DESN3020 Cinematics 1 Fall 2013

Cinematics 1: Class 01

Introduction

• Me: Cathy! Game Developer / Animator
  You: ?  

What is a Cinematic? 

• Course Overview  
• Q&A

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider: Underworld

Cathy Feraday MillerGame 

• developer/animator 
• @rocket5cathy 
• www.rocket5studios.com  
• cathy@rocket5studios.com 
• http://rocket5edu.blogspot.ca/ 
• character animator/ art director
• From specialist to generalist 

Who Are You?  

• What are your career goals? 
• What is your area of focus? 
• What is “your passion”? 

Assignments: Due next week

• Bring in your demo reel for next class 
• Be prepared to present it in front of your peers 
• List your goals for this class

Great Guide to Film Making

Course Overview

2 Part Course:  

Semster 1: 

• learn how to tell a story 

Semester 2: 

• tell your story, build your cine

General Grading Structure

Assignments: 80%

• Script 
• Story board exercises (in-class & homework) 
• 2D Story Animatic exercises (in-class & homework) 
• 3D Animatic exercises (in-class & homework)
• Final “Trailer” (editing exercise) 

Portfolio presentation:  5%
In-class tests:  10%
Class participation and daily attendance: 5%

Story Mountain

Weeks 1 – 5: Into To Story

• Story structure 
• What makes a good story? 
• Create short script 
• Storyboards & Composition:  
• Camera theory  
• Continuity 
• Creation of your individual Cinematics blog, through which you will hand in your assignments 

Making A Cinematic

• Story:  every project starts with an idea 
• Style:  how do you want to present your concept? 
• Skills:  you have to know how to use the tools in order to convey your ideas 

courtesy of www.floobynooby.com

Storyboards

• All visual artists must understand composition 
• Tell stories visually 
• You don’t have to be a great “draw-er” to communicate ideas 

Production Pipeline

• Everything starts with a concept (idea!) 
• Order in which assets are made 
• Organization is Important! 
• Games VS Film (not very dissimilar)

Weeks 6 – 10:  Animating The Camera

Animating the camera in Maya

• Intro to Camera Animation in Maya  
• Setting up shots with primitives 
• Creating legible story structure ‘training exercises’  

 

12 Principles of Animation

1. Squash and stretch 
2. Anticipation 
3. Staging 
4. Straight ahead vs pose to pose 
5. Follow thru and overlap 
6. Slow in, slow out 
7. Arcs 
8. Secondary action 
9. Timing 
10. Exaggeration 
11. Solid drawing (or posing) 
12. Appeal

Weeks 11-15:  Create Trailer

• Create trailer using found game footage 
• Introduction to editing software (After Effects, Premiere) 
• Concept and Approach to Creating A Trailer 
• Finding Footage (or capture your own) 
• Creating limited assets for the trailer (fx, titles, etc) 
• Final output and posting to the web

Cinematic as Trailer or Marketing Material

Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime, Asteroid Base studios

www.matthammill.com
http://www.asteroidbase.com/

Lets Watch Some Great Cinematic Trailers!

www.thephantompi.com

Also see:
Games: “class based multiplayer”
Team Fortress 2, Valve Software, 2007 

Final Milestone: Cinematics II

Final Milestone: Cinematics II DUE TUESDAY APRIL 16, 2013, by 10:00 pm.

Finished Cinematic: In-Game or Render

Individual student submissions must be uploaded to the dropbox folder CinematicsII_FinalMilestone (folder will go live on Monday April 15, 2013), or IN PERSON. Lastly, if your dropbox is full or you find that you cannot upload your assignment, you may email me your assignment with an explanation to cferadaymiller@georgebrown.ca.

Create a folder and title it:  CineTitle_YourName_FinalMilestone

• eg: GhostHunterIntro_CathyFMiller_FinalMilestone

Each student must hand in:

• Folder named correctly containing:
• Playblast/.avi/.mov of final cinematic render or link to cinematic in a document (double check your links! If they do not work, the work will not be considered as submitted). 
• note: I am expecting to get the SAME version of the cinematic from each group member.  This is to ensure that everyone in the group has access to the same files, and knows and understands which is the latest version. 
• Statement Of Work
• Statement of Work should include images or avis of individual contribution (especially if assets were not used in final cinematic, or if student wishes to showcase their work more prominently), created from January to April.

