWallet

Tom and Tony have longed to see 2D animation make a comeback, but they never expected this: a hand-drawn video game?! In this episode, the Bancroft Brothers talk to Chad Moldenhauer who, along with his brother, created the game "Cuphead". Learn the story behind this unique game that has already sold over a million copies in just a couple of months!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books & SketchWallet

In this episode, the Bancroft Brothers hear how a group of entrepreneurs from all over the country came together to create an animated short based on the award-winning and best-selling Wingfeather Saga novels. From their wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to details on their creative process, get an inside look at this indie film! See more at http://wingfeathersaga.com/

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books & SketchWallet

Podcast #74- Pernille Ørum interview

The Brothers Bancroft have fun talking with the talented Pernille Ørum all the way from Denmark! Find out what the day-to-day is like for a huge shinning star of the internet and character designer for the DC Superhero Girls show

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books, SketchWallet & TVPaint Animation Software

In their 5th "hash it out" episode, Tony and Tom Bancroft talk about their art influences. From comics, to animation, to the digital age of Instagram, get ready for a whole lot of name dropping!

The Bancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books, SketchWallet & TVPaint Animation Software

Only one person can claim they have worked on The Lion King every week for the past thirty years - Tom Schumacher. Tom Schumacher is the former President of Disney Feature Animation in the 90s and currently President of Disney Theatrical. Find out how you transition a hit film into a hit Broadway show in this episode!

TheBancroft Brothers Animation Podcast is presented by TaughtByAPro.com & sponsored by Stuart Ng Books & SketchWallet

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The Bancroft brothers interview their good friend Mike Nawrocki, the co-creator of "Veggietales" and voice of #LarrytheCucumber ! Mike talks about how the Veggies were created, its unexpected success, how he came up with the voice and about his new #book and #animated series "The Dead Sea Squirrels" !

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NASA Image and Video Library, serving up consolidated imagery and videos in one searchable location. Users can download content in multiple sizes and resolutions and see the metadata associated with images, including EXIF/camera data on many images.

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Whilst researching how animals have been depicted by Walt Disney Animation Studios (WADAS)[1], I found that chickens were featured in nineteen WDAS films (34%) (Stanton, 2019). This makes chickens the most commonly depicted species of bird in WDAS films. This...

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© Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Pixar Animation Studios

BRAD BIRD's Amazing Story, from leaving Disney
onto fixing The Iron Giant
and the Road Less Traveled

the Lost and FOUND series

THE RESEARCH LIBRARY AT

ANIMATION ART CONSERVATION

INTERVIEW with INSIGHT

"Well, when I realized that Disney was not going to be the place that I thought that it was, I had two alternatives. One was to quit animation and go into regular live action filmmaking, and the other was to make one last shot at doing the kind of projects I wanted to do in animation and see if I could get anyone interested in paying for it. I chose the latter. I took whatever money I had in the bank and I made a little sample film that I called
A Portfolio of Projects..."

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© Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Pixar Animation Studios BRAD BIRD's Amazing Story, from leaving Disneyonto fixing The Iron Giantand the Road Less Traveled the Lost and FOUND series THE RESEARCH LIBRARY AT ANIMATION ART CONSERVATION INTERVIEW with INSIGHT "Well, when I realized that Disney was not going to be the place that I thought that it was, I had two alternatives.

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The live-action update to the Disney animated classic makes an admirable attempt at providing depth to the title character against strong visuals. But with everything else lacking excitement, it's not quite "a girl worth fighting for".

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Concept Art World - Showcasing Concept Artists, News and Inspiration

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Learn how professional artists work, live, and nurture their creativity. Plus, get a peek at their latest work and hear about their unique creative process. Our artist interviews are packed full of helpful tips, advice, and inspiration for every artist at every skill level.

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Character animation tips, tricks and tutorials

This is our ultimate series of animation tutorials for beginners.
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We start with the basic principles of animation and go all the way to advanced techniques. Most videos talking about the basics of animation, working methods and theories are free.

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Character animation tips, tricks and tutorials This is our ultimate series of animation tutorials for beginners. Most lessons are completely free. We start with the basic principles of animation and go all the way to advanced techniques. Most videos talking about the basics of animation, working methods and theories are free.

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Julie Delpy's new Netflix series On the Verge opens with these carefully composed stop-motion titles crafted by a small team at production and VFX studio Fugu in Paris and set to a jaunty tune by Chilly Gonzales.

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Motionographer shares inspiring work and important news for the motion design, animation and visual effects communities.

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Storyboarding tips

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image can leave it feeling too heavy or complicated
in that section of the shot and other parts feeling empty.

Triangular Composition
Triangular Composition occurs when the placement of the subjects (or group of elements themselves) form the shape of a triangle. Sometimes to create depth, othertimes to break up the image for variety in spacing and positioning, and often to create a connection or relationship between the different subjects.

Many films use this method to display information on screen in a clear and efficent way which also helps to develop the characters and stories when used properly.

In the filmRebel Without a Cause, notice how well the director, production designer, costume designer and cinematographer told the audience who the film was clearly about with in the first few minutes. Sure there's dialogue and each character has the intro in Edward's office but the visuals reinforced the whole thing. Here's how;

First up, before we see Natalie Wood, clearly she and the doll James Dean doesn't want to give up share the strongest notes of color. The bond between them is reinforced visual before the story unreels.

Natalie stands out among the rest of the girls because of the strong red note. Right away Nicholas Ray wants us to know who's important. Remember, the audience is getting a lot of information in a short period of time. He has to be really obvious and say, "this girl is the one you should look at". Good art direction is clear art direction. Also look at the deep focus in this scene, from the officer on duty in the far right corner, to the hall on the left.

The three main characters end up in the police station on the same night. Their lives will become increasingly intertwined as the story progress but for now they're unaware of that. The dynamic triangle of the composition keeps the eye moving even though the characters themselves are not engaged with each other.

As Dean starts to interact with Sal, he moves in forming a smaller compositional triangle. The three mains are still unaware of what's to come but the director wants us to know the movie will be about them.

Then as we cut into Platt's office and hear Natalie's story, Dean moves off. The main characters still the dominant visual even though they themselves are unaware of the events to follow.

More samples of using various shapes, colors and lighting to achieve a focus point through composition:

There are three main aspects you must keep in mind when storyboarding:

#1. Be Careful of Theater Staging:

There are no "right" or "wrongs" with storyboarding, only methods that work better than others. Figure out what you want to convey in a scene, and find the best way to present those ideas to your audience.

#2. Maintaining Screen Side:

This is a simple theory of cutting that can easily help create a sense of continuity within a sequence and/or exchange. The idea is not exclusive to 1 character interacting with another. The same principle can be used between 2 different groups of characters, or even a character and an object.
It can be the guy and his TV.

The dog and a tree.

The child and the moon.

#3. Maintaining Screen Direction:

As long as you continue to establish any new screen spacing or direction, the sequence should maintain a certain level of continuity that will allow the audience to follow along quite easily.

Always remember, sometimes the information you withhold from the audiene can create some nice comedic effects when you finally reveal that information to them.

Take a look at theserough boards from The Iron Giant, you can see the artistic differences between various storyboard artists, but the compositions are clear and dynamic everytime.

e Maintaining Screen Side and Screen Direction are all a part of... Always draw a map for yourself to keep track of the characters positions within the environment and in relation to the camera.

If you have two characters talking, draw an imaginary line between them. Now the rule states that you need to keep the camera on one side of that line and never cross over to the other side.

You can put the camera anywhere you want as long as you don't cross the line to the other side of the two characters. This way, no matter what shots you have, you can cut them together in any order and the green character will always stay on the right side of the frame and the blue character will always stay on the left.

If you break this rule and shoot one shot from the other side of the line, the characters will be flopped: the blue guy is now on the right and the green guy is on the left.

This can confuse the audience because, for example, if the characters look similar, they may start to get the two people mixed up. Or they may think that the characters switched places between cuts, or they may think it's a time jump to a different location at a later time or something. It can cause unnecessary confusion in the audience's mind, and we always want to avoid that.

The problem becomes even more apparent when you're doing a scene where people are in action. For example, when a character is running, you want to consider the path they're traveling along as the line that you don't want to cross. Obviously, if you shoot from the other side the line, the character will look like he's going the opposite direction.

Mateu-Mestre, Marcos. Framed Ink: Design Studio Press, 2010, Print.

