Storyboard/Animatics

[mickimac12]

Hi everyone,
I'm new here and to animation - apart from a brief spell with Crazy Talk.
I'm about to start my animation journey using A.S.Pro and wanted to know what storyboard and animatics software I can use that also integrates into Anime Studio Pro?
Forgive my layman's language, but as I said I'm new to this, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Also, as most of my animation will be done using photographs, would I need both pieces of software or just one?

Like a lot of people, I'm looking for something that's not going to break the bank. so any suggestions on this could help me eliminate weeks searching the web for information (which by the way I have already done).

Many thanks for taking the time to read this.

mm12

[AmigaMan]

The best solution, I think, is to use any drawing software to create your storyboard images individually and save them to a folder named 'Storyboard'. They only need to be rough drawings, especially if it's only you working on your production.

Load these images one at a time into your video editing software and extend them on the timeline to roughly match the timing of each shot as you imagine it. Time them to your music track if you have one. Once you have your entire storyboard loaded in and the timings are to your liking and you think it flows nicely this will act as your Animatic.

Now you can create your shots in Anime Studio based on the timings of your Animatic. Drop each shot onto your timeline in your editing software on a track above your corresponding Animatic drawing.

There's no need to purchase separate storyboarding/animatic software, though there are some good options available.

[mickimac12]

Thanks AmigaMan forgetting back to me so promptly.
As I'm not very good at drawing, could you suggest a reasonably priced software that I could use to make storyboards and animatics with a built-in timeline?

I forgot to mention that I use a mac, so any suggested software needs to be mac compatible.

Again, many thanks for your help.

[slowtiger]

Why not just work with pencil on paper? No software will draw anything for you, and since you say you're not good at drawing you could save the expense.

You could as well work within AS to plan your timing. Just create some basic shapes, import your soundtrack, and block out your scenes.

[Ronbo]

I will suggest two applications for you to check out:

1) Celtx: https://www.celtx.com/index.html. It's free and offers scriptwriting and storyboard templates.

2) Toon Boom Storyboard: http://beta.toonboom.com/home-users/storyboard. It's currently on sale for $99, which is 50% off! This is a more polished application and it also allows you to import photographs as shots in your storyboard.

[AmigaMan]

For less than half the price of the Toon Boom software you could get Springboard http://www.6sys.com/springboard
I use this to draw all my storyboard frames as it's very fast to draw in and easy to move boards around, copy, paste,resize etc. You can adjust timing of your shots and do camera moves to create your animatic all within the software. However, once I've drawn my boards in it and got all the drawings in the correct order I export the images and import them into my video editing software and proceed as I described above.

[Ronbo]

Springboard looks good, but the OP is on a Mac.

[AmigaMan]

Springboard looks good, but the OP is on a Mac.

Ah, thanks Ronbo for pointing that out. Just ignore me

[Ronbo]

I'm sure there are some Windows users that will benefit from your Springboard recommendation.

[ErikAtMapache]

As just a side note, when I storyboard I try to go for speed and clarity over drawing quality. I try to give each character some iconic trait so that I can tell them apart later (for example: one character may have a pointy chin while another may have round glasses), but since I'll be throwing a lot of pictures away, I try to not invest much time in any one picture.

[funksmaname]

I've not really had the opportunity to test this but in theory for storyboarding purposes but if you have an ipad, the 'paper' by 53 app, really great, fast, simple sketching tools, drag and drop page ordering, and create unlimited books with custom covers.



http://www.fiftythree.com/paper

[dueyftw]

One of my favorite storyboard tools is Post-it Notes and Large construction paper.

Dale

[sbtamu]

One of my favorite storyboard tools is Post-it Notes and Large construction paper.

Dale

I hear that. Since my animations are really really really simple I get by with just taking printing paper and cut it into 12 sections and I do not really try and draw anything fancy, (not an artist) I just make stick man figures and crude sketches of what is needed.

[Squeakydave]

I use:
TV paint has boarding tools built in. Nice though maybe a little pricey.
or
Sketchbook pro has some nice drawing tools. I sketch out the frames in this and then put them together in Xara graphic designer Pro - If the client needs to see some nice boards.

I then put the original board frames together in Sony Vegas with the sound track to form the animatic and then render out individual scenes and import them into Anime studio as ref for animation (if there is a sound track). When finished I cut these back into the animatic. Repeat until done.

If the project is simple enough any kind of bitmaps can be timed in Anime studio though it is not really built for multi scene production hence an editing appliction like Vegas.

[slowtiger]

In case I'd really need to work on the timing or make an animatic, I'd just scan in my paper drawings. Usually I do very small thumbnails, many on one sheet. Just scan them and import into AS, no need to separate into single files for each image. Instead I place the images with the layer translate tool and all keys set to Step.