Milestone Criteria: Complete In All Areas

Production

• Students that were heavily involved in the production (or organizational) side of the cinematic creation must present evidence of their efforts. Wherever possible, support this with schedules, images, diagrams, charts and links to project websites. 

Meshes

• All final environment and prop models complete and placed in the environment.
• Final environment and prop textures.
• All characters final.
• All character textures final.

Animation - Camera

• Camera movement final.

Rigging

• Character final.
• Moving props final.

Animation - Character

• All blocking final.
• Character Animation final.

Animation - environment and fx

• All environment and fx animation final.
• Environment and fx tests final.
• FX tests may be submitted as avi or mov files.

Lighting:

• Lighting for each location (if there is more than one) final.

Sound

• Sound will not be graded as GBC does not have access to a sound lab, but makes a much better cinematic! 
• BONUS MARKS may be given for sound. 

Written Statement of Work

• Each student must include a detailed list of all assets that she/he created for the cinematic THIS SEMESTER, from January to April 2013, with an estimate of how much time was spent on each task, as well as an evaluation of their personal contribution to the cinematic project. For example, if a student was responsible for rigging complex characters, but also spent 50% of their time with production-related tasks and scheduling, this is where you would show this. Wherever possible, support this document with images, diagrams, charts and links to project websites. 
• For some of you this may be a re-iteration of what you have already handed in last for Milestone 2. Please submit the document again, and take care to note what was done in the last 2 weeks of the semester.  

Milestone 2 Deadline: April 2 10pm

Second Milestone: Cinematics II

Final Playblast Due: everything except the polish

Individual student submissions must be uploaded to the dropbox folder CinematicsII_Milestone2 (invitation pending), or IN PERSON. 

Create a folder and title it:  CineTitle_YourName_Milestone02

• eg: GhostHunterIntro_CathyFMiller_Milestone02

What I expect to see from each student:

• Folder named correctly containing:
• Playblast/.avi/.mov of latest cinematic render or link to cinematic in a document (double check your links! If they do not work, the work will not be considered as submitted). 
• note: I am expecting to get the SAME version of the cinematic from each group member.  This is to ensure that everyone in the group has access to the same files, and knows and understands which is the latest version. 
• Statement Of Work (see below)
• Optional: 
• images or avis of individual contribution (especially if assets were not used in final cinematic, or if student wishes to showcase their work more prominently)

Milestone Criteria:

Production

• Students that were heavily involved in the production (or organizational) side of the cinematic creation must present evidence of their efforts. Wherever possible, support this with schedules, images, diagrams, charts and links to project websites. 

Meshes

• All final environment and prop models complete and placed in the environment:  100%
• Final environment and prop textures: 75%
• All characters: 100%
• All character textures: 75% 

Animation - Camera

• Camera movement: 90%
• Tweaks and editing for finesse may be added 

Rigging

• Characters: 100%
• Moving props:  80%

Animation - Character

• All blocking: 100%
• Character Animation: 80% 

Animation - environment and fx

• All environment and fx animation: 50%
• Environment and fx tests: 100%

Render Tests:

• If Cinematic is to be rendered in Maya, render tests for final look must be included.

Lighting:

• Lighting for each location (if there is more than one):  50%

Sound

• will not be graded as GBC does not have access to a sound lab, but makes a much better cinematic!

Written Statement of Work

• Each student must include a detailed list of all assets that he/she created, with an estimate of how much time was spent on each task, as well as an evaluation of their personal contribution to the cinematic project. For example, if a student was responsible for rigging complex characters, but also spent 50% of their time with production-related tasks and scheduling, this is where you would show this. Wherever possible, support this with images, diagrams, charts and links to project websites. 

DESN3020 Cinematics End Of Term

Hey Class, its the END OF TERM!!!!

As a reminder to those of you in the Cinematic class, as of DECEMBER 11, 2012, all work is DUE. 

 All work must be handed in IN CLASS or emailed to me via: cferadaymiller@georgebrown.ca

When  sending a link to your work, you MUST include the link to the file location (not the top tree of the dropbox), and the file name. I'm NOT going to dig for your work.  If the file indicated is not on the page linked to, I will see this as a missed submission. 

