DAY TO DAY of a... REVISIONISTThe Basics: -A revisionist is a type of board artist whose role in the TV animation pipeline is assisting the director in changing and plussing the storyboard once it has been turned in by the storyboard artist. - The revisionist handles all of the changes that will happen to the board based on the notes received from network executives and the director/showrunners notes. - Even though the revisionist is often times a junior storyboard artist, the revisionist role is CRITICAL to the story pipeline and JUST A WHOLE DIFFERENT JOB IN ITS OWN RIGHT.Boards Post- Board Artist - So now that we've talked about board artists in our last chat, let's talk about what happens to the boards once the board artist turns in their clean sequences. - Even though the board artists are “done,” the storyboard itself is FAR from finished in its journey to be a locked animatic! -After the board artists hand in their sequences, the director will still likely have small fixes they want to tackle. A lot of times directors will do some of this themselves... but they will also have the revisionist jump in to help.Revisionist roles can vary greatly from production to production... but | will try to hit the basics! And with that, let’s jump right in!Pre-Edit Revisions Dee R el ald the board is right after the board artist turns in their “finished” clean pass. The director will have the revisionist handle any little notes they want to do before the editor receives the boards. This can include: - Cleaning up drawings that are still a little too rough. -Changing acting to match updated audio. -Adjusting BGs/staging. -Adding characters/refining characters whose designs have changed since boards. [There can be more, but these are just some examples.]Post-Edit Revisions: PART ONE Once the sequences are all sent to the editor, ETAL M-Lo he M-Lato Mm Uial-to mxede LULL) music and sound fx to create an animatic. Bee em lerla| that plays approximately how it will play as a finished episode. The director screens the animatic for the supervising director and show runner, Sree INCU maCeL SRL: Mit ye el [el a AND THEN IT’S BACK TO THE REVISIONIST!Post-Edit Revisions: PART ONE CONT'D. With the guidance of the director, UMMM earl dC M MoU Le I supervising directors notes. This can mean anything from: - Adding a new beat to joke or a scene. -Changing the location of a scene. -Reworking a character's acting altogether. The scope of the post edit revisions varies massively and it is always case by case. elm eee ee NUM elm eMedia s isn’t boarding the whole episode, they need all the same skills of a board artist.Off to Network! Once the director, showrunner and supervising director are all happy with the state of the animatic, it is sent off to the network executives in charge elm Wate la The network execs look at the animatic and give their own set of notes. Notes that will once again be addressed 1) ee [you guessed it.] THE REVISIONIST!Post-Edit Revisions: PART TWO: THE SEQUEL. Still working alongside the director, the revisionist will address the new network eM al-MeLe | rate Meatey MUM eS BeS-U 1s Fao Te li moe SM MMT Le animatic pass. The supervising director/show runner will again see the animatic before it is sent back to network for review and approval.The Back and Forth This process of sending for notes and addressing notes can happen a couple more times, especially when multiple tiers of network executives are involved. Often times the revisionist will inevitably end up working on multiple episodes EL areal eM Mul eel tle] 1) different stages of review.Director's Right Hand I can only speak to my own experience, but as both a director now, and when | was a revisionist in the past, the revisionist often winds up as the director's right hand. The revisionist is in CONSTANT eT eet LUMO TL Me Le cele TN are often right beside them on the front lines of getting new scenes to and from edit. Pam aes eee Miers who is my go-to for when things need to be done quickly! UBVElceutste ire M Cae g Gundam/Hamilton]A Great Training Ground Working over the finished boards of more experienced board artists is a great way to learn the skills you'll need to YW ole-lee Bla ml et A revisionist is an awesome vantage point because not only are you seeing the sorts of boards that are being made, you are also seeing the notes these boards are receiving.A Great Training Ground MUM Mel tle Meola can teach you not only how to get stronger at boards, but also how to start bce MLC Me Leta coo Revisionists are by design privvy to the sorts of notes a director receives and observes first hand how directors and show runners choose to tackle these notes. Being extra observant as a revisionist can teach you the skills of delegating and problem solving, skills that are essential to directing.How To Prepare? If you are interested in being a revisionist, Colt mm Seance oMsurel (eM (Le atom CMa celtl(e| if you were applying for storyboard eres shared Some things to consider: - Work that showcases an understanding of PERSPECTIVE, COMPOSITION, Py AT NOM Cc) - An understanding of motivated CUTS and CAMERA MOVEMENTS - Strong DRAFTSMANSHIP skillsTools of the Trade Revisionists will work in whatever program the storyboard artists work in! This can be: Pe 3E0),0 4-507 \ ied eH - The industry standard for tv animation right now, this is a software specifically designed for boarding. If you are looking to get into boards, it is a very good idea to learn this program. -PHOTOSHOP: - Some productions board in Photoshop or similar programs, but this is less common in TV than in feature. -FLASH: - Not as many anymore, but there are a few shows that are/were boarded in flash such as Bojack Horseman.Who do | work with? As a revisionist, you are working 1 on 1 with the director. They are the ones feeding you the new scenes that need revising and making sure you know Tare L an aM deol gS MLM Zole) have more than one episode oa ol Lam oa [le, | often end up telling my revisionist things like, “Let's tackle all the notes for episode A and then jump back onto revisions for episode B.”]Who do | work with? As with board artists, revisionists are working alongside the story team and even though their roles don’t usually Yeas MLM eT STS to maintain communication with buted t-te Leslee adic You're all making the same episode after all.Who do | work with? PYF R Lue ere: ae revisionists also work closely with the coordinators, who will likely be the OTT mull: Cole LLL like updated designs and new audio. Because every production is unique, Tut ee sel RUT ola directly with editors, passing sequences back and forth. Some times the director acts as the connector between these stages-- it all depends on the show!Who do | affect? Most immediately, revisionists affect directors. A strong revisionist who is on top of their work can make a director's job infinitely easier! Com ie L art Murel Pm hU lel LeU eee Milas! things, a director might end up having to revise the revisionists AU EC)Who do | affect? For that reason, especially when you are just starting out as a revisionist it is very important to pay attention to what your director is looking CUM Mut MWR ue) your work!Who do | affect? Revisionists also affect editors since the revised scenes are being pulled from and returned to an animatic. Paying attention to NAMING CONVENTIONS can make your editors job a lot less crazy.Helpful tips: As always, this is super subjective but here are some helpful things | have observed in awesome revisionists!Helpful tips: -COMMUNICATE: If you are ever feeling unsure about a note, ask your director for clarification. And always make sure to tell your director as you finish uploading a revised scene! -OFFER TO HELP: If you ever find yourself without work for a moment, check in with your director! There might not always YM Uye Colm Celt CoM elo Pm ols letting your director know there is someone available to help if they need it is very important.Helpful tips: -WORK FAST: Usually revisions don’t have a lot of time until they need to go back out for notes, so it is important to old SMe Cd WAM Cl RU Uel hg Pama me Celi aA - UNDERSTAND THINGS CAN CHANGE: Sometimes, you revise a whole scene, a showrunner sees it and decides, “nah, | liked the previous version.” This is just the nature of the beast-- it has nothing to do with you as an artist! As a revisionist, understanding that some times things are just changed and that is ok is essential. No work is wasted if you learned something from the experience of drawing it.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!