Definition
An animatic is a preliminary version of a film or animation created by assembling storyboard panels into a video sequence with timing, camera movements, dialogue, and sound. It is essentially a storyboard brought to life as a rough video — the panels do not move or animate, but they play in sequence at the intended pace of the finished work.
An animatic bridges the gap between a static storyboard and the final production. It is the first time the creative team can experience the project as a time-based medium rather than a series of still images.
What an Animatic Includes
- Storyboard panels displayed in sequence at their intended durations
- Rough audio — temporary dialogue recordings (scratch tracks), temp music, and basic sound effects
- Simple camera moves — pans across wide panels, slow zooms to simulate push-ins, fades between scenes
- Timing information — each panel held for the planned shot duration
- Scene and shot labels — identifying information for each segment
An animatic does not include actual animation, final voice acting, finished sound design, or color grading.
Animatic vs. Storyboard
| Aspect | Storyboard | Animatic |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Static panels (print or digital) | Video with timing and audio |
| Timing | Implied or annotated | Explicit (real-time playback) |
| Audio | None or written notes | Scratch dialogue, temp music, SFX |
| Camera movement | Arrows and annotations | Simulated through pan/zoom on panels |
| Review method | Flip through panels | Watch as a video |
| Reveals | Pacing problems missed | Pacing problems immediately visible |
The key difference: a storyboard shows what each shot looks like. An animatic shows how the shots feel in sequence at the correct pace.
Why Animatics Matter
Pacing validation. A scene that reads well as storyboard panels may feel rushed or slow when played at speed. The animatic reveals timing problems that static panels hide.
Editorial preview. The animatic is effectively a rough cut of the film before any footage is shot or animation is created. Editors can evaluate the cutting rhythm and suggest changes.
Cost savings. Discovering that a scene does not work during the animatic stage costs almost nothing. Discovering it during animation or live-action production costs thousands.
Client communication. For commercial and advertising work, an animatic gives clients a near-final preview of the spot, reducing misunderstandings and revision cycles during production.
Famous Use Cases
Pixar creates detailed animatics (which they call "story reels") for every feature film. The entire movie is assembled as an animatic — with scratch dialogue recorded by the story artists — before any 3D animation begins. Films typically go through six to eight animatic revisions over two to three years.
In live-action pre-production, complex sequences like the D-Day landing in Saving Private Ryan (1998) and the freeway chase in The Matrix Reloaded (2003) were pre-visualized as animatics to plan the logistics of shooting.
Creating an Animatic
The basic workflow: export storyboard panels as image files, import them into video editing software (Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or even iMovie), set the duration for each panel, add rough audio, and export as a video file. The result is a watchable rough version of the project.
Genkee's Storyboard Agent generates storyboard frames that are designed for animatic assembly, with consistent aspect ratios and compositions that hold up when displayed in video sequence.