Due last class:  final 3D animatic and summary of all the beautiful work you've done thus far. Package it up nicely. A happy Cathy is a kind Cathy. Images and avi only, no obj files, no psd files, etc.  Links to Vimeo or Youtube work beautifully. 

As discussed in class, the grades have been broken down in the following way:

A number of students in this class have not submitted work for some of the milestones. Without an actual submission, the mark for that milestone will be graded incomplete (fail). 

I've seen most of  your work in class, and many of you who are missing milestones have actually done the work... so hand it in!

This semester has been more about getting the work done than industry quality.  Next semester will be about getting it to look GOOD.  Working fast first and adding iterative polish is a critical component to a production environment. 

A reminder: no textures, no lighting, no animation this semester (other than camera animation). All the details and finesse that will make your work great and make you stand out will be refined in semester 2, where you will be graded to Industry competency. 

Good luck, hand in  your work, and have a well-deserved Holiday Break! 

~Cathy

DESN3020 Cinematics Class 08/Week 09

Putting It All Together: The Animatic

Scheduling 

Make a schedule for entire team that:

• covers in complete detail up to end of this term (December)
• covers in increasing detail up to end of project (April)

 

Use this type of chart to create more detailed assignments for each group member.

What the rest of this semester should look like: 

 
These four final milestones are worth up to 85% of the final grade for some people, so staying on track really counts. 

The final 3D animatic (this semester) will be: 

• untextured low-poly or proxy models
• basic lighting (if any)
• most likely scratch audio
• fairly sophisticated camera animation
• characters will be in, at most, a few poses per scene 

3D animatic is about blocking and timing, not detail or finesse.

Next semester is the time to spend time on lavish, gorgeous detail, in the modelling, fx, lighting and animation aspects of this assignment.

A note on character creation: 

May not co-inside with Character Modelling class

Concept of Character

Proxy and final meshes share this proportion exactly.

Proxy Character mesh

Proxy Character - all proportions correct.

Character creation can be an iterative process if these rules are followed:

• final mesh is exactly the same size as base mesh
• all meshes must fit exactly onto same rig
• reference character mesh
• create rig
• update reference when new versions of mesh are created
• non-destructed work flow

If no rig is available and a found rig is used, it is unlikely that any animation or poses can be seamlessly be re-used unless  new rig is created with exact same hierarchy and joint/controller names as 'proxy' rig. 

Proxy mesh posed (with rig).

Due NOVEMBER 5/6:

Animation side: 

• storyboard animatic revisions
• scratch audio or raw wav files
• evidence that the 3D layout is or can be started

Modelling side: 

• scratch audio or raw wav files
• first pass meshes: 
• all key elements in cinematic created as proxy or low poly
• characters
• environments
• props
• evidence of hand-off to animators 

Rough Models

 
Characters:

• Low-Poly Character models should match up with a model sheet
• Front and Side views of T-pose with reference art as image plane to show proportions match.
• For this milestone, submit JPG screen caps of models in various views or avi of rotation.
• Sufficient breaks in geometry to allow rig to be parented and animated properly

Props:

• All major prop models created (low-poly)
• 1-2 ortho views to show match with concept art

Sets:

• various perspective views to show overall layout  

 

 

 

DESN3020 Cinematics Storyboards DUE

Storyboards DUE TUESDAY OCTOBER 16, 10 PM. 

Completed Storyboard 

Storyboard submission details: 

• Email link or file to: cferadaymiller@georgebrown.ca (this address ONLY)
• PDF file format
• no single frame jpg files in a folder
• no png files
• look professional people!

Please be as concise as possible. This is not a drawing class, but marks will be awarded on clarity and composition:

• WHO DID THE WORK???????? Students must always indicate the author and group/project name on EACH PIECE handed in. Otherwise, how can I mark you?
• Indicate camera and character placement and movement as well as transitions 
• This must illustrate your intention for what you will create in detail for your complete scene for your finished cinematic.
• Shots should be numbered logically (Shot 1 may have frames 1a, 1b and 1c while shot 2 may only have frame 2a and 2b, and shot 3 is only one panel). 
• include any notes you feel necessary
• include any dialogue or VO lines

This is PART ONE of a 3-part storyboard submission process. 

• storyboard drawings as pdf file
• storyboard.avi (adding the element of time to the storyboard)
• storyboard.avi with sound/scratch sound added

Your group will receive the final Storyboard grade after this third storyboard instalment is handed in. 

