Discover the importance of storyboarding for film, video and animation

Here at UAL Short Courses, we offer a range of animation, interactive, film and sound short courses for anyone looking to bring their ideas to life through digital media.

Our Storyboarding For Film Video And Animation Short Course explores how to communicate your ideas effectively and create engaging storyboards that resonate with audiences.

To find out more, we caught up with professional artist and former short course student Megan Metcalf to hear about her work and experience on our storyboarding course.

The art of storyboarding

Storyboarding is a crucial part of the creative process for film, video and animation. This filmmaker’s tool bridges script to production and is essential for directors and designers. Storyboards have the power to communicate complex ideas in a simple way through sequential images.

Our storyboarding short course aims to help you communicate your ideas and create engaging storyboards, whether they are for animation, live action, narrative-based content, factual, music videos, advertising or more abstract works.

The course is designed to provide you with the foundational knowledge needed to work in the industry and/or as an independent filmmaker, with bespoke advice and tuition tailored to your needs.

Characterful animations

Megan studied at Central Saint Martins and now works as a professional artist and live event illustrator in Margate.

Her vibrant portfolio includes striking inky seascape paintings, collages, illustrated tableware, large-scale murals and playful, characterful animations that bring her illustrations to life in motion.

"I love creative collaborations and I’m forever coming up with different ideas that I try to make happen as quickly as I can," she tells us. "I really enjoy creating immersive environments and creating community-based projects to involve many new ideas and create experiences together. To share the joy I get from being creative with others is something I am passionate about."

Finding direction

During the course, students improve their work as a storyboard artist through a combination of lectures, practical exercises and feedback.

The course is led by award-winning animator, designer, director and documentary filmmaker Kate Sullivan, who encourages a fun, relaxed atmosphere and provides detailed handouts.

For Megan, the classroom environment proved to be an inspiring setting for creative experimentation. Megan "absolutely loved being back in an art college" and found the tutor's support and guidance invaluable. "[Kate] is so knowledgeable, enthusiastic and patient – you really have a gem of a teacher in Kate," says Megan.

"I learnt a lot about myself and about where I wanted to focus my future learning on – that being animation," says Megan. "Kate was so inspiring and supportive of this direction."

New opportunities

By the end of the course, students have the essential skills and knowledge to not only improve their work as a storyboard artist but also as a storyteller and director.

After completing the course, Megan was inspired to explore further animation projects. "It inspired me to pursue getting funding to learn animation and I went on to get arts council funding to do a project that made all this possible," she tells us.

"Kate was one of my mentors and has been amazing. I still have a lot to learn, but allowing myself to do the short course was my first step to branching out from my usual 2D work."

See Megan’s inspirational work on Instagram or take a look at her website.