5 Storyboard Checks That Catch Problems Before You Animate

A storyboard should catch confusing action, awkward cuts, and rushed storytelling while the fixes still take a few pencil strokes. Run these five checks before you animate. All you need is paper, a pen, and a script you can read aloud.

Our test sequence: a robot switches on a light

Here’s a small, original sequence to test: a toy robot pushes a ball into a floor-level button, switching on a lamp.

These rough thumbnails show the key poses. The robot is on the left, the button is on the right, and the lamp sits above the button.

The square-headed figure is the robot, the circle is the ball, and the vertical bar is the button. In the final panel, rays show the lamp lighting up.

Our sample voiceover is:

“A little push sends the ball toward the button. One tap, and the room lights up.”

Draw your own version with stick figures and simple shapes. The point is to test the sequence, not audition for a drawing job.

1. Give each panel one clear story beat

A story beat is a meaningful step: the viewer discovers something, an action happens, or the situation changes. A panel can contain several objects, but it should have one main job.

Try this: Write a short description beneath every panel. Use a specific verb where possible: “robot pushes,” “ball rolls,” “button depresses.” If your description needs “and then,” consider splitting it into another panel.

In our sequence, the beats are:

• Establish: Show the robot, ball, button, and unlit lamp so the viewer understands the setup.

• Push: Show the robot making contact with the ball.

• Travel: Show the ball moving toward the button.

• Contact: Show the ball pressing the button.

• Payoff: Show the lamp lighting up.

What this catches: A drawing that tries to show the robot pushing, the ball arriving, and the lamp lighting up all at once. That image contains the ingredients, but hides their order.

Fix it on paper: Separate the cause from the result. Add a panel wherever the viewer needs to register a change. You do not need a drawing for every frame of animation, just enough to make the action unambiguous.

2. Keep screen direction consistent

Screen direction is the direction an object appears to move within the image. If the ball travels right in one shot and left in the next, viewers may think it bounced back.

Try this: Draw a small movement arrow beneath each panel. Then trace the moving object through the sequence with your finger.

Our ball moves left to right from the push through the button press. When we cut closer for panel three, the ball should still travel right, with the button ahead of it on the right.

What this catches: A close-up drawn from the opposite side of the action. The composition might look appealing on its own, but the cut makes the ball appear to reverse.

Fix it on paper: Redraw the close-up from the same side. Keep the ball’s destination on the same side of the image.

A real change of direction is fine. If the ball is supposed to rebound, show the collision and reversal rather than making the viewer infer them between shots.

3. Make the action readable without captions

Notes help an animator understand your intentions. They should not be the only reason the scene makes sense.

Try this: Cover the panel descriptions, movement arrows, and voiceover. Show the drawings to someone who has not heard your explanation. Ask: “What happened?”

For our sequence, they should be able to describe a robot pushing a ball, the ball pressing a button, and a light switching on. Their wording does not need to match yours.

What this catches: A robot whose hand never visibly touches the ball, a button that looks like a wall, or a lamp whose “on” and “off” states look identical.

Fix it on paper:

• Make contact visible: Put the robot’s hand against the ball in the pushing pose, not hovering nearby.

• Show the button changing: Draw it protruding before contact and depressed afterward. A side view can make this clearer.

• Separate the light states: Use an empty bulb shape before activation and clear rays afterward. Do not rely only on a subtle color change.

Arrows remain useful production notes. This check simply asks whether the poses and changes also communicate the action.

4. Plan the transition between every pair of shots

Two good drawings do not automatically make a good cut. You also need to decide how the viewer gets from one to the next.

Try this: Between adjacent panels, write the transition and what connects the images. “Cut closer, follow the ball” is more useful than “cool transition.”

For our sequence:

• Panel one to two: Keep the same wide view as the robot pushes. No cut is needed.

• Panel two to three: Cut closer during the ball’s movement. Preserve its rightward travel so the viewer can follow it.

• Panel three to four: Stay in the close shot through contact. Let the button press complete before leaving.

• Panel four to five: Cut back wide to reveal the illuminated lamp and the robot together.

What this catches: A cut that skips the button press, making the lamp seem to switch on for no reason. It can also catch a decorative transition that distracts from a simple action.

Fix it on paper: Draw a small extra thumbnail showing the end of the outgoing shot or the start of the incoming shot. Compare them side by side. Check the ball’s position, movement, and destination.

Start with a straightforward cut or continuous shot. Add a wipe, dissolve, or transformation only when it helps communicate something.

5. Check that the action fits the voiceover

A sequence can read perfectly on paper and still ask the viewer to process too much during one sentence.

Try this: Lay out the panels and read the voiceover at a natural pace. Point to each panel when its action happens. Do not speed up your delivery to rescue the board.

Use the sample line as a starting plan:

• Before “A little push”: Give the opening setup enough time to register.

• “A little push”: The robot pushes the ball.

• “Sends the ball toward the button”: Follow the ball’s travel.

• “One tap”: Show the button press.

• “And the room lights up”: Reveal the illuminated lamp and hold the result.

What this catches: The lamp lighting up while the narrator is still describing the push, or the final reveal disappearing before the viewer can enjoy it.

Fix it on paper: Mark pauses and holds beneath the panels. If you keep falling behind the narration, simplify the action, remove an unnecessary shot, or revise the script if that is within your scope. Do not assume faster animation will solve a crowded explanation.

If you already have recorded voiceover, point through the drawings while listening to it. A read-aloud test gives you a useful first pass, not a guarantee of final timing.

Storyboard FAQs

Do I need to draw well to test a storyboard?

No. Use boxes, circles, stick figures, and clear contact poses. If a detail does not help explain the action, leave it out of the first pass.

How many panels should a short sequence have?

Enough to show the setup, important changes, and result. Add a panel when an action is unclear. Remove one when it repeats information without helping explain movement or timing.

Is one panel the same as one shot?

No. A shot is a continuous camera view. Several panels can show different moments within that shot, such as the ball approaching the button and then pressing it.

What is the difference between a storyboard and a styleframe?

A storyboard explains what happens and in what order. A styleframe establishes the intended visual look. For these checks, prioritize readable action over finished textures, colors, and rendering.

Can I check timing without making a digital animatic?

Yes. Move your finger between paper panels while reading or listening to the script. Note where you rush, hesitate, or need a longer hold. Those are useful problems to solve before opening animation software.

Take your boards further