Stick Figure storyboard: This is the minimum....be more descriptive visually of angle and scene elements.

This is not a drawing class, but be concise and clear. You can do better than this! Note shot numbers are indicated even at this rough state.

Fantastic Mr. Fox storyboards: Great drawing, but you will need to indicate shot numbers and camera instructions/ notations on each panel. 

Fantastic Mr Fox: Great descriptive boards, beautiful drawing, but no camera indications and no shot numbers on panels. NO NO NO! 

Pretty good: Still no camera notations, but shows action, acting, camera angles and shot sizes.

Pretty good boards, lacking camera notations.

Batman Begins storyboards: include shot number, camera instructions, shot size, angle and strong drawing! 

Batman Begins boards: can you do this? 

Previous Assignment: Script and Pre-Production Package: Due Oct 10

Marks will be in next week. In general, most of the groups did not label author of each document.  Many groups did not share the work evenly amongst the group, and some groups had documents coming in later or in different packages ("add this to group X"). 

Groups that failed miserably with the technical aspects of being group and submitting as a group can re-submit a cleaned up Pre-Production Package for extra grades. 

We will discuss in class.  

DESN3020 Cinematics Class 07

Staging and Camera

Staging: The Process

Basically a director is dealing with 3 factors when composing a scene for the camera (physically or digitally):

1. Narrative considerations
2. Dramatic Considerations
3. Pictorial Considerations

Narrative considerations
Specific actions described in the script.

• “Man pulls into a gas station and gets out of his car to fill his tank”
• In this case the action is straightforward, little room for staging interpretation.
• If a scene takes place at a party though, the characters are free to move around a house, the camera and the actors are free to move anywhere.

Dramatic considerations
These include the elements which colour our emotional understanding of a scene.
The fall into 2 categories:

• Point of view
• Dramatic Emphasis

Point of View

• Manipulation of POV in a scene is single most significant decision in determining camera placement.
• Fluid point of view (changing during course of the course of the piece) is common in narrative film.
• POV can change rapidly from one character to another in a scene – favouring one or the other
• Or POV can maintain a more neutral stance.
• We have scene how the director manipulates narrative logic, eye contact and shot size to control POV
• Narrative logic is more overt (if we follow a certain character at the beginning of a scene before new characters are introduced, we’re more likely to see the scene from the first character’s POV)
• Eye Contact is a more subtle way of controling POV, but still very potent.
• Shot size also controls our identification with a character.
• Tighter shots = higher intimacy

Dramatic Emphasis

• Related to shot size
• Can heighten or diminish an actor’s performance, physical action and dramatic events
• Any actor can be made to control our attention merely by where they are placed in the frame.
• Lighting, art direction, editing etc. all help control dramatic emphasis
• But for staging, concern is shot size and subject placement in frame.

Pictorial considerations

• Graphic elements such as composition, framing, lighting and photographic properties of the lens.
• Pictorial qualities are easiest to visualize – less dependent on other shots in a sequence for full effect
• When you set out to create your final renders, you should have visualized all the pictorial qualities that will appear on screen already
• The way in which you, as a director, choose to emphasize the 3 factors (narrative and pictorial considerations and dramatic emphasis) define your staging method!

The Dramatic Circle of Action

Narrative can be impacted, cinematically, by placing the camera inside or outside of the action.
This concept is referred to as the Dramatic Circle of Action.

• This is the space in which the action takes place.
• The camera can either be placed inside or outside of this circle
• An edited sequence can combine shots photographed from either placement.
• A moving camera can go inside the circle and out again or vice versa. 

Mobile Staging

“Either the camera will dance or I will” – Fred Astaire

• When choreographing a scene there are 2 basic methods of staging mobile action 
• move the camera or move the subject
• Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at how to use several different camera viewpoints to direct the viewer’s attention
• The camera moved around around characters who were in a fixed position
• We can also direct the viewer’s attention from one subject to another by having the subjects move within the space framed by the camera
• We will generally use a mixture of both methods to keep our scenes visually interesting.
• We can also move the camera in a tracking or crane shot.

Below we see a standard Shot, Reverse Shot using OTS framing.

• But by having the man turn around in shot 4, we no longer need to cut to a new shot to show his reaction:

Mobile Staging: Standard Shot, Reverse Shot, OTS Framing

 Here we see an alternative staging method, substituting the actors’ movement for editing:

Mobile Staging: actors move rather than camera cut

These 2 examples of mobile staging give us the basic idea.

