P2. Animation Process Flowchart

Idea, brief, treatment, script, production planning:
Have your idea or be commissioned a brief. Produce a written statement to sell your brief, write a script, do an outline budget, pitch the concept and the the go-ahead. Finalise the budget and get together a crew.

Concept design:
This is the first stage of design, doing preliminary work to illustrate the narrative and possible visual treatment of the project, a time to experiment with characterisation and style.

Storyboarding:
The Director will work closely with the Storyboard Artist/s to visualise the script and tell the story. The Storyboard illustrates the narrative, composes the shots, demonstrates action, indicates camera moves and maintains continuity. The storyboard will be revised and updated to reflect changes to the script or comments from Director, Producer or Client.

Production design and visual development:
The Production Designer and/or Art Director will develop the style of the production and produce the final designs for both characters and environments. For 2D, model sheets and turnarounds of characters together with key backgrounds will be produced; for Stop Frame, characters and sets will be designed; for CG, designs for characters, environments and special effects will be produced.

Recording and dialogue:
The Producer and Director will cast the voices and the Director will supervise the recording session, usually attended by the Editor. Often, all the actors will be assembled and the script recorded in one or more sessions.

Building the models, rigging:
From the approved designs, Modellers will translate the drawings and start building the CG models of characters and environments. 

Layouts and animatics:
Layouts are produced based on the storyboard and previously approved design material to provide scene planning, camera movements, visual information about character action and backgrounds.

Animation:
The Director or Animation Director will assign scenes to Animators who produce the images which, when recorded in sequence, create the illusion of movement. Depending on the project and technique, there can be a single Animator working alone or a large team in which there may be a range of talents and skills from lead animator down to junior assistant.

Final backgrounds and colouring:
In 2D, the final colour backgrounds can be produced from the approved layouts onwards. They reflect the production designs and are supervised by the Art Director.

Lighting and compositing:
Lighting is a very crucial stage in the creative process of CG, dictating the final colour and atmosphere of each shot.

Post production:
During the post production phase music will be recorded, sound effects added and the soundtrack finalised. The digital picture is combined with the completed soundtrack as an Edit Master and can then be output either at broadcast standard or onto film, depending on the delivery requirements.