DAY TO DAY of a... WI teaThe Basics: - In animation, the term Director refers to the person in charge of directing the creative vision and overall execution CoD ree ela - In TV animation, the role of the Director-- sometimes called the Storyboard Director-- is to helm each of their episodes and utilize the skills of the storyboard artists to create a unified, cohesive and compelling story. - In addition to having a command of story and cinematography, directors must manage their teams, delegate effectively, balance multiple duties simultaneously and use their judgment and people skills to address the notes and concerns of the network executives.Different Styles Because Directing is a managerial role, the actual job can be greatly affected by the working style and personality of the specific person doing it. For example, some directors are eet ar ie Me UU Melillo lect cole) may provide a lot of sketches and thumbnails for their board artists. At the end of the day, the goal of the director, no matter their style, is to create a STRONG STORY with a UNIFIED AND IMPACTFUL VOICE.As always, these thoughts are based solely on my personal experiences and observations, but | will try my best to provide the fundamentals! Now let's get into it!Step 01: The Script Before the board artists even see the script, the director already begins to break it down. In TV animation, the budget is usually cate TWA IL Ye eMC UM iS ee Pe Lea cole} sit down with the Supervising Director, the Producer and the Art Director in order to analyze the script and devise strategies for executing them within the budget.Step 01: The Script The Director looks for opportunities to ECONOMIZE on backgrounds and incidental characters [BG characters] whereever possible. For example: A director might say, “Ok, we will handle this crowd scene in silhouettes, so we don’t have to design 50 new characters.” MMi mattecol eM Sm ele PC Lao l te] to thoroughly understand what is necessary for the story to work well and what can be cheated and adjusted through clever compositions to make the designs doable. Being able to come up with strategies to create effective episodes without breaking UM oy Lael oseStep 01: The Script Once the initial design breakdown has occured, the Director then combs through the script again and carefully annotates ANYTHING SPECIFIC that they need or want to see from the board artists. This process of Director Notes can include anything from: - drawing top-down views of new environments so the board artists understand the layout. - drawing thumbnails of key shots or desired compositions - writing in notes on the script of specific comedic beats they want to see [ie, visual gags not present in the script]Step 01: The Script Q: Can director's affect/change scripts Teta 1 Mela es A: No... but also definitely yes. Let me explain. While on scripted tv, especially sitcom shows, the script is almost always the backbone of the story and something to be closely followed, there are definitely moments where directors might catch minor incongruities or [most often] things that make sense on the page... but not when you go to draw them.Step 01: The Script Q: Can director's affect/change scripts Teta 1 Mela es Directors often try to mentally block out the entire episode before any board artists touch it, searching for anything that doesn’t quite track. This sometimes might mean changing setups or removing/moving certain lines of dialogue, or rearranging whole story beats. Prieta teleM-lile Ml eley-lee Marcel eM etl MTl iN visual gags that were NOT in the script, which change the way the scene plays out and reinforces the comedy. PCM elite ee Maat eeleet ee ult aA it is usually very acceptable! [It all depends on the production though, so always ask before you go changing the words!]Step 02: Sequencing After the Director has covered the script with notes, they usually comb through it YET AGAIN! MUM Mom Molly es Morm let) cits) the script down into SEQUENCES. SEQUENCES are sections of the script, usually divided by key story beats and location. Sectioning the script into sequences, allows the director to assign portions of the script and divide up work between the board artists. Even if there is only one board artist, the lig You Colma MEU Nart te (Ut SM Meta | ols ro arte Selle Ramee finished chunks of the board for the director to start reviewing, even before finishing the entire episode. THIS KEEPS THINGS MOVING!Step 02: Sequencing (or-T lite Uae) Another key component of sequencing is ASSIGNING THE SEQUENCES. Poi kee MarR LENT aL Cera elm allie board artists and decide who would be best doing what. This process of “casting” allows the director to make sure that the artist most suited for certain types of boarding is the one receiving that section. This guarantees that the overall board is the strongest it can be! Some directors, myself included will TS aim oles Lee late mo aE dipping their toes into sequences outside of their usual casting, just to give them the chance to grow and experiment [for example, a director might ask their “drama board artist” if they'd like to try their hand at a comedy section.]Step 03: Board Launch With the script all annotated and assigned, it is time to get the board artists involved! OU Me liga Mtl fellas lala or board team and walk through the entire script with them, discussing key shots and helping to guide them through any Tae MTL el MoS Malcolm Come [ay out how to board. As a director, board launches are the time to really get your board team to see the episode the way you see it in your head. Preparing reference videos, images, scenes ieee haa TCR urls will help your board artists understand what you're looking for, is always a great idea!Guidance and Assistance Even after the board artists have begun rough boarding, the director will still remain in communication with them to make sure there are no