• The only criterion that an actor’s movement has to meet is whether it is motivated or not.
• You should never have to invent artificial “stage business” just to add action to the scene.
• If the story and directing process are working together, ideas will emerge – ask yourself about natural human behaviour when animating characters in a scene.

Putting it together

• We've already looked at examples of building a scene from key events in the action with more static characters.
• Working out choreography for characters is merely a matter of connecting different patterns and positions so that all the separate views of a scene are linked into a single shot.

First we’ll look at a simple 2-position sequence using camera movement and a character who is repositioned in the shot

This represents a single, unbroken shot

 Now we’re ready to look at a considerably more ambitious sequence (sorry about the image compression).

panels 1 & 2: cam position A & B

panels 3 & 4: cam position C & D

panels 5 & 6: cam position E & F

panels 7, 8 & 9: cam position G & H

panels 10 & 11: cam position I

In this past example of mobile staging in a sequence shot, we saw several different techniques to get the maximum use of a 15 foot line of motion (for our camera)

Techniques such as:

• Staging in depth
• Panning from a stationary position
• Retracking over the same space – reversing camera direction
• Following one subject (the boy) and then the other (the girl)
• Pushing in towards a subject then backing away…

were used to make the most of the space and tell the story in a dynamic, fluid way

Action and Reaction

• Only 2 types of shots in a conversation – the action and the reaction.
• Filmmakers often overly concerned with the action
• But we can learn as much from the reaction as we do from the action.
• This can help “loosen up” your staging, as the person speaking need not be the centre of attention.

Below we see an example of “loosened up” staging where the man in the background circles our main actor

• Most of the background character’s action is off-screen.
• The camera pushes in to a CU of the foreground character so we can see his reaction to a long speech by the background man.

Staging: focus on the reaction. 

Moving the Centre of Interest

The character who is centre of interest can move around other characters so that the main subject directs us to the reactions of other characters

• Think of the Drill Sergeant walking around a group of recruits.
• Lots of opportunities to include actions and reactions simultaneously in a variety of compositions

Indirection

Not every point in a story or dialogue needs to be emphasized

• Holding back the expressive power of film sometimes is a way of emphasizing all the other moments
• Sometimes this may mean staging some action in the BG even if it’s central to the narrative
• The idea that an important line of dialogue is also not necessarily true.
• So you as the director are freed from composing every dramatic point full screen in CU!

The Moving Camera

The Pan

• The panoramic shot is where the camera rotates on it’s vertical axis as much as 360 degrees
• Camera rotates in one position, does not move positions
• Pans don’t offer the dramatic shift in perspective that tracking, crane and hand-held shots do
• But, can cover space faster
• A pan can easily frame a goal post in one frame and move to the opposite goal post in a second.
• We can pan to:
• Follow action
• Include more space than can be viewed in a fixed frame
• Connect 2 or more points of interest graphically
• Connect / imply a logical connection between 2 or more subjects

 Here we see an example of using the pan to lead our attention – in this case to the couple at the table

Pan focusses the eye on couple at table (eye line)

Here we see an example of using a cross-pan to redirect the movement of the camera from one actor’s direction of motion to another (camera starts one way and reverses to the opposite direction).

• The effect: We skip attention from the couple to the runner (again, sorry for the compressed image)

cross-pan

 Here we see an example of using a pan that leads our attention from far to near.

• The camera pans with the runner as he turns a corner and moves left to right until he goes behind the woman seated in the car in the extreme foreground.

Pan with BG character then shift focus to FG character

The Crane

Inherently majestic, hold our attention regardless of the subject because of the dynamic movement.

• We will see some examples of applications for the crane (illustrated using real-world camera crane) – which we can emulate in CG
• Simultaneous vertical and horizontal movement

Crane follows subject through rugged terrain.

