In the digital era we live in, people are drastically moving towards the online world. This means you’ll find millions of customers and businesses online. This is one of the main reasons why numerous startups are trying their best to make an online presence. One great way to get your business on board the online train is through producing animation videos. As the demand for animation has increased, so has the demand for storyboard artists. Therefore, if you’re wondering how to become a storyboard artist or how to make a great storyboard portfolio, you are in the right place!
What’s A Storyboard Artist?
The job of a storyboard artist is to help the head of story create a spectacular visual representation of the animation’s narrative. It’s the responsibility of a storyboard artist to be able to translate the script and animation’s vision into pictures. From here, the storyboard artist will produce a series of images according to the animation director’s vision.
Other than this, a storyboard artist may work to complete semi-complete panels and make sure they have the right style according to the animation project’s requirements. Therefore, understanding the project and determining what’s best for the animation project is another responsibility of the storyboard artist when it comes to sharpening and enhancing the partially drawn images.
This is generally what a storyboard artist does, now let’s take a look into what it takes to become one.
How to Become A Storyboard Artist?
There are several jobs out there that one can jump right into without any experience or passion. However, when it comes to becoming a storyboard artist, you need to develop good skill in drawing and should have a passion for it. Many storyboard artists have a degree but it isn’t always necessary when it comes to landing a job as one.
This is because your storyboard portfolio will showcase what exactly you have to offer. So, if becoming a storyboard artist requires you to be good at drawing, is that all you need to become one? Well, not really.
Here we’re mentioning some basic skills a storyboard artist should be good at.
Drawing
This is a job that requires you to draw. Therefore, you must be able to produce artwork in several styles that would impress the audience.
Storytelling
The whole purpose of your drawings is to tell a story. Thus, your drawings should be able to communicate a narrative effectively.
Understanding of Animation
Understanding the process of animation such as editing, layout, and composition is something every storyboard artist should be aware of.
How to Impress Your Employer
We’ve covered what a storyboard artist does and what they need to be good at. Now, let’s dive into what it takes to land a job as one. Below we’ve mentioned some important factors that an animation studio looks into when hiring a storyboard artist.
Storyboard Portfolio
The truth is no matter how strong your degree is, your storyboard portfolio is your best chance at landing a solid job. This is because a storyboard portfolio comprises all the work you’ve done. A storyboard portfolio expresses the level of experience you have as a storyboard artist.
However, how do you make your storyboard portfolio a great one that will surely impress your client or employer? Check out these excellent tips we’ve mentioned below!
- Try to include at least 2 or 3 story sequences
- Make sure they are of different genres.
- Each story should be around 100 panels.
- Make sure to present your storyboard portfolio in a clear way.
- 4×4 or 5×3 panels per page
- Avoid adding too many drawings of the same action.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, we’ve mentioned all the information you need in order to begin your journey as a storyboard artist. Once, you’ve got the experience you need and have completed several projects, you need to come up with an impressive and professional looking storyboard portfolio. We’ve mentioned some animation portfolio tips for you and hope they have given you a clear idea on making a good storyboard portfolio.
