The Storyboard is a series of quick cartoon sketches that capture critical moments in the story. It helps the director and the animators discuss and visualize scenes. They show dialog and hence mouth positions for lip synchronization, as well as the broader actions of characters and props. Modelers build required items for the episode in the character, scenery, and prop shops. Often numerous copies are needed of items that will be worn out by shooting or that appear in various stages of disrepair.
Shooting is scheduled scene by scene by the director and assigned to individual animators .
Scenery, props, and characters are organized in a light-controlled filming gallery, along with lights, cameras, audio equipment and video recording hardware. Lighting specialists optimize each scene's lighting. As many as 14 light sources may be co-ordinated to illuminate a single scene. The animator moves the props and puppets through the frames itemized on the exposure sheet. As a reference for animation accuracy and the effect he desires, he uses the prerecorded soundtrack and the video footage he shoots simultaneously.