Remember:
Composition in the art of film is never static; it is a process of continuous change created by the control of its three basic elements:

1. Placement of people and objects within the frame:

-Large foreground objects can attract or divert attention depending on how they are used.

-A full-face CU in sharp focus in the foreground will divert attention from a soft focus full figure in the background.

-A figure in soft focus in the foreground can occupy more than half the frame and yet attract less attention than a smaller figure in the background.

-The extended image; the overlapping of person and objects with the margin of the frame, can also be used to enlarge the audiences perception.

2. Movement of people and objects within a fixed frame:

-Whenever there is movement within a frame, the composition changes. The motion picture is a constant flow of ever changing images. The composition of the cinematic image must be considered in a different way to photography.

3. Movement of the frame itself:

-Perhaps the most important basic element of cinematic composition is the ability of the frame itself to move.

-The mobility of the camera enables the filmmaker to change his vantage point in an instant. It allows action. Even more importantly, it enables the filmmaker to change the character of the image as the action evolves by simply moving the camera in, out and around the players.

-Few filmmakers have ever used composition to its full potential. The concept of the ever-changing image seems difficult to execute because it involves the three basic elements of composition, all of which must be controlled simultaneously. The filmmaker, unlike the photographer and the theater director, creates his visual compositions in a flexible, ever changing arena.

-It is through the arrangement and control of all visual elements that the filmmaker can control the thoughts and emotions of the audience. A scene comprised of elements that are just there, permits the audiences' attention to wander and lapse.

The important factor is 'relationship'. The relationship of all elements on screen, their scale and proximity and placement relative to each other within the frame, all effect the composition.

Observe this study of shot compositions from the first Indiana Jones movie:

Here' a look back at the work of cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, who shot the first three Indiana Jones films.

By the time of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," (1981), Slocombe was a veteran cinematographer, with a rich and varied filmmography in both the United States and in England, and both in black and white and color, and was nominated for three Academy Awards (including "Raiders").

His photography gave "Raiders" a classic feel, visually paying homage to the matinee thrillers of the 1930's, while also raising the level of quality and aesthetics of 1980's blockbuster filmmaking. The collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and Slocombe is the reason why "Raiders" remains, to this day, one of the best looking action movies of all time.

Director Steven Spielberg and Douglas Slocombe, on location for "Raiders of the Lost Ark."

Shadows & Silhouettes -

Here are a sample of images from "Raiders" where Slocombe and Spielberg focus on characters' eyes.

Foregrounds and Backgrounds -

Here is a sampling of images from "Raiders," where Spielberg and Slocombe frame objects of varying depths in the frame. In these shots, the filmmakers are telling a story from multiple depths, as well as filling the screen from left to right.

Here's a few more shots - notice the angles, perspectives, spacing between characters & objects and overlapping elements -

If you start to cut these two different shots together you will create a lot of confusion: did the character turn around and start running back the other way? Or is it two characters running towards each other and they're going to collide?

That's why you'll notice that - especially in animated movies - a destination is always kept to one side of the screen or the other and the character is always traveling that way.

Summary:

Research is Everything
ALWAYS find references from great artists and filmmakers with strong compositional style. This can be a photographer, movie director, concept artist, video game cinematic director, illustrator, painter, environment designer, or anyone, even graphic designers and movie poster designers often have effective and strong sense of composition in their work.

Examples:

Pascal Campion

Christian Berger

Silvia Mogni

George Steinmetz

Josef Hoflehner

David Holland

Bruno Delbonnel

Chris Sisarich

Signs to Know if You're Reading a Strong Script

GOOD SIGN: On the first read, the script flows like a great novel you can't put down. Meaning, you just sit back and enjoy it from beginning to end. You see it all clearly in your head. Like a little movie is playing in your mind and it flows smoothly. LOVE that.

BAD SIGN: On the first read, you do the 'flip-back'. Meaning, as you read, you pause mid-page and 'flip-back' to a previous page because you think you missed something. If I've done a couple of 'flip-backs', I know I could be in for a frustrating ride.

GOOD SIGN: As you read, you can always envision where everyone is and the possibilities of how the action could be staged.

BAD SIGN: You're already worried that you don't know how you're going to stage this. You're saying to yourself, "Where are they?" and wonder how the characters are going to do what is written.

GOOD SIGN: Even if it's the first script you've read of a series, you get a good feel for the characters' personalities. You may not have read the show bible or any director's notes yet, but you still really 'get it'.

BAD SIGN: The script is all action with no 'character' showing through. Or too much witty dialogue and not enough visuals.

They're running around doing a bunch of 'stuff', but they seem like puppets. Like it could be any character doing this...and that's not good for a cartoon (or any story for that matter).

GOOD SIGN: You easily envision ways to take what is written and expand on it. Make it funnier, better. And guess what? That's the storyboard artist's job. This is by no means an insult to the writing...this is just the next step.

BAD SIGN: You feel you have to fix the script. There may be some gaps in action or logic, and you have to fix it visually without changing the dialogue (because you usually never can). There's a difference between enhancing and repairing...and ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

GOOD SIGN: When you finish reading, you're enthused to get started on this one. You have some good ideas and visuals in your head to make it even more entertaining. That's a good feeling.

BAD SIGN: You feel confused by the story and dread getting started. Maybe you've made some screwed-up faces while reading (or is that just me?). This is worst case-scenario of course. No one wants their script to be viewed like this!

Retro-Boarding
One of the best exercises for learning all about cutting and staging film is to draw thumbnails while watching a section of a film.

View this clip.
Play and pause on each shot, and draw what you see, indicate any camera moves, changes in poses and expressions, recreate the posture, framing and subject placement for every shot. Keep it rough and simple, imagine you are reverse-engineering the sequence as you break down these shots to storyboard them. Think about the pacing and editing, why the shots are framed the way they are, where the negative space is, when and why does it go to close-ups, and where is the main focal point in each shot.

So whenever I "step through" a sequence or section of a film. I usually have a reason why I've picked that particular clip, and it usually relates to something I'm working on, or I found the clip or sequence to have some striking compositions or nice editing techniques.

I'll draw a small thumbnail to represent each scene. If it's a short scene I'll usually pick a "key" frame from the scene - an image that best describes what the scene is about. Or is it's a long scene, I'll draw more images - whatever is necessary to get the idea of what the director has done with the staging and the camera work (if there is any).

Studying film this way forces you to really grasp what is happening in minute detail. Having to "transcribe" what is happening onto paper forces you to really notice every little thing about each scene, and you can learn a lot more about filmmaking than you can if you spent the same amount of time just watching films.

I found this Assassin's Creed trailer, I was hoping to get some inspiration for staging dramatic action as well as some inspiration in composing shots for a widescreen format.

I think in animation we tend (at least I know I do) to think of shots that start, then an action begins, that action finishes and then you cut to the next shot where the next action begins. That way of thinking can be beneficial for animators because it gives them a scene with an entire action in it. It can be frustrating for animators to try and divide the same action over several different scenes. But I like how in this clip, the actions begin in one scene and then finish in the next shot (or the one after that), or that sometimes you never see the action actually finish, you move onto the next beat when it's clear that a beat is over. I like that, and when I was boarding my most recent assignment I tried to do that more. It creates more excitement, if you do it right. Then the rhythm of the cuts can be surprising and unexpected instead of plodding and predictable. But you have to do it judiciously.

Also the camera never stops moving in this clip, which can add a lot of excitement to a scene when it's done with restraint and reason, to compliment the action that's happening. Too many times people just move the camera to move it and the effect becomes tedious or makes you seasick. But I liked the restraint in this clip and I thought the camera was always moving in a way that added to the impact of each moment.

One more thing: for the most part, Ezio (The Assassin) and his nemesis are placed in the center of the screen which gives them a place of power. In scenes where Ezio is not in the center, you don't see his face, or only parts of him, and he's usually bigger onscreen than anybody else. All of these things are great devices to make a character look powerful on screen.

Don't worry about doing perfect sketches. They're just for you, and it's just a learning tool. But don't just scribble them out, either, put enough into them that you are actually getting enough down that you are seeing the patterns and getting down how the staging and cutting is working. Be precise, but don't spend too much time on each individual drawing. You want to do them fast enough that you can see the cutting patterns over several scenes, and if you spend an hour making each sketch perfect, you won't ever get the feel of how several scenes are linking together in a row.

