LAYOUT

The Layout Artist

The Layout Artist sets the

stage for the animation. They render pencil background layouts for each
production scene, referring to the story sketch and research materials gathered
on the relevant geography or time period. Although the rendered layouts never
appear in the final production, they are the catalyst for both the positioning
and perspective of the animation, and the design of the final painted
backgrounds.

Layout is the art of background

design for animation. These designs are executed in graphite pencil on punched
animation paper of various sizes, depending on the requirements of the scene.
Part of the Layout Artist’s responsibilities, besides drawing, is to determine
how to construct the scene technically for the camera in order to capture the
intentions of the story sketch. At the “bluebook” meeting held at the initiation
of every sequence of the film, each scene is analyzed in the company of the
Director, Scene Planner, Special Effects Supervisor, and Layout representatives,
to establish a game plan including how Layout should set the scene up.

The layout drawing provides a

stage in which the animators will animate their characters and effects, as well
as a blueprint or under drawing, to be rendered in color by the Background
Painters. Thus, Layout is the fork in the road which feeds two branches of the
animation production process. The following illustrates this chain.