From Story Reel to Final Picture: Evolving Animation’s Visual Structure
Have you ever wondered how the visual structure of an animation evolves throughout the production process? It’s something I’ve thought about often, especially when reflecting on the role of a director. While much is said about the story, the visual structure—how images are arranged, paced, and presented—can evolve in ways that are just as crucial, yet often overlooked. As we explore this process, we'll see how it aligns with familiar iterative improvement cycles, bridging the gap between creative endeavors and established business practices.
At the outset, in Preproduction, the director works closely with the team to establish the Story Reel. This isn’t just about locking down the narrative but about setting the foundation for how the story will be visually told. The Story Reel combines rough sketches, temporary audio, and keyframes to sketch out the film's visual language. By locking this reel early—before building the full set of CG Assets begins—the director ensures that the visual narrative is clear and cohesive. This early lock represents the first checkpoint in the PDCA cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act), where the Check stage (locking the Story Reel) ensures that the initial visual structure is sound before moving forward.
Take, for instance, the production of Zootopia (2016). The film underwent a significant story change about 18 months before its release. Originally, Nick Wilde, the fox, was the main character, and the story had a darker tone. After creating the story reel, the directors realized this approach wasn’t working. The early story reel allowed the team to identify issues with the narrative and visual tone. By changing the protagonist to Judy Hopps and adjusting the story’s focus, they were able to create a more compelling visual narrative. This early change, made possible by the story reel process, allowed the team to refocus their efforts and create a more cohesive final product.
As the project moves into Production, the visual structure evolves into the Animation Reels. This stage is where the characters and scenes come to life, and it’s here that the director’s role in shaping the visual structure becomes even more critical. Locking the Animation Reels is akin to a mid-point crisis in a story—it’s about capturing the essence of the characters’ performances and ensuring that the visual storytelling is solid before moving on to more detailed work like set dressing, effects animation, matte painting, lighting, and compositing. This lock represents the second checkpoint in the PDCA cycle, where the Check stage (locking the Animation Reels) ensures that the refined visual structure aligns with the director’s vision before moving to the final phase.
Think of the visual structure as the backbone that holds all the elements together. Would you add the flesh and skin before you’ve built the skeleton? Just as in anatomy, the skeletal structure must be in place first to support everything else. Similarly, in construction, you wouldn’t pour the concrete before setting up the iron framework. The visual structure is that framework—the essential support that ensures every other element of the film is correctly aligned and functional. Without this structure locked in place, adding more layers would only lead to instability and inconsistencies.
A good example is the production of Moana (2016), which demonstrates how animation reels evolve and impact the final product. The “How Far I’ll Go” sequence underwent several iterations in the animation reel stage. Initially, the scene was more static, with Moana singing on the beach. As the animation reels developed, the directors decided to make the sequence more dynamic, showing Moana’s journey across the island. This evolution in the animation reel stage allowed for a more visually compelling representation of Moana’s character growth.
Finally, in Post-Production, the focus is on locking the Picture. This is where the offline editing process concludes, and the cut is finalized. Locking the picture is not just about narrative flow; it’s about perfecting the visual rhythm and ensuring that every frame contributes to the story's overall impact. This lock is the third and final checkpoint in the PDCA cycle, where the Check stage (locking the Picture) confirms that all visual elements are harmonized before the film is fully polished and released.
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A prime example of the importance of this stage is seen in the making of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). The film’s unique visual style required extensive post-production work. Locking the picture allowed the team to focus on perfecting the complex visual effects and animation styles for each character. The directors could ensure that the varying animation styles—2D, 3D, and comic book-style elements—were cohesive once the picture was locked. This lock enabled the team to refine the visual language of the film, creating the distinctive look that earned it an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
While the PDCA cycle may be more familiar to those in manufacturing or business environments, it aligns surprisingly well with the animation production process. In animation, each phase—Preproduction, Production, and Post-Production—can be viewed as a cycle in itself, where the visual structure is planned, executed, checked, and refined before moving to the next phase. The evolution of the visual structure, therefore, takes place across three PDCA cycles, ultimately leading to a fully realized and coherent visual experience.
In summary, the evolution of a film’s visual structure is a dynamic, iterative process that unfolds under the director’s guidance. It’s a journey that begins with the Story Reel, evolves through the Animation Reels, and culminates in the locked Picture. At each stage, the director’s ability to shape and refine the visual structure is critical to the film’s success. By focusing on this often-overlooked aspect of animation and applying a framework akin to the PDCA cycle, directors can ensure that their films not only tell compelling stories but do so with a visual coherence that resonates deeply with audiences.
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