Do this exercise for yourself every week, choose a 2-4 minute clip from any TV show and movie. Pick good filmmakers, of course, and pick good scenes. At least in the beginning, stick with filmmakers that are known for preparing in advance and being meticulous about controlling what you see on screen. I would suggest directors like Hitchcock, Spielberg, Lucas, Kurosawa, James Cameron, etc. I spent many hours thumbnailing sections of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when I was first learning about boarding. The truck chase is a particular favorite of mine because there are many changes of screen direction at the beginning that are handled well.

Here's some of my boards for the Assassin's Creed trailer.

The important thing is to get something out of it and learn!

And one more piece of advice...if don't think your drawing skills aren't very good; and you absolutely don't want to try to draw your way through a scene, try watching the clip without sound. This will allow you to focus on the visuals and concentrate on the cutting and staging without the distraction of the audio.

Here's an anyalysis of the opening to my all-time favorite,Blade Runner:

Just like for film, a lot can be learned from studying well staged works of photography and illustration.

Observe the principles of clear compositional design through examples by various comic strips artists & painters:

People who are good at composition have to exercise a lot of self-control. Instead of starting a picture with small details, they instead have to plan a big visual statement that reads clearly and simply.

The overall image above is broken into 4 basic shapes. Then each major shape is again broken into subdivisions.

Then the next level.

Someone with less control would get all absorbed in the details early on. Maybe he'd start by drawing a bunch of individual leaves and hope they ad up to an overall tree shape. Or he might do a wild pose of the character - with all the limbs sticking out in every direction, and no overall silhouette.

Good storyboard artists have to have this kind of self-control - to avoid getting lured into the details too early. Artists often struggle with composition, because they want to get right to the character first.

Here's another example. The characters look great, but they fit perfectly into a much simpler framework, which helps them read well.

The characters and BG frame the skywriting plane in the backdrop.
Ranger Smith, Cindy and Baba Looey act as one form, that in turn fits into the bush shape behind them. They together are well separated from Yogi, who is the focus of the picture. Boo Boo looks up at Yogi and is framed by the bushes behind him. If all the characters were evenly spaced and the same size, the picture would be confusing and wouldn't draw your attention to anything in particular.

You can see this definitive arrangement of shapes in all of Eisenberg's comics.

Look at the staging breakdown of these two children's book illustrations.

The main difference to me between that Flintstone staging and the Bambi staging is that one is merely functional and the other is planned artistically. In the Bambi picture, the whole layout is not only clear and easy to read, but the staging itself has been turned into part of the visual pleasure. It's so well thought out and artistically managed. It's logical and creative at the same time. The artist worked from the outside in to make an overall compositional statement where every level of sub forms and details agree with the big picture and follow its plan and physics.

The Flintstone picture on the other hand, while it's still very appealing, it looks like there wasn't as much planning involved, except to cram all the elements into it and line them up next to each other where they at least don't bump into each other.

Bambi and Thumper are each clearly framed by the BG elements, and those elements flow around the whole composition. The sub forms in the background are being pulled along and held together by opposing forces. The whole layout design is one force. Gravity is pulling the trees and snow down. The structure of the tree branches holds together the radiating pine needles and the clumps of snow. Each clump of needles or snow all are following the same basic forces.

When you finally get down to the tiniest details, they too follow the physics of the larger forms. You could take any part of this image and break it down. You'll find the same logic everywhere and artist Mel Shaw always puts a lot of thought into his illustrations.

Knowing all this doesn't make it an easier to draw good compositions. I envy the people who have the knack for it - Jim Smith, Frank Frazetta, N.C. Wyeth, Hank Ketcham, Owen Fitzgerald, Jack Kirby, Will Eisener, George Clark, Milt Gross and a lot of the old school Disney layout artists. I wish it came naturally to me, I still have to think about the composition and draw a few different version first before it starts to look well-balanced.

- The lines of action
- The focal point
- The negative shapes that help us clearly see the whole image
- The relative positions of the characters and their emotional relationships to what each is doing.

If the big picture (the composition) doesn't make an obvious statement or read clearly, then every other step of the detailing will just make it worse.

Great illustrators like N.C. Wyeth use these exact same principles; only apply them on more complex levels with more complex drawing:

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February 1, 2020

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What is the key to success in visual storytelling? A willingness to collaborate, the flexibility to evolve, and an understanding of the basic rules of cinematography.

Why Learn How to Storyboard?
> A story artist is like a mini-director
- In control of creative content
- Visualizing (and improving) the idea or script
- Lots of responsibility, but lots of freedom

> A good story artist is always in demand
- Story is the one discipline that is still not being outsourced
- Job security & career path for growth with many diverse projects
- Whether it's freelance or contract work, storyboards are
ALWAYS needed to bring the concept or screenplay to the next phase.

> Storyboard artists are some of the highest paid artists in the industry
- Why? Because you are near the top of the creative food chain
- Commercials, advertising, interactive media, motion graphics,
pre-viz for special FX, 2D or 3D animated feature films,
televisions series, music videos, and video games;
all require storyboards of some sort to visualize a
script or idea, to help uncover any potential problems
and to help the client / producer / director visualize the end product.

The Function of Storyboards
Staging: The positioning of characters in each scene for maximum emotional content and clear readability of actions. In Animation it refers to the purpose of directing the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of greatest importance in a scene; what is happening, and what is about to happen. This can be done by various means, such as the placement of a character in the frame, the use of light and shadow, and the angle & position of the camera. In live-action this is refered to as 'Blocking'.

Storytelling: Each panel's sketch clearly communicates to an audience the important ideas expressed through the action of each scene. This is all compromised of different types of shots, framing / editing principles, and scene transitions, and how they are used by filmmakers to help tell a story. These depict many elements like the poses and expressions of the characters, as well as how the scenes will cut and how close (or far) the camera is to the subject.

Tips on how to use of the basic tools ofLine, Shape, Space, and Motion to express clear visual language in your storyboards:

Storyboarding Usage
1. Film / Television / Video Games The storyboard is essentially a large comic strip of the film or some section of the film produced beforehand to help directors, cinematographers, video game cinematic director and advertising clients to visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur.

2. Animatics: In animation and special effects work, the storyboarding stage is followed by a mock-up called "animatics" (also known as leica reels or story reels) to give a better idea of how the scene will look and feel with motion and timing. All the panels get strung together in a slideshow with the voice actors saying their lines in conjunction to the scenes. This is how you plan out the length of ever shot and sequence and ultimately time out the length of the entire episode or film.

3. Interactive Media / Advertising / Business: Storyboards were adapted from the film industry to business for planning ad campaigns, commercials, workflow proposals or other projects intended to convince or compel an audience to action, and to pitch a concept to the client. Storyboarding is even used in the fields of web development, software development and instructional design to present and describe interactive events as well the display of flowcharts, audio elements and motion graphics.

But the most important reason is for yourself. Whatever animated thing you are about to create or develop, storyboarding it first will always help you to PLAN YOUR WORK, which is vital to figuring out the staging and acting for all your characters and layouts and how the camera will frame these elements.

Introduction to visual storytelling:

Planning is probably the step most often missed by students, and at the same time, it is probably the most essential tool in your entire animation toolbox, especially in the first few years of your animation life. You should never sit down in front of your computer, animation disc, puppet, or camera setup, until you know exactly what poses you are planning to use, when you are planning to use them, and why. Before you begin any shot, it's so important to study references, work out your thumbnails, and make your timing and acting decisions on paper. This may seem like an "extra" step to some of you, but believe me, it will save you time in the long run and your work will look so much stronger than it would have otherwise.

All the shots I've ever worked on that turned out great, are also the ones I spent the most time planning out. The shots where I got cocky and thought "Aw, I know how to animate that, I'll just sit down and do it" are all without exception, the shots that ended up being just "okay," but never as good as they could have been. I'll always regret missing the opportunity I had to make those shots special, but at least they taught me an invaluable lesson: Planning Comes First, ALWAYS!

Storyoboard Tests and Exercisesbr>
"The Incredibles" Practice Retro-boarding

DOWNLOAD:Movie Clip
DOWNLOAD:Thumbnail Template

Play and pause on each shot from the provided clip, and draw what you see, indicate any camera moves, changes in poses and expressions, recreate the poses, framing and subject placement for every shot.50-60 panels.

Keep it rough and simple, imagine you are reverse-engineering the sequence as you break down these shots to storyboard them. Think about the pacing and editing, why the shots are framed the way they are, where the negative space is, when and why does it go to close-ups, and where is the main focal point in each shot.

