STORYBOARD DEADLINES AND TIMELINES
Here are the facts: every panel for a television storyboard based on a written
script takes 10 - 20 minutes AVERAGE per panel WITHOUT revision time
included. This is also based on a board that is done on paper with out adding
the timing or dialogue tracts required in Toonboom Storyboard Pro or Adobe
Flash.
You usually need 5-6 weeks to make an 11 minute storyboard/animatic.
Factors are:-How clean do the boards need to be?
-How much action and complexity is in scenes and character performances?
-How many revisions will be handed to you? How much time will you have toexecute them?
These are difficult questions, some, only your Production Manager or Associate
Producer can answer. Others, only you can answer once you’ve started working
and have hopefully had some discussions with the Storyboard Supervisor,Director, or Show Runner/Creative Producer.
My suggestions:
1. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR TIME. Get one of those little paper book diaries andwrite down how many hours you REALLY work every day. You will understandyourself how much you are working, and you will have physical proof to showanyone exactly what's going on.
2. TALK TO OTHERS. Don't just complain, get a real consensus of what ishappening and get them to keep track of their time as well.
3. GIVE A COPY OF TV STORYBOARD TIME REQUIREMENTS to your Production
Manager / Associate Producer. If you are afraid to hand it to them personally,slip it under their door. If they actually read it, It might give them anunderstanding why they can never seem to get "those slow board artists" toturn in their storyboards on time. ...
And now, the Veteran Board Artist estimates the time that the storyboarding
will actually take. ...
TV STORYBOARD TIME REQUIREMENTS
NOTE: The following is based on the actual PHYSICAL time requirements tocreate a storyboard for TV animation. Although there is some variance to thespeed at which artists draw, the following is based on the AVERAGE timeneeded to create the necessary work based on a script with equal parts action
and acting and NO REVISIONS.
The following is what is required in any fully cleaned-up panel of storyboard:
1. Suggested background
2. An on-model character – either a) establishing and/or b) acting / expressing
story point.
3. Scene description, and camera action. special effects description.
4. Initial rough timing / animatic set-up (TB Storyboard Pro / Flash)
MINIMUM time required to complete panel: 10 minutes/panel
Average Time: 20 minutes/panel(A complicated action with camera moves and armies can take over an hour.)---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For a 3 Act script consisting of 36 – 40 pages:#Panels / script page: 24 – 36 (8 -12 bd.pgs.) Time: 8 – 12 hrs, 1- 1.5 8 hr days*#Panels / 1 minute of film: 60 – 72 (20 – 24 bd.pgs.) Time: 20 – 24 hrs, 2.5 – 38b hr days*#Panels / 7 minute film: 420 – 504 (140 – 168 bd.pgs) Time: 140 – 168 hrs., 17.5
– 21 8 hr days (3.5-4wks)*# Panels / 11 minute film: 660 – 792 (220 – 264 bd. pgs) Time: 220 - 264 hrs.,
27.5 – 33 “ “ (5.5 – 6wks)*# Panels / 22 minute film: 1320 – 1584 (440 – 528 bd. pgs) Time: 440 - 528 hrs.,
55 - 66 “ “ (11 – 12wks)** (Time is based on average time of 20 minutes x panel count WITHOUT
revisions and going straight to cleanup. If revisions are required, multiply alltimes above by 1.25X)!!(Special Note: ACTION takes at least 2-3 times the amount of drawings that
acting does. If the show is heavy on action, multiply numbers given above by 2X
to compensate for the additional drawing and panels needed)!!
If working in Toonboom Storyboard Pro add .25X to the equation for theadditional amount of work added to create a working animatic.

Simple formulas for calculating adjustments to the average time:
Average Show
Hrs x .75 thumbnail and rough only
Hrs. x 1 finished board no revisions
Hrs. x 1.25 finished board with revisions on the roughs
Hrs. x 1.5 finished board with revisions on the roughs in TBSBP
Action / Comedy Heavy Show
Hrs. x 2 action heavy board no revisions
Hrs x 2.5 heavy action board with revisions the on roughs
Hrs x 2.75 heavy action board with revisions on the roughs in TBSBTV STORYBOARD TIME REQUIREMENTS
Parameters of 10 – 20 minutes for each panel described above is not an
arbitrary figure. Consider the analysis below for the explanation of why it takes
this amount of time for a professional storyboard artist to produce each frame
for a cartoon’s blue print. Consider that every panel of storyboard requires thethree steps: Planning, Drawing andDescription.
Usually a board artist considers a minimum of a scene at a time (3-10 panels)
and how that scene works within a sequence (1/4 – 1 script page) and how thatsequence works within a section (1 – 3 script pages) then how the sections work
into each other and to the full script.
Storyboarding for animation is NOT just rapidly drawing a sketch. Even if astory artist is doing a pitch session and is quickly throwing up post-its, those
sketches have to be taken down, reworked, and put into a blueprint like format
so that the team working on the film can use them effectively.
Storyboarding for television requires that the artist do the following jobs:
storyboarding as layout; writer of all action and gags and clerk for scene
descriptions dialogue, action and camera action; and initial acting, action,camera, and timing direction. Also, sometimes, they are background, prop andcharacter designer. All characters are required to be as close to “model” aspossible, many times without the artist ever having drawn the characters
before.
Every panel created requires the following:
1. Planning: reading the script to decide on the image

