Animatics

A still picture most naturally represents a "static" (i.e. unmoving) shot, so we create “animatics”. An animatic is simply a series of still images presented in sequence -- like a slide show, but with the timing determined for each shot. It's not really meant to be an art form in itself, but it is rather intended to be enough information for the filmmaker to make intelligent production decisions. It also must be cheap and easy, since effort that goes into the animatic will not appear in the final film. Hence, an animatics is a kind of a rough sketch for a film.

Animatic is a series of still images presented in sequence is usually also combined with a temporary soundtrack ("temp track") to create a watchable, very-low-budget version of the story. Sometimes, for very dynamic shots, a small amount of "low animation" is added (such as a pan across an image or a figure of a person being pulled across the frame to indicate walking or running).

For complex three-dimensional shots, yet another step is sometimes added, called a "pre-visualization". The pre-visualization is simply a quick-and-dirty 3D animation using very basic models. Usually, there is very little attention paid to lighting or textures, which saves a lot of production time. These are often used in combination with simpler elements in animatics for this type of film.

Showboat Entertainment

Their excellent animatics team matches the story board and the soundtrack of a video perfectly. They allow the illustrators and directors to work out any script and timing issues that may exist with the current story board. They deliver high quality and unique work, perfectly matched to the client's ideas and wishes.