As you go, illustrate the compositional elements used to direct and lead the storytelling.

Think about how the camera was used to draw out your initial emotional response and visual language to the scene.

SOFTWARE:
Storyboard Pro

Photoshop

Sketchbook
PaintTool SAI
Krita
Gimp
Storyboarder
Pencil2D
Artweaver

What software you use, doesn't matter, the standard in the industry is both Storyboard Pro and Photoshop. Whether you're working in-house at a studio or freelancing from home, ask the client/supervisor/director which they prefer. If they have no preference, you can use which ever tools you would like.

Storyboard Pro and Photoshop are quick and easy to learn with lots of tutorials on YouTube showing you how to use them.

Usually Storyboard Artists only have a short amount of time to capture their subject, they operte under fast deadlines, and so should you. At first, your drawings should be really loose because you're trying to capture the gesture and energy of your supposed model/actor/character.

So with that being said, your first pass should first focus on the overall performance other than how detailed the drawings look. This means, create a short hand of your character!

With simpler shapes and more gestural lines, you can focus on things like squash and stretch, its easier to exaggerate your drawings; making your drawings bolder. You'll notice that you feel more confident in animating something like a stick man over something with a lot of design beauty. So the thing to be loose and simple in your first approach.

Once you feel that your performance is solid, then you can add another pass on top of those roughs where you can finally tie down your drawings with a bit more detailed

I know these aren't the best examples since they don't really showcase an acting/performance choice, but this shows the first 'thumbnail' pass, rough shapes and forms, then the second pass, which adds in all the missing poses and refines the character's volumes and proportions better. Remember, the faster the action and the more stuff going on, the more poses you need to choregraph and plot out the action.

Don't forget, you're creating reference for layout and animation, you're goal isn't to do pretty pictures, it's to make solid camera-placement choices, strong acting and staging choices, plan out the shots that communicates the story and caoptures the scripts intentions in the best way.

Animators will take your work, use it for reference and take it to the next stage. You need to provide as much clear information as possible.

Since TV animation tends to have smaller budgets than feature animation, we are often times limited in the kind of animation we can do in terms of backgrounds. Here are a couple workarounds I have to show movement in a background.

The first is a tracking shot into cam where our Character is running without gaining away or from cam (but they could if you wanted) The foreground is the ground plane which is just a simple looping set of lines. The BG is actually a static image that would slowly drift down towards the horizon line imitating movement away from the background.

The second is also a tracking shot where the character is more in profile. This one requires some soft focus and low detail background drawings (usually not a lot, maybe 3 looping images. I only used 2 here but the theory holds.

The last one only requires a single background layout, but we use the camera to imitate action as it pulls out over a static image.

Using a static background you can also imitate a camera tilt to change perspectives. This is a background using somewhat simple perspective to take an eye level shot and turn it into an upshot.

Using this background, character A can run towards eye level cam, leap and come down closer to cam and kick character B, then stand up in an upshot.

This is really basic cinematography and the basics can help make a board really work and saves the background designers from having to do too many bgs in a short amount of time.

REFERENCE:Photoshop Storyboarding Techniques - Part 1
REFERENCE:Photoshop Storyboarding Techniques - Part 2

Watchthis video

DOWNLOAD:Storyboard Template
DOWNLOAD:Character Design Tips by Robert Cory
DOWNLOAD:Tips on Posing/Staging from Sherm Cohen
WATCH:Story School at Pixar
REFERENCE:Types of Shots
REFERENCE:Tips on Staging

Storyboard Pro Trick:Tips on Storboarding 1
Photoshop Trick:Tips on Storboarding 2

Clarity in your posing comes from strong lines of action and negative space:

Tips on shot composition:

DOWNLOAD:How to use the Axis Line
DOWNLOAD:Shot Progression Method
SAVE & USE:Ron's Storyboard Cheatsheet
DOWNLOAD theseStoryboard Brushes.

Install them in Photoshop like this:

Tips for shortcut keys for photoshop:

Here's the intro to an old class that Master Story Artist Kris Pearn had made, it breaks down the essence of what the purpose of storyboards are:

Observe these tips on Staging:

Framing Techniques:

The Art of the Reverse Shot:

The Quadrant System:

The Geometry of a Scene:

DOWNLOAD:Tips on Framing and Cutting
DOWNLOAD:Tips on Composition
DOWNLOAD:Tips on Screen Side / Screen Direction & Motivating the Cut

STUDY:Choosing the Best Poses for Your Acting Shot

STUDY:Reference for Illustrating Expressions for Characters

STUDY:How to Construct Feeling Into a Pose

Tips from the 'Adventure Time' Storyboard Director:

Watch some helpful viewing material on film theory and visual language:

The Importance of Thumbnailing
Professional/experienced storyboard artists can do about 30 clean panels per day. This is because they do a lot of play-outs and run-throughs; where they do quick and dirty roughs like this to see how the sequence works. It's actually quite normal to be able to rough out 200 panels in an 8 hour shift.

STUDY:Understanding Composition

This little rough thumbnail is 27 panels, and it's not actually staged very well, but it was done in 15 minutes.

Something like this is what any storyboard artist would turn in for their thumbnail/rough pass to be reviewed by a the director or storyboard supervisor. Then they will receive notes on how to make it better. They'll redo whatever he/she asks for, and then comes the clean up pass... which is a different animal, and can take a bit longer, in the clean-up pass you refine the posing and acting, placing the characters on-style and on-model, add in more BG details, add in some secondary poses and camera information.

But still, just to get to the clean stage, it's important to be fast, to be an efficient storyboard artist you need to burn through the really rough passes... so you CAN get all your thumbnails done, get feedback and approvals, and do the revisions asked, and still have plenty of time to spend doing clean up.

The most crucial thing to keep in mind: It's more important to tell the story, than to draw a pretty picture.

Clarity in your staging and posing is key.

Composition in your shots can be improved with simple methods like this:

Thumbnail Tips:

Pay attention to the axis line to maintain screen continuity from shot to shot.
You may have characters actively cross over the axis line in order to have them change which side of the screen they are on.

Carefully plan when to make insert shots - those close-ups that will allow the viewer to see what the characters sees, often happens in this story when they look down to read the book title. Type out the dialogue under the panels.

Storyboarding Advice:

Visual Storytelling 101:

Visual Subtext:

Cinematic Motion - Screen Position/Direction:

Action Directing with Genndy Tartakovsky:

Using Scale & Framing as a Visual Storytelling Tool:

What storyboard artists can learn from comics:

'The Fisherman' by Paul Cohen

A storyboard artist is a sprinkle of fine artist, a dash of filmmaker, and a smidgen of writer all kneaded into one crispy bread loaf. A key ingredient in the mix is the filmmaker part, and for that we need to understand the visual language of film. The film language makes direct reference to a camera when discussing shots and visual storytelling. The concept of a camera is what determines the point of view of the story.

Think of yourself as being part of the story and being able to view the events through your personal camera lens. As a storyboard artist, we look through the camera lens of our minds and capture what we see in a drawn image. In the beginning, these camera and cinema concepts may seem overly technical, but once you understand the principles behind film language, it unlocks all of the excitement and challenges of a storytelling project.

Being a storyboard artist in animation is particularly challenging; you become all of the following >> cinematographer, illustrator, character designer, prop designer, backgrounds designer, actor, and editor... all rolled into one.

Storyboard a Chase scene, where there is a simple beginning, middle and end, and a clear goal for the characters. Try to keep the action short, tight, and to the point(50-100 panels). Pay attention to stageline and camera mechanics. Keep it very loose and rough, thumbnails only, but all the action is must be clear.

DOWNLOAD:Thumbnail Template
DOWNLOAD:Chase Scene Sample
STUDY:Storyboard Refresher Course
STUDY:How the Shots Tell The Story (Wall-E)

BEFORE YOU BOARD:
Think of your action and how the characters drive the story.
Identify your characters and their role in the scene.
PROTAGONIST - who is our sympathetic lead... who are we rooting for to win?
What is that character's goal?
Will the chaser win or lose?
ANTAGONIST - who is working against our sympathetic lead?
What is this character's goal and how is this want in conflict with your protagonist's want.
- For simplicity, please try to keep the primary action of the scene between two characters (or two character groups, as seen inBullet).
- It can be a chase on horseback, skiing,cars, bikes, airplanes, or a foot chase. - Work rough... try to make your staging clear and readable, always focus on compositional design and big shapes rather than detail, imagine what the animatic would look like, fast cutting + fast moving.
- Remember to number your drawings and if possible write out the premise of the scenes (under the panels) so I can quickly troubleshoot spots where I may get lost in the action. Very rough, simple shapes and forms, strong lines of action, lots of movement, no dialogue.