questions that need answering or things that need clarifying. During this “rough pass” stage, directors usually check-in on thumbnail progress and try to catch anything that needs tweaking in terms of composition or staging. Directors also make sure that the board Yada le-Mirearicavlelel liye moma ule deadlines and offer solutions and strategies if they are anxious about finishing on time.3K) MOC Colo Magi cag We talked about the rough pitch from the vantage point of a board artist, now let's take a look at it from a director stand point. The rough pitch is usually the first time the SUPERVISING DIRECTOR sees any of the storyboard roughs. It is also the first time the director sees the board sequences in the context of the entire episode. Directors analyze the boards during the pitch and offer solutions and strategies to address the Supervising Directors feedback. The rough pitch is an opportunity for the Supervising director and director to catch elu Leste i Cem CM edt -Le the gags added by board artists or simplify overly complicated or tT AVA ol aA LYClean Up Time! oO rem Mel Mie mM cel (lM oli cn) have been gathered, the Director lays out the exact strategy to the board artists and they dive back into their sequences. PMT am Weel LM lien Pe Laces maintains communication with their artist and provides feedback and guidance wherever needed. Once the clean boards are turned in, the Director usually does ONE MORE PASS on all of the sequences to make them Liv) Ah mY erro Think of the Director as THE FUNCTION BOX all of the board artists sequences pass through in order to become a unified whole.Step 05: Animatic Once the Director has had their final pass on all of the portions of the board, the sequences move onto their next stage: ANIMATIC. The Editor takes all of the parts of the board and assembles it together with music and soundeffects to make a rough approximation of what the full episode will play like. The Director works closely with the editor to finesse timing and will often continue to adjust the way shots occur during this phase, adding more panels and adjusting posing where needed. The Director sometimes has the Tela ares ma) in drawing these small tweaks and fixes.Step 06: Revisions After the Animatic is assembled, the Director, Supervising Director, and Showrunner all watch it together. The Supervising Director and Showrunner will discuss their notes with the director who must then strategize ways to address their thoughts. With the revisionist's help, the director will make changes and adjustments to the board. Core Rie eee me Ue le Melo lat) and approved, the animatic is sent off to Network for the studio executives to see it.Step 07: Executive Notes After reviewing the animatic, the team oy CLAM le: [Mom UR) will send over their notes. The Director and Supervising Director will sit together to discuss these notes and how/if they shoud do each of them. Armed with the Supervising Director's approval, the Director then returns to the EUS Co lel Mat MC ETL once again with the help of their Revisionist. The NEW revised animatic is once again sent out to Network. This may happen a few more times depending on the studio or studios involved.HOWEVER. By this point in the production pipeline, DMM Mem Uli: mum l cra xe) gn Fd hyep Remember when the board artists turned Tm arb al (ST rere EU NY started their NEXT EPISODE. MTC MoS eee) Met MM tlm) director is revising one animatic, they are also guiding the board artists on the NEXT Cy} xolo (POMEL Dacyo) Lem MLelg 9) 3 for the NEXT NEXT episode. Directors usually work on THREE TO FOUR different episodes SIMULTANEOUSLY.Master Multitasker For this reason, good directors have to be absolute masters of multi-tasking. As a director, you are the one deciding the most immediate priorities and guiding your ACER mom crm ANC) Scere RN LWT eL ad both of which have notes, you have to strategize the workload and delegate Rela Mey mM Cee S Mg VA uti (-sVe | asDecision Maker One of my early directing mentors told me that directing isn’t always having the “perfect” decision... it is having “A DECISION.” As a Director, it is your job to make sense CMe Le MrelCee le Melee g you are receiving and MAKE A CALL. DDT Te Malo ate MYL LLM to handle something, and absorbing the responsibility if it doesn’t pan out.Story, Above All As a Director, you are responsible for answering any of your board artists questions about what a character would or would not do or what would or would not make sense in an episode. For this reason, Directors need to understand their story inside and out. You need be deeply connected to the script so that you immediately feel when something isn’t working towards Teil aa Being experienced in filmmaking and in boarding can hone the skills you need to gain this sensitivity.Q: Where does a Director’s role begin and end? Because TV Animation is a highly collaborative space with many skilled and specialized individuals, the Director is usually working in tandem with the other CY Tat ta mat tlo CWP etal Animation Director, etc] to create the best Tete uta ml NAL aCe WCN Alem ot -et-l tM Me levee) mM aL MolaT-) overseeing the story, they are usually providing guidance to the other departments in certain ways to make sure that things like design are also serving the story.Q: Where does a Director’s role begin and end? For example, Directors may ask Art Directors for specific character modifications or may give pre-board topdown maps to the Art Director so they know what the general layout in the storyboard will be. This communication makes everyone's life easier and makes sure we're all building the same ship! :)Q: Where does a Director’s role begin and end? As a Director, it is important to be respectful and considerate of the other department's expertise and not overstep. For example, as a Director in charge of storyboards, | would never ask for