The Crane: Inquisitive Observer

The Crane: Reinforcing point of view

Tracking (Dolly)

• Tracking shots are used to to follow a subject or explore space.
• Can be a simple shot framing 1 subject, or a complex sequence connecting multiple story points in a single fluid movement.
• The moving camera follows some of the same rules as a static camera – it is either inside of or outside of the circle of action
• Tracking can get dramatic angle changes

We can:

• Track to introduce a subject or location
• Ex: Camera moves down a sidewalk on a deserted street. Not restricted to a straight line though.
• Track at the same speed as a subject
• Follow 2 or more people in conversation – equivalent to a static shot
• Track faster or slower than a subject
• Subject will approach the camera as it moves, or be left behind when the camera moves faster.
• Let’s the subject enter or exit the circle of action
• Move towards or away from the action
• Can be used to emphasize a character’s moment of realisation
• Track around a subject
• Camera can surround the dramatic circle with subjects at the centre
• Enter or exit an interior
• Helps us move from location to location fluidly

Tracking/Dolly

Tracking/Dolly

Tracking doesn't have to be in a straight line.

Track/Dolly to focus on a subject.

Track/Dolly exterior/interior

Transitions

Standard transitions include:

• The cut – the “present tense edit” – although nowadays used in a much broader range
• The dissolve – indicates a passage of time, forms a bridge
• Includes the Focus in/out where one shot focuses out into a new shot that focuses in.
• The wipe – Rarely seen today unless we’re going for a retro vibe
• Fades – effect of setting “episodes” or separate scenes apart from one another, like chapter headings. Fades separate scenes while cuts or dissolves join them.
• The white-in / white – out
• Or colourful variations of this. Particularly ethereal quality.
• And of course the “Freeze-frame” and “montage”

DESN3020 Cinematics Course Overview

This semester's overview at a glance:

Grading

As this is a production course, and not specifically an asset-creation course, it is important to be organized and scheduled. 

For those who work on a team, this is critical.  It is not acceptable to hand in assignments late or with missing pieces. It is the responsibility of the entire team to ensure that team members are being fully utilized.

For those working on a solo effort, production planning is critical to establish path, track progress and alert the student to possible disasters (running out of time, assets unfinished, technology issues). 

The 5 assignments to b handed in this semester are: 

1. script/production package
2. storyboard in 3 stages: drawn, avi and avi with sound. 
3. rough models
4. audio
5. animatic

The total % of grade for these materials/assignments is 90%.

Production 10%

10% of semester 1's grade will be based on TEAM WORK. 
Each group starts off with 100% or 10/10 in the Production Category for all 5 assignments that are due this semester. 
For every production error or issue per assignment due, up to 2 marks (or 2% of final grade) will be deducted from the entire group. 
Each of the 5 assignments due can cost you or keep you 2% of your final grade. 

Scenario:

• Group Bazinga has 3 modellers and 2 animators.  The modellers wanted to do everything and only assigned (or ensured that) one of the animators had anything to do. One of the team members had nothing at all to do, and in fact, was discouraged from presenting anything (production grade docked 1 point). 
• To make it worse, one of the modellers forgot to hand in their assignment with the Package, and handed it in the next day (production grade docked 1 point). 

Result: 

• Entire team looses 2 marks, or gets 0 in the production category. 
• Animator that handed in nothing gets 0/5
• Modeller who handed assignment in late gets docked one full grade (as per George Brown's grading policy).

Utilize Everyone In Your Group

During production, it is common for some people to be busier than others at different times. Please be sure to utilize your team mates to the best of their abilities.  

With the groups made up of VERY different combinations of modellers/animators, it is hard to create a grading rubric. 

For those with a solo effort, the grading will go like this: 

Group Members: 1
Deliverables:

• Script & Production Package:  10%
• Storyboard (2D, avi, and with scratch audio):  10%
• Rough Models:  25 - 35%
• Audio: 10%
• Animatic: 25 - 35%
• Production: 10%

The Grading Method for more complex groups will have to be determined on an individual basis, adhering as closely as possible to the above standard. 

• If some of the group members have only one large task to do, we can break this task down into smaller milestones so as to keep on track and eliminate possible disaster on the final due date. 

Scenario: 

• Group Bazinga has 5 people: 3 modellers and 2 animators. Thus far, the modellers have done all of the Production Package & Script work, and will do all of the modelling. They plan to use 3DS Max's rigged character for the 3D animatic, as they are rigging next semester. Thus far, the animators have nothing to do this semester. 
• Group Bazinga MUST have the animators create the storyboard and film/edit it with sound. The animators MUST create the camera animation for the 3D animatic and they MUST do the 3D layout or shot assemblage to create the animatic.