Have fun... This is the type of work Board Artist's kill for. Seethis classic Gumball episode's chase scene.

Here's anotherepic chase scene storyboarded.

Applying these theories to your storyboarding; there are two things that stand out to me as being extremely crucial in that video -- CLARITY and FOCAL POINT. In every Indy clip used in that video, all the shots are easy toread, and have only one primary element the audience need to focus on.

Think like a camera person:

Become very, very, very familiar with the basics, and how to use them:

Tips on illustrating camera setups and camera mechanics:

Sample Thumbnails from 'Legend of Korra':

Since you're only working with loose roughs, clear staging and silhouettes are super important.

To make the chase scene dynamic, one suggestion
would be to incorporate a few tilted angles:

Keep the continuity for your screen direction and keep
the flow going for when you do change screen direction.
You may change the direction of the action if you transition
smoothly by moving the camera, having the character
change course, or cut away to something new or different,
then cut back to show your subject's new direction.

The genius in simplicity of James Cameron's action scenes:

Tips for staging and cutting for action-comedy:

OBJECTIVE:
You must think like a filmmaker: How to use the camera to create emotional context for the audience. Pay attention to the '180 Rule', and notice when they brake the rule, then ask yourself "why?"

Seek out inspiration from the very strong and deliberate shot compositions made in these beautiful short films:

Notice the many striking compositional design elements created in these films, all created to display some stylish hand-drawn cinematography for strong visual storytelling and emotional impact.

STUDY:Notes on Body Language

REFERENCE:The Goal of Every Storyboard Artist & How to Build your Portfolio

WATCH:Lecture from The Master of Composition, Robert Watts

CASUAL READING:Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics

Appropriate use of negative space and line of action in your poses is important.

Sketches by Kitty Fung:

Tips on how to use super simple shapes & forms in your techniques on posing, acting, and body language:

Composition Guide:

Cinematography Analysis:

How a Live-Action Director Blocks a Scene:

Strong storyboarding skills to inspire you:

Thoughts on Camera Moves:

Language of Film Editing:

Thoughts on Editing Animated Films:

Quiet Cinematography:

The Purpose of Various Lenses:

Camera Characters Composition Clarity

1. Camera - Defining the angle of the camera relative to the subject you're focusing on. The angle of the camera helps establish the viewer's emotional relationship with the person of interest. What type of shot to use, which point of view are your showing, and when to cut to a new angle, always let the shots tell the story; wide, medium, close-up. What is the framing of the shot, what angle to use, and how long to stay on the shot. Maintian continuity from shot to shot; be aware of your stageline, always have good reason as to when and how to move the camera through the shot.

2. Characters - You should always strive to create characters that are original, entertaining, appealing, and that the audience can empathize with...meaning that they like the characters and are willing to root for them to get what they want. Then the audience will care when your characters end up in conflict. If you can illustrate what your characters are thinking, through body language, facial expressions, actions and acting, it will (hopefully) carry on right through to final animation. The storyboard artist begins the first step in convincing the audience that these animated characters actually have a brain in their heads, that they are living creatures with thoughts and feelings.

3. Composition What is the key to success in visual storytelling? A willingness to collaborate, the flexibility to evolve, and an understanding of the basic rules of cinematography. Staging the characters in each scene for maximum emotional content and clear readability of actions. In Animation it refers to the purpose of directing the audience's attention, and making it clear what is of greatest importance in a scene; what is happening, and what is about to happen. This can be done by various means, such as the pose and position of the characters and objects in the frame, the use of light and shadow, and the angle & placement of the camera. You must always be mindful of the three basic elements of cinematography: Placement of characters and objects within the frame; Movement of characters and objects within a fixed frame; Movement of the frame itself.

4. Clarity - This one is the most important aspect in the process of visualizing a script or idea, because you are working within a very small box, in both the length of your film or episode and working within your production schedule. If you're given a script/story to a short film or television episode, you may not have much say in how to develop the characters, personalities and conflicts within the plot. So you must seek out the script writer's intentions and visualize the script as best as you can. One thing is always for certain, clarity is of the utmost importance when interpreting and illustrating the story, because you don't have time to explain a lot. If you're trying to make a film about an exotic planet where all the rules are different from Earth, by the time you've acclimated the viewer to your world and explained all the rules, your film is over.

Clarity is tougher than most people realize, all professional storyboard artists and animation directors have a hard time with this. It's easy, once you've thought through your idea, to think that your drawings are explaining what's inside your head, but the viewer doesn't have the benefit of hearing your thoughts. The drawings (and eventually, the animation) have to carry it all. That's a very tough limitation, and you need to keep your "objective eye" in check, so that you can step back and look at your work fresh eyes once in a while, the way your audience will see it.

Bonus "C" - Conflict - This is the heart of all storytelling. Without conflict you don't really have a plot. In general, the bigger the conflict, the more that is at stake in your story. The bigger the odds against your characters, the more interesting the story. So if you have characters that the audience is actually rooting for, and conflict that seems almost insurmountable that they have to resolve to get what they want, then you have a great story. An engaging story is one that ends by resolving the conflict in an unexpected way that the audience doesn't see coming. Conflict is the deep inner core to all relatable stories, you must do your part to elaborate, spotlignt, and exemplify the conflict within this visual storytelling process.

Throw in the other main principles of animation filmmaking;Personality, Appeal, and Entertaiment, and you've got the primary elements that all visual stories strive to have.

DOWNLOAD:Layout Tips

STUDY/COPY/PRACTICE:Posing / Gesture Drawing Tutorials

Reminder:

Posing Tips:

There are hundreds of ways to stage your charatcers during conversations, here's a few suggestions:

Awesome Editing Concepts to know:

Storyboarding Tutorials from the Pros:

A storyboard artist works to help determine the tone of any animation, using the main conflict as their jumping off point. In this video below you will see Kris Pearn storyboard a scene, starting with the initial idea, to the finished storyboarded sequence. Seen here, Kris talks about how he manipulates the tone by considering the camera angle, its movements, the composition, and using dynamic cuts. As a storyboard artist, he explains that he is always thinking about how the audience will feel watching it, and how he can make the audience experience empathy for the character.

Simple strategies to keep in mind:

The Art of Framing:

Advice from Visual Storytellers who work on animated films:

REFERENCE:Tips for Posing & Staging by Normand Lemay
REFERENCE:An Analysis of the Shot Compositions in 'The Incredibles'

Helpful viewing material on film theory and visual language:

Stop-motion short film, finished animation and storyboard comparison:

It is important that the animatic be timed to stay either slightly ahead of the audience's understanding of what's going on with the story, or slightly behind. It makes the story much more interesting than staying even with the audience. If the action is too far ahead, the audience will be confused; if the action is too far behind, the audience, will get bored; in either case, their attention will wander.

Action timed to be slightly ahead of the audience adds an element of suspense and surprise; it keeps them guessing about what will happen next. An example of this is at the beginning ofLuxor Jr. Dad is on-screen, alone and still; the audience believes they are looking at a plain inanimate lamp. Unexpectedly, a ball comes rolling in from off-screen. At this point, both Dad and the audience are confused. The audience's interest is in what is to come next.

When the action is timed to be slightly behind the audience, a story point is revealed to the audience before it is known to the character. The entertainment comes in seeing the character discover what the audience already knows. Another application of this is with a dim-witted character who is always behind; the audience figures it out before he does.

Be mindful of when to cut. Each cut must be motivated to so so and must feel natural.

Characterization - The act of bringing to life and expressing the personality of a character.

This is done through the exposition of thought processes, mannerisms, actions, dialogue, timing and physical appearance. We must know the character that we place in this context, who they are, how they are specific and unique in their actions and personality. Determine what will give the action character and identification with an audience. When actions are motivated by the character's thought process, then a personality will come through, not just a generic action. Discover the right kinds of action for the character and act them out, feel them. Don't allow actions to appear routine.

