So You Want to Be a Professional Storyboard Artist, eh?
I couldn’t help it, I’m Canadian.
This is an introductory post I’ll expand on in the ‘Production Journal‘ and ‘Storyboard Like a Pro‘. If you want to do storyboards for a living and have no idea what it takes, I’ll break it down for you. No sugar-coating…you deserve that. Here we go:
TALENT
Do you have to know how to draw? Yes. How good? Pretty darn good. Do you have to be drop dead amazing? No. I’m nowhere near amazing, but I’m pretty good and get the job done. As I’ve said before, the drawings aren’t the most important thing in a board. But to work professionally, you need good solid drawing skills. And hey…amazing can’t hurt.
EDUCATION
Do you need formal training to be able to work professionally? I’d like to say ‘no’, because anything is possible, but I’d be more inclined to say ‘yes, you do’. Any kind of formal art training is great to grow as an artist. Take classes in drawing, painting or life drawing if that’s what you love. Will that alone make you a storyboard artist? Nope. If you want to work in the animation, film or gaming field, you need some training in that field. You can’t produce storyboards for an industry if you don’t know how that industry works. You must know how a cartoon is produced or a film is shot in order to storyboard for a production effectively. Even if that training is reading everything you can gets your hands on…you need it. It’s expected.
PROFESSIONALISM
As much I’d like to say working in animation is one big, fun party all the time…it ain’t. Sure, it’s a lot different than a traditional office and you get to be creative and casual and all that good stuff. But it’s a business. And in this business are deadlines and schedules to keep. This is no place to be a flake. The professionals (who keep working) get the job done, don’t lie to the client or studio and meet their deadlines. If you’re not the type of person who can do that, think twice about professional storyboarding. And being organized really helps (though I’m sure there are many pros out there who are admittedly not…it’s an artist thing).
DISCIPLINE
This means personal discipline. If you freelance, the vast majority of storyboard work involves working alone. So very alone. Even if you work in a studio, it’s still a very solitary process. Lots of thinking and drawing at a desk. You have to be able to work in your own time frame, which on one hand is a fabulous thing and on the other, very tough. It’s very easy for a day to get whittled away with distractions and procrastination. Storyboarding involves many long days and nights working by yourself. You’ve been warned : ).
THE OTHER SKILLS
I’ve said that drawing isn’t the most important skill for a board artist to have, so what are the others? There are many. As a professional board artist you have to be:
- a storyteller
- a filmmaker
- an actor
- an editor
- a cinematographer
- (I’ll say it anyway) an artist
- a little nuts…it helps
I’ll write more about these other skills and the traits mentioned above as time goes on (even the nuts part). But for now, they’re things to consider. Do you think you possess some of these skills? Are you willing to learn about the ones you don’t have? Does it excite you to think “Hey, I might be able to do this”? Cool. Looking forward to telling you more.
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Filed under: Storyboard Like a Pro
I just stumbled onto your blog and what a great find! Already stuck it in my favorites.
I’m a struggling storyboard artist with some Indy films under my belt, who is trying to land those so hard to find paying gigs. Do you have any suggestions, if you have all the above in order, on what the next step is? Get an agent and how? Who should one contact and beg to? Move to L.A.? Sell one’s soul or first-born?
Also, gotta say, huge fan of Vancouver. One of my favorite games is the “Spot that Vancouver location/actor” in all the sci-fi/fantasy shows. I think when I finally get to go visit, I’ll know most of the city and most of the people.
Thanks for the great blog and resource!
Thanks for the great feedback Debi! Still pretty new to the blog thing, so I really appreciate hearing from people like you.
I’ll answer your questions in future posts as best I can. I work primarily in the animation field, so I feel more comfortable answering ‘getting the gig’ questions about that. BUT I have resources to tap into for info about working in film specifically.
You sound like you’re on the right track though. Indie and student films are a great place to start…but you have to pay your rent too, right?
Thanks for reading and don’t sell your first-born yet. : )
-K
Hey K,
Great blog. Definitely appreciate the “keepin’ it real” blog, which is much needed with the lack of info on the animation storyboading field, which, well surprisingly not much info about it out there. I’m going to postpone my questions, cus I know you’ll talk about it in the near future. Looking forward to read your future posts!
Ivan
the first blog I have read and i almost … Ok let me say your keepin’ it real be real sister. A little nutts, a story teller, a cinematographer, a film maker , an editor and an artist “I took note” . A board artist could not have written it any better for a wannabe board artist. I’m interested Karen I’ll be subscribing to this feed.
Hi Karen, this is corey from class 62 & mercury. This blog of yers is really helpful. I just started storyboarding myself. I’m 3 days into it and already I can feel the burn. Thanks for the help at school & with this here blog. Keep it up.
I kid! I kid!
That’s great. Keep us updated here on the blog now and then. I’m sure others would love to hear from someone new to the game. Good luck!
-K
Hey karen !
Thanks A Ton. It ‘ll be really helpful. I have nothing to ask…but everything to know. And Surely I’ll be getting it here.
Just want to say one thing….. KEEP IT UP….
Kasana
Thanks for the kind comment and welcome! Things should be back on track in July or so…I’m still at the beach.
Cheers,
K
Hi Karen, thanks for the blog. I’m an aspiring storyboard artist, and an alumni of the VFS classical animation program, and have done, through networking, some freelance storyboard projects, but want to keep doing more and make a living off it, but for live action stuff, I’ve heard you can only apply for that if you’re in the union (IATSE). Hope to see more from the blog. Thanks.
Did I teach you or were you before or after my time there?
Go to the Archives and check out some of Adrien’s (live-action-go-to-guy) posts. He addresses lots of live action issues here so they might be of help. Good luck to you and thanks for coming by.
K
Hi Karen. again, great blog. thanks. no it was a long time ago but i don’t think you taught me. it was most likely before your time there. I’ll check those out. thanks.
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