Why a Storyboard is Essential in Developing an Animated Video?

If you'd like to create an animated video for your brand, there's one step you should never skip when realising your vision.

You need a storyboard.

What is a storyboard?

A storyboard is a visual representation of your script. It's a document that shows the narrative flow of your video, scene by scene. Most of the time, storyboards are made from hand-drawn sketches and notes scribbled in the margins.

A storyboard is like a map. And who would embark on a road trip without a map? The process of storyboarding forces production teams to consider the best routes to take before they even start the journey.

Don’t expect, however, any colours, background details or character design on a storyboard. These elements are part of project illustrations that are created later on, once the storyboard is confirmed.

Now that you know what a storyboard is, here are 5 good reasons why crafting a storyboard is a critical step for developing a great animated video.

1. It's the easiest way to share your vision

Animated explainers instantly grab the attention of your target audience, presenting them with attractive and engaging content that sets your product apart. And you need that kind of attention on the overcrowded mobile app Since a storyboard is visual, it simply makes it easier to explain your idea for the video to a client or production studio. Not everyone involved in the process has the skills and experience required to visualise the script quickly.

But everyone should be on the same page when it comes to developing the video.

That's why explaining to others what you have in mind is key in the initial stages of the production process. You need a method that helps to convey what the animation looks like in your head, and creating a storyboard is the best strategy.

With a storyboard at hand, you can show everyone how your animation will be mapped out and what it will look like, helping others to understand your idea and the narrative flow of the video.

2. That's how you learn whether your idea works

Storyboarding is an essential part of producing an animated video because nothing reveals better whether a concept works or not than a storyboard.

While the main idea behind the video can be paraphrased in a few paragraphs, a storyboard will require more time and effort. Taking a closer look at the idea might reveal internal inconsistencies or other problems.

Storyboards also help to check whether the narrative in the script makes sense once it's translated into a series of visual shots. Storyboards are critical for validating the central concept behind the video, but also for determining the direction the production team should take.

3. Storyboards help to make the most of your budget

ATime is money. And it takes time to put a storyboard together. But that investment will bring you plenty of returns later on. You'll not only save time on explaining your vision to the stakeholders but also develop a comprehensive production plan that will make the entire video creation process smoother.

It doesn't matter what kind of video you're producing – teams always want to make the most of their resources. Creating a storyboard allows animation studios to prepare a clear outline for developing the video, including information about the critical requirements.

Storyboards are essential because they help studios define the parameters of the story within the required resources and time. And that's the best way to guarantee a smooth production process.

If the animated video is complicated, it will take a lot of time and a larger budget to produce. That's why it's important to have the storyboard approved before beginning the production phase. This way, the customer will have a clear idea of what the final product will look like. He or she can apply changes and add input that won't affect the production budget as much as it would later on.

4. You'll be able to identify problems at an early stage

Another benefit of using a storyboard is that it’s the best opportunity for detecting problems at the very first stages of production. Experienced video production teams know that it's exactly during the storyboarding phase that many of critical errors come out.

They might be related to the main idea, the narration style, or story details. You can only imagine how much time and effort it would take to correct these mistakes once the animation is in full swing.

By identifying such mistakes early on, the cost of revisions may be reduced and ensure that the production process proceeds according to plan.

5. It makes the production process smoother

All in all, a storyboard is a plan for the entire production. Storyboarding forces teams to consider the video project from many perspectives and allows them to accurately predict the production time and costs required for getting the results the client wants.

That's why storyboards make the entire production process smoother. They provide a plan for the animation studio during video production, ensuring that no shots are forgotten.

But storyboards also come in handy when editing the video. The editor will know how to piece the shots together to match the vision conveyed in the storyboard. Thanks to a storyboard, the editor won't need to apply many revisions to the product, saving the studio plenty of time and money.

Key takeaway

Smart animation studios know that a storyboard is the best starting point for a video production project.

Thanks to a storyboard, teams can communicate their vision and instantly verify it with the client. It allows creating an outline for the production around which the studio can organise the entire process.

Thanks to a storyboard, the video will be put together according to the vision that has been checked and confirmed by the client. The animation studio can be sure that the end product matches the customer's needs and has a solid narrative structure with a cohesive and coherent sequence of shots.

Even if storyboarding takes time, you can be sure that it's time well spent.