Aesthetic - The composition of the shot can create an
emotional/psychological response in the audience:
> Staging: Placement of the camera
> Exaggeration: Silhouettes / Line of Action / Body Language
> Appeal: Character Design / Environment Design
> Posing: Focusing on strong, clear poses that are
both aesthetically pleasing and tell the story.

Notice how some simple shading can make the characters pop out from the background:

Keep these elements in mind when designing your shots. The position and posture of the characters in the scene can greatly effect the composition, in addition, it can help to place the characters within the situation, and improve the staging, making them part of their environment and the story.

Some ways to strengthen the pose of the character is to create a nice silhouette, this is the overall shape of a pose. This shape should read clearly even if the pose were filled in black you would still be able to tell what the character is doing.

The one thing that will always bring your poses to life is the line of action, that imaginary line that dictates the expressive body language and how the body will move. You can sometimes think of it as the back bone of a character. This line should always be used in setting up a pose, as you can see in the sample below, you can even get a wide range of emotions with no faces using only their bodies. When all else fails, get up and see how your body bends and shapes when trying to act out emotions.

Read more about the importance of the Line of Actionhere. As a new storyboard artist, there are countless stories to tell, and countless different ways production pipelines are developed in television, film, and video games, each requiring its own particular set of resources: people and outlooks, research and ethics, standards and innovations. It's in your best interest to have a strong foundation to build on. This is what I think it should look like:

1. An understanding of the role. The Story Artist supports the episode/film's vision by acting as a proxy for the director, showrunner, and screenwriter. Your responsibility is to make smart decisions on their behalf, so make sure you learn something about all of these roles. As the person first synthesizing a scene into a cinematic form, it's up to you to prove the potential of the material.

2. A sensitivity to dramatic material. Before anything, you have to be able to recognize and assess ideas. Your job is to turn these ideas into drama. You need to be able to access the emotions and concepts that animate the material. As a steward of the scene, it falls on you to find ways to take advantage of the scene's particular opportunities and challenges. At Pixar we called this 'plussing': the amplification and elevation of ideas.

3. Mastery of storytelling craft. Storytelling is construction. Acquire an intimate knowledge of story structure, dramatic theory, visual language, thematic elaboration, and the development of character. Learn frameworks, find exceptions, analyze what you like and what you hate, and build your capacity to fix scenes and stories that aren't working. I can't emphasize this enough: learn how to construct a scene, as this will be the bulk of your work. Essentially, you're learning a language, so focus on the basics. As Steven King says, "Words create sentences; sentences create paragraphs; sometimes paragraphs quicken and begin to breathe. That's the goal: to bring scenes to life and make us feel something."

4. Good collaborator-ship. Success in the role relies on moving easily between leadership and follower-ship: you need to be able to work autonomously, share ownership, and also follow direction. The Story Artist is a translator, taking ideas in one form and remaking them in another. But remember that you won't just be using drawings: be a well rounded communicator, and build your capacity for explanation, negotiation, argumentation, and proposal; be prepared to make presentations and appeals, share a vision, and thoughtfully critique. Be a great listener, a good giver of feedback, and take orders and criticisms gracefully. Be accountable to your collaborators. Stand for the right things, show up, set reasonable expectations, tell the truth, 'yes, and', stand up for your vision, be kind, and ask questions.

5. Mastery of drawing and cinematography. Always always always storyboard with being the thought of being a camera person first and foremost. Drawing is difficult enough to master on its own, but for the story artist, it's just a tool, a language for articulating a vision, for expressing cinematic ideas clearly. Your facility in drawing will, to some extent, determine how well you can sell a scene, but no amount of technical skill can make up for flawed content choices: storytelling comes first. Cinema is an artistic medium, so in addition to drawing, go deep on film, and develop an expansive appreciation of all the arts (and culture, history, yourself); remember that you're also bringing your knowledge, experience, taste, and personal perspective to the table.

6. Take pleasure in the work. It's a privilege to tell stories with collaborators, and I hope that your experience is a good one, and that you can enjoy it for all that it's worth. If you're able to make work that you're proud of- work that represents the best of your taste, knowledge, and ability; work that makes the most of what you've got; work that you like, and that you're excited about sharing with others; work that gets to the heart of what's important to you in life - then you're probably doing a few things right.

Tips for Making a Storyboard Portfolio:

A storyboard artist isn't being hired to come up with their own ideas, a storyboard artist is hired to translate other people's stories into visuals that convey their vision well to other people they are working with. I would say that it's even better if you don't have original stories in your storyboard portfolio - how would anyone judge whether you were portraying a story well into boards if they didn't know the story? My suggestion would be to take well-known stories and use them as portfolio storyboards - that way anyone who sees them can not just evaluate how pretty your boards are, but how well you tell a story they are already familiar with.

Reverse Storyboarding - It's the number one best way to practice & improve your storyboarding skills:

Watch a movie that you really like the art or composition of, and whenever the camera angle, viewpoint, or characters actions/interactions change noticeably, pause the movie and draw a little sketch of what you see. It doesn't have to be gorgeous. This is just for you. Get down the layout of the composition, the placement and gestures of characters, or the lighting or color that is used to make that particular moment in time express that particular moment in the story.

You don't have to pay anyone to teach you to do this. You are paying yourself forward. Your future art self will thank you for taking the time now to study masterfully created compositions, gestures, light/shadow, and settings/scenery. Think of how much your own compositions, gestures, use of light and shadow, and settings and scenery will improve!

The two main skill sets in becoming a storyboard artist are
Draftsmanship and Cinematography.

Here's vital information to have as you enter the field of
Storyboarding for Televison Animation:
Deadlines & Timelines

Storyboard Artist, Emma Coats wrote this:
Here's a mix of things learned from directors & coworkers at Pixar,
listening to writers & directors talk about their craft,
and via trial and error in the making of my own films.

#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.

#2: You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.

#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about til you're at the end of it. Now rewrite.

#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.

#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.

#8: Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.

#9: When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.

#10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you've got to recognize it before you can use it.

#11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.

#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th - get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

#13: Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it's poison to the audience.

#14: Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it.

#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.

#16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against.

#17: No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on - it'll come back around to be useful later.

#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.

#19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.

#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d'you rearrange them into what you DO like?

#21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can't just write 'cool'. What would make YOU act that way?

#22: What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

1. Can I clearly see what is going on?

2. Is the camera angle motivated by the story point?

3. Number of characters in the scene, do they all need to be here)?

4. Can I tell where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going?

5. Has the staging become too obvious?

Often I find that the point of the story is being lost simply by unclear staging. To the left is an example of a scene in which a boy is showing his mom he got an F on a paper at school. The boy is giving excuses at this point in the story and fearful of his mom's reaction. Though the staging is interesting the focus has been put on the mom. This is a great opportunity for some acting on the boy but it's missed and most likely will have a long paragraph worth of dialog assigned to this single panel. Many times I will see a panel like this with both the boy's and the mom's dialog set to it. No matter if you are creating the dialog or it's coming from a script, you need to look for opportunities for acting where you can give the audience a chance to know your character.
To the right is an alternate staging for the same scene. It gives the boy a chance to act and it's easy to tell right away what the scene is about. I would probably add several panels of acting in this same staging.
Now you don't always have to be so blatant as this but it works. The best would be a combination of the two shots presented here. Start with the boy and cut to the mom's reaction. Even better would be to have the boy turn away from the mom in the shot where we see the mom. This could give him some good acting where he is making outlandish excuses that we know are lies. Then the mom could call him on it.
Some board artist also tend to misinterpret things like Over-The-Shoulder (OTS) shots, thinking in means the foreground character has their back to the camera and the character in the background is facing the camera. It really just means that one character is in the foreground(possibly partially cut off by the edge of the field) and the other in the background (or other action is in the background). Try to think of alternate ways to stage a scene so it's clear. Sometimes even simple straight on flat staging will make the scene clearer and actually more interesting. Especially if you've been doing more dynamic shots one after the other. One of the ways you can change the mood of a scene is simply by changing the angle of the camera. In this post I have presented the same basic scene from 3 slightly different camera angles. I purposefully kept the camera on the same side of the character to help show how the change can effect the feeling of the scene. To begin with I have a level camera to the character. Here you get the feeling the lady is remembering something or someone. A scene like this often is accompanied by a camera move either in or out depending upon the point in the story that it appears. Next I have a low camera angle that give a more heroic or dramatic feeling. With this type of camera angle give the character a sense of accomplishment. Either that they will be able to overcome or have already have triumphed. It's basically putting the character on a pedestal. It harkens back to the age of Kings and Queens standing on their balconies looking down upon the peasants. Of course this camera angle can be pushed to the point that a character appears taller than they are. Even old propaganda posters used images of people from low angles. Accompanied with harsh shadows can make it even feel sinister. Often you will see films in which a character that is in a desperate situation use low camera angles with harsh shadows. The opposite of this is the downshot or high camera angle. It gives a sense of bewilderment or loss. That perhaps the character didn't get what they were after. Like the first example you will often find a shot like this accompanied with a camera move out. It can also be pushed to give a stronger feeling. A downshot also helps to give scale and place the characters into their world. In many live action movies a crane is used to bring the camera to this angle. No matter how you use these angles it's always good to keep in mind that the angle should not feel out of place. I find it is always best for you audience to not be so aware of the camera. This included camera moves.
Staging

A little bit of planning can make a big difference. This scene (from "The Mighty B" animated series) was staged with the second panel in mind. Knowing that Mary-Frances was going to enter the scene and admire Bessie's pile of work, plenty of room was left in that first panel to make room for this character to enter from off screen.

