Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features and Shorts, Third Edition

Prepare to Board! by Nancy Beiman is a comprehensive digital guide to creating story and characters for animated features and shorts. This third edition presents a practical approach to storyboarding, character design, and visual storytelling. As a PDF download, it is available immediately after purchase.

The book moves from initial story concepts and character development through boarding, staging, pacing, and color design. It is written for animation students, independent filmmakers, and artists who want to strengthen their narrative skills.

Book Overview

Prepare to Board! explores the core disciplines behind animated filmmaking: story structure, storyboarding, and character creation. Nancy Beiman draws on the practice of animation production to explain how story and characters work together in features and shorts. The third edition covers both the creative and technical sides of boarding, including thumbnails, staging, sequences, transitions, and color scripts.

The book is organized in sections on getting started, technique, and color and art direction, moving from concept to finished storyboard.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• How to create concepts and characters, from first ideas to story outlines and treatments.
• How storyboards are used in live-action films, animated features, television, and graphic novels.
• Techniques for linear, nonlinear, situation-driven, and character-driven stories.
• Character design principles including silhouette, scale, shape language, and contrast.
• Methods for directing the viewer’s eye through staging, composition, and color.
• Ways to pace action, build sequences, and structure story arcs for longer and shorter films.

Why This Book Matters

This third edition provides a structured look at the craft behind animated storytelling. It connects visual art with narrative clarity, helping readers understand what makes storyboards and characters communicate effectively. For animation beginners and working artists, it offers a practical reference for turning ideas into visual stories.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download, so there is no physical shipping. Access is available after purchase, and the PDF can be read on desktop computers, laptops, tablets, phones, and e-readers with PDF support. Use Kindle apps, Adobe Reader, or other compatible reading applications.

FAQ

How do I get the book after purchase?
Access is available immediately after purchase through your account or download link.

Will a physical copy be shipped?
No, this is a digital download only. No physical product will be sent.

What devices can I use to read this PDF?
You can read the PDF on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices using Kindle apps, Adobe Reader, or PDF-compatible apps.

Add this digital edition to your library and explore the craft of story and character creation for animation.