a specific fo) (or ERR eA Mel) of the Art Director. My goal would be to make sure that my shots are clear and evocative enough that the Art Director would understand what type of lighting and color would suit the moment best.Q: Can Directors work on multiple projects at once? While in feature, occassionally a Director may be able to direct on several projects at varying stages [it’s very hard to do]... TAA ELC this is pretty much impossible. This is because, as you'll recall, a TV animation Director is already multitasking several episodes at once for their ONE show. That said, | have seen directors do freelance on other projects in other capacities oie ee Re mle et tats) designer or a board artist.... but directing 2 shows at once might be a tall order! Ironically, you could probably showrun two different series... before you directed two Chie Uae aQ: | want to be a Director... where should I start? This is a tricky question! It is hard to know how to be a director... before you have been a director. There really is no “director school” and often times directors learn the skills they need to direct, by doing MANY OTHER ROLES in the production pipeline. Storyboarding is a good place to learn the shot language, cinematography and storytelling skills you need to direct. But it still doesn’t teach you how to Td ta manage a team, stay calm under pressure, and delegate effectively.Q: | want to be a Director... where should I start? If you are thinking of becoming a director one day but you haven’t been in a studio before, definitely focus on getting in and learning as much as you possibly can about THE ENTIRE PIPELINE. Another major step in becoming a director is STUDYING MASTER FILMMAKERS: [Hitchcock, Kurosawa, Spielberg, Del Toro, Scorsese, Coppola, Ridley Scott, Spike Lee, Brad Bird, Miyazaki, Pete Doctor-- you get the idea] Analyzing films and really honing your understanding of shot choices and story telling will help to develop your directorial muscle. BU acme MNCL ce-lUli: em EEQ: I've been boarding for a while... should I try to be a Director? Another difficult question because again, eM lee mew Cre MN le Me LLL Pre mology But, | will say, just because you've been boarding for a while, it doesn’t mean you HAVE to become a director. They are VERY rete ela Directors don't generally draw even NA MM oley- Lee ae So if your passion is drawing and really being the one to create the gorgeous images, acting and look of an episode, boarding might be a more fulfilling Pye L< Comet E If your passion is overarching story and you don’t mind not being the one drawing the majority of the episode, then you might be more suited to directing!Who do | work with? Because Directors are spearheading each individual episode they cross paths with most departments. PRIMARILY THOUGH, Directors work with board artists and revisionists, the folks drawing and boarding their episodes.Who do | work with? Directors also work closely with Coordinators who help them with the organizational and logistical components of their jobs [such as finding things for animatic, checking the status of in- coming audio, making requests for additional lines of dialogue, etc] Certain productions will even assign specific Coordinators to each individual director.Who do | work with? Directors communicate a lot with Supervising Directors who, similar to their position, oversee THE ENTIRE STORY TEAM, including all of the directors and their respective board Aste Directors also work closely with Editors who are the ones putting together their boards into animatics.Who do | affect? Most immediately, Directors affect Xe leo isla elle Meee The directors style, level of direction and communication skills can GREATLY impact the effectiveness of their team. If the director is a good communicator, they can rally their ACY M Le gto 1 Moles 1 ee ML ala) strong and cohesive. If a director is not that great at communicating, the boards can end up feeling imbalanced and tonally confused.Different Direction for Every Artist Something I| have found as a Director that has been very helpful is realizing you won't be directing all of the artists ey elm me SL Re =P Yee TOM Mey eee Leet] ia being able to shift your working style to get the best work from each individual COL me MR amt] Mel gta For example: | have worked with artists who are more introverted and do their best work with few interruptions... and on that same team have worked with artists who like consistent and regular feedback. Both are totally valid!Tools of the Trade Directors usually work in whatever software the storyboard artists use... but may also use some additional software: -StoryboardPro : Industry standard storyboarding software and the program being used by most studios of late. -Photoshop: Directors can do a lot of draw-overs of boards and layouts in Photoshop. -Premiere: Not always, but sometimes directors may touch editting software such as Premiere. -Outlook/Calendar: Directors usually have many... MANY meetings throughout their week to review various episodes and go over various notes, so the calendar is their primary guide throughout the day.Conductors and Musicians Time for my favorite metaphor! Directors and Board artists are both very important parts of the story team. DIRECTORS are akin to conductors, helping to guide the overall symphony and keep everyone on key. They know when things are working and their job is to guide the orchestra... but they don’t actually play that much music, if any. STORYBOARD ARTISTS are the musicians, creating the notes and the harmonies and the beautiful melodies. They follow along to the tempo set by the conductor, bel U aa eT RSA el eMC AAT) piece well. At the end of the day, a conductor is nothing without them. The same goes for a Director!And that’s all I've got! BMC eeu Meut ld and others, visit www. toyarave.com/day-to-day-series Link on my bio!