Boards by Sherm Cohen
One of the best bits of advice I ever received was, "stage a scene based on the widest action." It's usually not necessary to zoom in super close on the characters... it's nice to leave some breathing room. This allows for nice negative shapes around the characters, and allows you to draw the key players and props with easily-readable silhouettes.

The Pose
When posing characters in your storyboard panels, two main aspects must always be considered:

Silhouette - The overall shape of a pose, which should read clearly even when the pose is blacked in without its internal details.

Line of Action - This helps your poses "read". It makes them clear and understandable and gives them a distinct non-ambiguous direction.

The use of negative space & overlapping shapes when posing characters:

Avoid parallels! This occurs when different elements of the body are at the same angles - See figure A. To remedy this, try to place variety in these angles - figure B. Both within the character's pose and the angles betwen different characters on screen as well.

The Close-Up
When the emotion or the reaction of the character is especially important , it's time to cut to a close-up. A close-up can best be defined as a head-and-shoulders shot There's no real room for the character to move, so the audience can focus on the expressions and emotions of the characters. The way characters act and react is always very important to understanding the story.

A common mistake of less experienced storyboard artists is framing their shots too tightly. Even a close-up should have a bit of breathing room, unless it is the rare occasion of an extreme close-up. This also has to do with pacing... it's best to save those high-impact shots were the moments in the story that have the greatest impact. If a storyboard artist were to fill their board from start to finish with lots of crazy angles, fancy camera moves and extreme close-ups, it would leave no room for the artist to show any real impact when it's really needed. It's all about contrast.

The Pan
This term is short for " Panorama Shot," a camera move in which we move the viewer from left to right, or right to left, or vertically or diagonally. Here are samples of various camera move combinations and how to display them in your boards.

The Cut
The general principle to use is to always try and get as close as possible to show whatever is most important at that moment, while still leaving enough room for any actions that might occur in that scene.

That may mean that the shot is very wide -- for example: if I need to show somebody driving a car around the corner, the shot needs to be wide enough to see all of that action. If I'm trying to show a guy sitting in a restaurant drinking a cup of coffee, I would want the framing to include just the guy, the table, and the cup of coffee.

Cut from Gerald talking on a radio microphone to the broadcast tower, spreading his message across town.

It's all about how important the specific action is to a scene. If the man at the coffee shop is putting a couple of creams in his coffee, there is no need to make a special emphasis on that action; so I would not cut in closer on him pouring in the cream. But... if somebody was putting poison into his coffee cup, that's a perfect time to cut in on that action for emphasis.

Cut from Grandpa sitting in car to a close-up of him turning on the radio

The Rule of Thirds

In simple terms, the Rules of Thirds states that there are certain "hotspots" - areas of intensity that exist within any given image, and if one were to align the subject within the range of influence of these hotspots, it will make for a more energetic and interesting composition. The image above illustrates the rule; the 4 "hotspots" where the red lines intersect, and where Morgan Freeman stands. The intensity of the shot is further increased by a small depth of view and the dynamic, diagonal lines that the fluroscent lights form.

Director David Fincher's Se7en ( shot by the brilliant cinematographer Darius Khondji, who also worked on The City of Lost Children, Alien Resurrection, Panic Room, and many more ) is an excellent film to illustrate The Rule of Thirds because of the huge number of still shots that was used in the film. Composition played an enormously important role here in creating tension and interest in the shots when the camera was locked down.

Example 2 : Gwyneth Paltrow lit by a soft rim light and composed within the hotspots. Her frame is supported by the various vertical lines formed by the 2 pillars and the windows in the background.

Example 3 : Brad Pitt framed within the intersecting lines, his pose furthered strengthened by the energetic vertical and horizontal lines formed by his posture.

If chance permits, take a closer look at the film and you will discover that the Rules of Thirds is used again, again and again throughout the entire movie:

Hundreds of other films and television series have been using this principle for decades, always watch for the subject placement in the frame. Of course, I'm not suggesting that if one should start applying the rule that he or she will instantaneous achieve breathtaking, beautiful results; as always it is a case of careful observation as well as a combination of other equally important ingredients like lighting, colour, framing, perspective, space, balance, depth, and leading lines that truly bring out the full effect, no doubt what David Fincher and Darius Khondji did this when shooting Se7en.

Avoid twinning:

The Line of Action
The position and posture of the characters in the scene can greatly effect the staging and composition, in addition, it can help to place the characters within the situation, making them part of their environment and the story.

Some ways to strengthen the pose of the character is to create a nice silhouette, this is the overall shape of a pose. This shape should read clearly even if the pose were filled in black you would still be able to tell what the character is doing. Another method is to create a strong line of action through your character. This helps your poses "read", it makes them clear and understandable and gives them a distinct non-ambiguous direction.

This is an important factor in storyboarding - characters should rarely be standing straight up and down. No one in real life does it either, even army kids don't stand completely up and down, their backs are slightly arched. Another important part to drawing any character is to observe what real people do and how they use thier bodies to act out certains emotions. Watching movies, etc. is a good start. Watching the Simpsons is a good reference point because it's all about real life acting. You wouldn't think it but Homer moves more like a real human than you think.

Most people jump into the details too quickly. They want to get the facial expression and details of the face before establishing the body. Fill up some pages of thumbnail sketches portraying as many expressions as possible. The body language should always come first, the face just backs it up.

The one thing that will always bring your drawings to life is the 'line of action' or the imaginary line that dictates how the body will move. You can also think of it as the back bone of a character. This line should always be used in setting up a pose, as you can see in the pic below, I get a wide range of emotions with no faces using only their bodies. When all else fails, get up and see how your body bends and shapes when trying to act out emotions.

Most storyboard artists and animators follow this method as a basic principle for planning out the acting and motion of the animated characters - their attitude and behaviors become expressed through their physical body.

Body language and posture can add enormously to the mood, expression, and context of your character. Check out the poses of these characters and notice how well the action line, postures, and gestures harmonize with the facial expressions:

You can also create dynamic compositions that help to tell the story by using action/reaction poses. One character causing the action, the other character(s) react or follow the action. By using Opposing Poses like in some of the examples shown below, you can have characters curved or directed on an arc, other characters have straighter poses, but still aimed on an angle. This kind of dynamic posing sure beats the hell out of characters standing straight up and down all the time.

Screen captures from Mickey's Christmas Carol - study thelines of action and how they affect the composition:

No one explains it better than Preston Blair:

Look at these thumbnails by David Gemmill, observe the dynamic poses and silouettes he creates within each drawing.

"Clean" Boards

One of the questions often asked by storyboarding students is
"How clean does a cleaned-up storyboard have to be?"

The two drawings above (drawn by Sherm Cohen) show the difference between the cleaned-up storyboard drawing (drawn with 3B pencil on standard storyboard paper) and the rough drawing (done in ball-point pen on a Post-It note).

It's usually fine to let some of the construction lines show through on the finals. You can't quite see it with these scans, but there are faint sketch lines visible on all the clean-up drawings shown here.

These storyboard drawings are from a Burger King commercial in 2005. BK was giving out SpongeBob watches, and this was the commercial promoting them.

For the examples above, the rough was drawn with a Pitt brush-marker on Post-It note, then finished with 3B pencil.

Here's a tiny Post-it thumbnail (above) followed by marker rough, followed by the final storyboard drawing.

