Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Research narrative and produce storyboard panels
2–3 weeks (2–3 hrs/day)
Analyse the project brief or script and plan the visual sequence shot by shot. Produce a minimum of 20 storyboard panels covering all key scenes, transitions, and camera movements. Include timing annotations and a mood board defining the visual language.
Proof required
Submit your storyboard document (minimum 20 panels) as a PDF or image set with camera direction notes and timing annotations. Include a 150-word written rationale explaining three key visual storytelling decisions.
What gets checked
- Panels show clear shot progression with camera angle, movement direction, and framing marked on each
- Timing annotations are specific — in seconds or frame counts, not vague descriptors like 'slow' or 'fast'
- Written rationale explains visual storytelling decisions in terms of how they serve the brief
Common mistakes
- Panels describe story events in words rather than visualising them — text-heavy with minimal actual drawing
- No timing information present — the storyboard cannot be used to build a timed animatic
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm storyboard has minimum 20 panels with camera directions and timing marks on each
- Verify the written rationale cites the brief and explains visual decisions in terms of narrative purpose
- Check timing annotations are specific — seconds or frames, not vague descriptors
Build animatic with audio synchronisation
2–3 weeks (2–3 hrs/day)
Convert your storyboard panels into a timed animatic by sequencing images in editing software and adding a rough audio track (voiceover scratch, temp music, or sound effects). Adjust cut timing until pacing serves the brief. Export as a shareable video file.
Proof required
Submit your exported animatic video (minimum 30 seconds) with audio synced to picture. Include a 100-word production note describing the key pacing decisions you made and how the animatic differs from your original storyboard plan.
What gets checked
- Animatic is a complete playable video with audio — not a slideshow of static panels at uniform duration
- Audio is present, synced to picture, and contributes meaningfully to pacing decisions
- Production note demonstrates that timing is deliberate — the student articulates why cuts happen when they do
Common mistakes
- All panels display at the same duration with no pacing variation — timing has not been considered
- Audio is absent or not synced — the relationship between sound and picture has not been explored
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm animatic is a video file with playable audio — not a static slideshow or PDF
- Verify pacing variation is present — panels are not all displayed at identical duration
- Check production note explains timing decisions in terms of the brief's narrative intent
Present for live critique and document reviewer feedback
1 week
Screen your animatic in a review session with your tutor, a working animator, or a director. The reviewer poses specific challenges — pacing issues, unclear staging, continuity problems. Document who attended, what was challenged, and what you changed in response.
Proof required
Submit: (1) review session documentation — reviewer name and professional role, date, 200+ words summarising specific feedback and challenges posed; (2) your written response explaining which changes you made and why. If the review identified critical problems, include a revised animatic alongside the original.
What gets checked
- Review document names the reviewer with their professional role or credential — not just 'my tutor'
- Feedback summary captures specific technical or narrative challenges with scene-level references
- Student response articulates reasoning behind each change — or a principled case for not changing
Common mistakes
- Review summary is general praise with no specific scene-level feedback documented
- Student treated the session as approval rather than critique — no specific challenges or responses noted
Resources
Foundationstart here
Depthgo deeper
Masteryfor the dedicated
What a verifier looks for
- Confirm reviewer name and professional role are stated — not just 'my tutor' or 'a friend'
- Verify feedback summary contains scene-specific or timing-specific challenges, not general impressions
- Check student response to each challenge is principled — either explains what changed or why no change was made
- Confirm the review was live (in-person or video call) and is documented with a date
Part of