A. Staging – where and how to set up the shot in relation to:1) Location choice2) Camera position
3) Composition
4) Camera motion5) Emotional Note
6) Cutting, timing and transitions
B. Acting - How the character(s) are to act in the shot with relation to1) Personality of the character2) Style of the show3) Event taking pace
4) Actual action the character must commit
5) Point of dialogue delivery
6) Plot through line
7) Break down of action over successive panels
8) Action of relationship between multiple characters and their reactions
C. Continuity – maintenance of continued visual plot points
1) Correct costumes, props and locations2) On-model / character proportions and physical attributes3) Maintaining continued existence of Point of Interest characters, props orcostumes not associated with on screen action but necessary for story throughline or plot (Example: Evenrude in
the Disney series "Tail Spin")
2. Drawing : creating the image
A. Thumbnail – initial skeletal composition, staging, continuity, acting andaction – work out unresolved story
and action neglected in script.
B. Rough – rework of initial ideas, draw in backgrounds, refine acting andaction.
C. Cleanup – tighten all character acting and visual information.
3. Description: verbally describing the panel
A. Scene Description
1) Verbal description of action

2) Camera information
3) Staging requests (i.e. overlays, animating BG’s, Bi-pack)
B. Dialogue
C. Special Effects
3) Sound FX
4) Visual FX
5) Special timing requests
Here’s a given line of script: “The warriors attack the fort.” What has to be
added that the writer left out? How many panels do you think it will take?
How long will it take to execute? This could be easily 3 drawings, or it could
be 100. It’s up to you to decide, with help from the audio track, thedirector, your supervisor, and how much time you think the story has… andhow much time you think YOU have to make this happen.
TV STORYBOARD BUDGETS
Even as a new Junior Storyboard artist - Don't ask for anything less than $1000
per week. This includes the often entry-level position of ‘storyboard revision
artist’. An assistant artist or revisionist has you doing clean up on approved
roughs and correcting clean storyboards from the clients/producers’ notes.
Once you are a more seasoned storyboard artist with some experience, ask forno less than $1,200 per week. More veteran storyboard artists that work on
more action-heavy and complex scripts can do at least $1,500 per week.
For a a typical animated series you have two episodes per half-hour, they
average at about 175 scenes per 11 min. story (about 450 panels), if it's got anice balance of action and simple talking shots bit of action to it. Shows foryounger kids tend to be slower in action and therefore will have fewer scenes
since the shots are longer, the pacing is slower, the action is less. The averagecomes to 3.7 seconds per scene, more or less, depending on what's happening
on screen. There were usually 3 panels to a scene (again, depending on theaction involved) so there's around 450 panels (drawings) in a show.
Just to give you a better sense of this, let's say each storyboard panel took you
20 minutes to draw (keep in mind; 20 min. per panel is leaning more towards adifficult show). That would take you 10,500 minutes to complete the whole
script. That's 175 hours total. Working 7 hours a day (no breaks included) it'll
take you 25 days to complete, not working weekends, that's 5 weeks total.
Add 2 days at the beginning for thumbnails and 3 days at the end for making an
animatic out of your own storyboards and you’ve got a full 6 weeks of work.

An assortment of variables can be at play. If you work 9 hours per day, then
you can complete the main body of work in 19.5 days. That’s just under 4weeks of time (not including the preliminary thumbnails, animatic assembly
and any revisions through out the process).
Either way, you’re looking at 5-6 weeks for the entire process.
The range can vary; from an easy, simple, revisions-free script only taking 4weeks. To an action-heavy / revision-heavy script taking 7 weeks.
Your storyboard budget can nearly double depending on how many changes, rewrites, and revisions can happen to the story and staging
Now from a money point of view, let’s go back to the 450 panels per episodescenario: If it takes you an average of 20 minutes to draw a panel, that’s 3 perhour. If they offer you $16.00 a panel, you'd get paid $7,200.00 to produce theentire 11 minute storyboard in 6 weeks. It includes the preliminary thumbnails
and the final animatic as well. It comes to about $48 per hour.
$7,200.00 is the high end on a hefty budget (a more difficult than averageshow).
In comparison, on a simpler-to-draw series, with less action and complexity,
where it can take you 15 minutes per panel, you’re looking at $5,400. Taking
you only 4.5 weeks to complete the storyboard from start to finish.
There’s many ways to cut it.
$1,200 / week or…
$7,200 for an action-heavy storyboard$5,400 for a moderately difficult storyboard$4,200 for a very easy storyboard
Of course many of these scenarios don’t account for any revisions, which you
usually don't get paid extra for, unless there's a major story or design change.
This usually takes another week to do (for two rounds of revisions).
In total, it’s 5-6 weeks to complete an 11 minute episode.
Salaries:• Junior Storyboard Artist (revisionist, assistant, or overall newbie):$900-$1000/wk• Senior Storyboard Artist (more experienced, strong draftsmanship):$1100-1500/wk

Invoicing & Payment
If you are working Freelance - not being paid a set salary (bi-weekly) amount,
you’ll need to invoice your client/employer for each storyboard job youcomplete.
When dealing with clients it’s important to have a contract in writing and an
agreed upon sum before beginning any work. Ask for a deposit or retainer up
front, which can be half to 1/3 of the total job. Do not begin any work without
having first received the deposit. In your written quote or contract, be specificabout the services you provide, including the number of drawings you will
create or the number of hours you promise to work. You can charge more forweekend work and overtime hours (anything past 48 hours within a 7 dayperiod).
Anything not specified in the quote or contract should be an overage charge,
and authorized in writing by both parties before any work begins.
At the end of the job it is standard practice to send the client a billor invoice to the client. Unless otherwise agreed upon, the standard payment
terms are full payment within 30 days of receiving the invoice commonly
called ‘net 30’. Keep this in mind and have money reserves on hand, knowing
it could take a month before you see the payment arrive. Be professional withyour billing and invoicing, as it will reflect on your work and overall customer
experience you give the client.
Here are some payment resources that can help when invoicing clients:
www.paypal.com
www.squareup.com
www.freshbooks.com