Storyboard professionals in animation face various challenges in their everyday work – from visualizing the script in the best possible way to creating a 2D animatic that will determine the final look of the episode. 

For this reason, a series of internal lectures is being delivered at ILBE Studios this year, with the main focus on timing, narrative, structure, the characters’ performance, and other tools and techniques important in the storyboarding process. 

The sixth internal lecturein this module was dedicated to the essential questions that need to be answered when translating a script into a 2d animatic. It came as a the logical extension of the internal lecture dedicated to narrative – “The Hero’s Journey” , as well as an addition to the recent lecture – “Survival Strategies in Storyboarding”. 

Dragutin Vukelić, 2D Lead Storyboard Artist at ILBES, went through the key points which should serve as the base for visual storytelling. He talked about the main character in a story, the issue, the plot, the motif, the transformation of the character, the solution, and the ending, along with tips on how to present each part. 

This was also an opportunity to look at the representative examples of completed 2D animatics at ILBE Studios and to discuss its elements. 

“Answers to the six crucial questions for the visual setup and structuring the story were given to us by Dragutin Vukelić Guta, the professional, from the perspective of a visual artist. He revealed the logic behind the main character, his desires, the actions he is ready to undertake to achieve his goal, his  interaction with other characters, his reactions to obstacles around him. He also talked about drama in animation, and the importance of a proper ending to every story. The formula of six questions can help a visual artist to split and visualize each script. On the other hand, it can guide a scriptwriter to cover all the important elements required in the contemporary animated form”, said Sanja Poštić, scriptwriter at ILBES, after the lecture was delivered at the Novi Sad Studio.  

The lecture was primarily intended for our 2D storyboard artists and scriptwriters; however, it brought up insightful discussions among our animators, motion graphic designers, and our animation picture editors. 

“The lecture was very interesting and useful. Supported with examples of great scenes from popular films, it held our attention until the very end. Weall took this chance to recall the rules and references we often unintentionally forget”,said Aleksa Parezanović, Animation Picture and Video Content Editorat ILBES, after the lecture at the Belgrade studio. 

We thank Dragutin and all the participants in Belgrade and Novi Sad, and we look forward to the final internal lecture which will be held at the end of this month.