This book is about visual storytelling and design. Three parts, Content, Technique, Presentation Visual scriptwriting (board-driven films?) The "Why" must precede the technique Easier for toons to break physics than story. Sound and visuals hang off the story. Character and Story can develop from each other [See also, Robert McKee's Story, where a character is a story, just not necessarily the one you're telling] Animators do the magic of bringing worlds and characters to life.

Part One: Story Content

First, Catch Your Rabbit

Linear and Nonlinear Storytelling

Setting Limitations and Finding Liberation

Shopping for Story: Creating Lists

Nothing is Normal: Researching Action

All Thumbs: Quick Sketch and Thumbnails

Reality is Overrated

Past and Present: Researching Settings and Costumes

Vive la Difference! Animation and Live-action Storyboards

Comic Boards and Animation Boards

Television Boards and Feature Boards

Putting Yourself Into Your Work

The Use of Symbolic Animals and Objects

The Newsman's Guide: Who, What, When, Where and Why

Situation and Character-driven Stories

Stop if you've heard this one

Defining Conflict

Log Lines

Stealing the Show

Parodies and Pastiches

What If? Contrasting the Possible and the Fanciful

Beginning at the Ending: The Tex Avery "Twist"

Establishing Rules

Appealing or Appalling? Beginning Character Design

Reading the Design: Silhouette Value

Construction Sights

Foundation Shapes and Their Meaning

The Shape of Things

Going Organic

Creating Characters from Inanimate Objects

Across the Universe

Size Matters: The Importance of Scale

Practicing your Scales

Stereotypes of Scale

Triple Trouble: Working with Similar Character Silhouettes

Getting Pushy

Beauties and Beasts: Creating Character Contrasts in Design

The Great Dictator: Charlie Chaplin's Character Acting

I Feel Pretty! Changing Standards of Beauty

A Face that Only a Mother Could Love?

Gods and Monsters: Contrasting Appearance and Personality

Location Location Location: Art Direction and Storytelling

Part Two: Technique

Starting Story Sketch: Compose Yourself

Tonal Sketches

Graphic Images Ahead!

The Drama in the Drawings: Using Contrast to Direct the Eye

The Best Laid Floor Plans

Structure: The Mind's Eye

Roughing it: Basic Staging

I'm Ready for My Close-up: Storyboard Cinematography

Boarding time: Getting With the Story Beat

Working to the Beat: Story Beats and Boards

Do You Want To Talk About It

The Big Picture: Creating Story Sequences

Panels and Papers: A Word about Storyboard Materials

Acting Out: Structuring Your Sequences

A-B-C Sequences: Prioritizing the Action

Arcs and Triumphs

Naming Names

Patterns in Time: Pacing Action on Rough Boards

Climactic Events

Present Tence: Creaging a Performance on Storyboard

Working with Music

Visualizing the Script

Diamond in the Rough Model Sheet: Refining Character Designs

Tying it Down: Standardizing Your Design

Your Cheatin' Part: Nonliteral Design

Color My World: Art Direction and Storytelling

Fishing for Complements

Saturation Point: Colors and Tonal Values

Writing the Color: Color Scripts

O Tempora, O More or Less

Part Three: Presentation

Show and Tell: Pitching Your Storyboards

The More Things Change: The Turnover Session

Talking Pictures: Assembling a Story Reel or Animatic with a Scratch Track

This is Only a Test: Refining Story Reels

Building a Better Mouse: Creating Cleanup Model Sheets

Maquette Simple: Modeling Characters in Three Dimensions

Am I Blue? Creating Character through Color

Creating Color in Context

It's a Setup: Testing Your Color Models

Screen and Screen Agan: Preparing for Production

Prepare to Board! by Nancy Beiman

Contents