As usual, the drawing with the most life is the rough. It's hard to keep that energy when you clean it up, but that's the eternal challenge!

The clean-ups shown here are actually cleaner than what you would usually draw for storyboards. Since these were done for an advertising campaign, storyboard artist Sherm Cohen had to make sure that they looked as close to "finished art" as possible because they were being looked at by non-animation people. This is to demonstrate the extremes of roughs to clean-ups.

This is a good example of not drawing lots of detail until you know that the shot works. There's no way I'm going to waste my time drawing all those falling Krabby Patties until the final drawing (below).

Click on any of these drawings to see a BIG full-sized scan!

You'll see in some of these drawings that there's visible construction lines on the characters and perspective lines going through the background. These are more than acceptable in any storyboard clean-up.

Recap - Terms for basic shots:

Storyboards are a bit different than all other forms of illustration. Draw LOTS of poses, keep the sketches as 'clean roughs', but not too rough, but they don't need to be clean, but you can use tone to connect elements together, to add simple light and shadow, or help create a center of attention.

Observe the use of 'Basic Shapes' in the art of staging your characters

Just planting different areas in your picture at different heights can be effective. Putting the planes that are further away higher up in the frame is the simplest way to get a sense of space in your drawing.

We all think of having forms shrink as they head off towards the horizon, but don't forget you can give your drawing perspective that recedes in the vertical plane, instead of the horizontal, when appropriate.

The blank areas don't always have to be white; they can be black silhouettes instead, of course. They could even be areas of grey tone as well.

Obviously this is a useful design principle: to balance complex areas against empty areas. It would be meaningless to put one complicated pattern next to another, or to put an empty space next to another. The two types of areas only mean something when balanced by each other for contrast.

Return of the Jedi:

Samples of art by Nicholas Kole, see how the shapes, forms, colors and lighting create appealing compositions.

Observe Mark Kennedy's Storyboards forTangled:

How and When to Cut
Motivating the camera is a simple technique of using visual cues to set up a cut or camera-move and in doing so, ease the audience into a new shot or new information.

Use a character's eye line to motivate a cut. It helps ease the audience through the cut and into new information. (While also putting us directly in the character's shoes.)

The idea is to create as much continuity within the sequence as possible, making everything clear and easy to follow.

So as per the above sequence, ways to motivate the camera;
- Using a Character's eyeline/P.O.V.
- Having a character move on screen and adjusting the camera accordingly.
- Having a character exit frame.

There are many other ways, for instance; --- Having a character enter frame.

Ultimately what it comes down to, specifically for 'cutting', is the fact that a 'cut' is not natural, it doesn't happen in real life (unless you take really long blinks). Obviously we have seen enough film/television that we are accustomed to 'cutting', nevertheless, anything you can do to smooth out the transition will only help create and maintain the continuity of your sequence.

These examples revolve around motivating the camera, and explores more "what they are saying visually".

These examples are all slight variations of the same scene, each exploring a different approach in regards to the progression of information that is revealed to the audience, and consequently the effect it has on them. Ultimately, it all depend on what the script calls for or what is necessary of the scene to determine which of the following (if any) would be suitable.

The most important thing to take away from this concept of 'motivating the camera', is just to try and be conscious of the decisions you are making in your storyboards. Try to understand what you are actually saying visually, what information you are revealing to the audience, when is this information os being revealed, and what effect it will have on them. Thinking about these things as you board can really help enhance a sequence and 'sell' an idea in the storyboard stage.

Below is a step-by-step progression of a draw-over from an old storyboard assignment.

1. Original Panel From Student Sequence:

Conceptually it is good.
-She has clearly established a screen relationship between the two characters (left and right).
-Indicated an environment (the mountain range in the background).
My main note is to push it even further! Take the concept of this shot and push it to find a more interesting and compelling composition.

2. Draw Your Grids:

I started my redraw with a horizon line and laying down a grid.
Laying down your grids (on the ground, walls and sky) will help clarify the depth of your shot, and can also be used as a guide for incorporating mid/foreground elements (illustrated in step 5).

3. Push The Depth:

In the original panel there is a lot of empty space around the characters, not particularly interesting or dynamic visually. I drew over the characters, using my grid as a guide, and tried to push the depth.

By pushing the depth, bringing one character closer and pushing one further away, you can create a much more engaging composition as well as utilizing the real estate of the panel more effectively.

4. Use The Background To Enhance The Composition:

You can use background elements to enhance a composition and help direct the eye.

The important information in the panel is the characters, so everything else in the composition should support that. Keeping that in mind, we can use mountain ranges in the distance to help lead the eye to our character.

5. Populate The Mid-Ground

Put some junk in the mid-ground.

Populating the mid-ground can help in a few ways:
-Further help define the environment.
-Help push the depth by incorporating visual depth cues such as over-lapping objects and size relativity (objects get smaller as they recede).

6. A Little Shading Goes A Long Way

In the original panel the shading wasn't particularly adding anything to the composition. A simple way to approach shading is by thinking about it in terms of foreground, mid-ground and background.

I did a quick shade pass over the panel using each object's relative position in the composition (how closer/far away it is from us) and shaded accordingly. We can also use shadows to help direct the eye, much like background elements, by having them point towards important information.

Below is an animated gif of the progression so you can see how being conscious of these principles while you are boarding can really help enhance your work. You may need to click on it to see it animate.

With storyboarding it is just a matter of getting sequences under your belt. The more you board, the better you get, plain and simple. It takes time for these principles to become second nature, don't get discouraged if you don't see them immediately taking effect. The important thing with these concepts is to be aware of them, how they work, and how they can affect your boards. Over time everything will fall into place.

Staging & Posing Review

Push your poses, express the body language, create clear silouettes.

Composition is all about leading the viewers eyes to where you want them to look.
Visual clarity in storyboarding begins the process of creating a layout on which to build what will be the final moving images on screen.

Cut Scene from 'Megamind' Storyboards by Toby Shelton:

Conveying light and shading in your boards can be very important to amplify the mood of the scene, creating strong compositions, and allows you to direct the viewers attention in dramatic ways.

The light and dark patterns don't always have to make absolute sense, when it comes to giving form and depth to objects, you can fake them (to a certain extent) to get the results you want.

Observe the effects of lighting in these Scooby-Doo Digital Storyboards by Anson Jew:

Study these rough layouts fromThe Iron Giant, notice the lighting guides with 3D arrows and how the shapes of shadows and highlights are blocked in to form the focal points with tones and contrast:

Storyboards for Live-Action Commercials by Antonio Santamaria:

2D Animated Short Film Storyboards by Sandro Cleuzo:

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OnionSkin is an ongoing project dedicated to all things animation, currently with an extra focus on Toon Boom and those who have previously had experience us...

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Hey, this is Mikey. I do after effects tutorials. Right now I am covering adobe after effects CC, but some of my older after effects tutorials were, of course, done with older versions of after effects. I do a lot of work with green screens, logo animations and more practical stuff, that you can…

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Podcasts - portfolio, interview advice

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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VR, AR, 2D, 3D

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Learn game development w/ Unity | Courses & tutorials in game design, VR, AR, & Real-time 3D | Unity Learn

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Free tutorials, courses, and guided pathways for mastering real-time 3D development skills to make video games, VR, AR, and more.

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Mixed bag of content, Animation behind the scenes & theory

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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Community network

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Animated Women UK Supporting Women in VFX & Animation

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Our Vision is to see a change in the UK's animation and VFX industries. We want to support a network of women who can help each other achieve success at every stage of the animation or VFX pipeline.

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Animation News & Reviews

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Animation, Games and VFX

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ACCESS:VFX is a global, industry-led, non-profit comprised of 40 leading companies, industry bodies and educational establishments in the VFX, animation and games industries. It focuses on actively pursuing and encouraging inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity.

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Tutorials for Harmony & Storyboard Pro

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Maya, Max, & Mudbox materials

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Find written and video tutorials for beginners to the most advanced users. Learn about Autodesk products such as 3ds Max, Maya, Flame and more. You can also share your own tutorials, by clicking on the 'Submit your tutorial' button in the top right corner. Can't find what you're looking for? Tweet us @autodesk_me

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Find written and video tutorials for beginners to the most advanced users. Learn about Autodesk products such as 3ds Max, Maya, Flame and more. You can also share your own tutorials, by clicking on the 'Submit your tutorial' button in the top right corner. Can't find what you're looking for?