Structure, Conflict, Storyboard

In animated storytelling, finding a balance between its vast possibilities and intentional narrative can be challenging. To navigate this, many animators use tools such as story structure, unlocking the conflict, and storyboarding.

Structure

If this is your first animated story, a linear structure would be best to start off with. This represents the most basic form of storytelling, where there are three Acts:

• Act 1 Character has a problem

• Establish what they want, introduce the problem

• Act 2 Character works toward a solution

  • Detail character committing to solve the problem

  • Detail roadblocks and make solving it harder

  • Detail the character, what they love, hate, motivations

• Act 3 Character solves the problem

  • Use details of the character to help them solve the problem

If you aren't using characters for your story, no worries! Instead of characters and problems, you can use questions that must be answered. When creating these Acts, it is helpful to use the preproduction technique of creating "beats." Beats are all of the moments or active steps that will move the story along. To create beats, simply write down or sketch the crucial story elements on post-it notes. Plotting out your beats in a linear structure will help form your story in a way that makes sense to the audience.

Conflict

Now that there is a sense of storyline, it is time to ensure your primary conflict is clear and concise. Take a good look at your beats and see if any of them should be rearranged or disposed of. This will help narrow down the true theme of your story, making it more compelling. If you feel so much information must be shared before the plot truly thickens, try using flashbacks or dialogue to reveal background elements rather than jamming all the info in right at the beginning. Too much information at the story's start can easily bore the audience and deter them from watching more.

Storyboard

Once your conflict and theme are solidified, it is time to start storyboarding. Storyboarding allows you to work out the visual elements that best suit your story. This can save costly missteps and make the animation process a lot easier. The goal of this storyboarding process is to create individual frames of the action in your narrative. None of these frames have to be of artistic genius as long as you make the following clear:

• Shot composition

• Arrangement of visual elements in the frame

• Framing

  • Selecting and positioning visual elements

• Staging

  • Placement and movement of subjects

• Transitions

  • Connecting scenes smoothly

• Spatial continuity

  • Consistent space relationships between shots

Ensuring these elements are defined within your storyboard will make the animation process 1000x easier. You wouldn't want to spend hours animating an object that ends up facing the wrong way! To prevent this even further, revise your storyboards by testing them on a small audience. Other pairs of eyes allow you to catch things you might have overlooked.

In animated storytelling, starting with your basic three-act linear storytelling structure can be helpful. Refining your conflicts and rearranging beats can avoid overwhelming the audience with excessive information. Once the conflict and themes are apparent, moving on to storyboarding can help focus the details of each shot. With these steps in mind, you can now go on to further your animation project.

Hi! My name is Kristin Ardese and I am a professional Graphic Designer and Marketing Strategist. I hope that by sharing some of my expertise, I can help offer valuable insights and build an engaging community.