Animatic

An animatic is a timed preview of storyboard frames, often accompanied by audio, used to review a sequence's pacing before production. A storyboard arranges frames; an animatic assigns durations so the sequence can be watched over time. Boords' concepts documentation describes this relationship.

An animatic is useful when a static shot plan leaves a timing question unresolved. In the fictional library-return explainer, a volunteer places a blue book in a slot, reads a receipt, and puts the receipt in a coat pocket. Proposed frame durations of three, four, and two seconds produce a nine-second sequence. The director still needs to watch whether each action registers and whether the receipt-reading shot needs a different duration.

The script-to-storyboard workflow preserves approved beat IDs and continuity requirements alongside the timing proposal. A planning tool such as Boords can sit within that workflow. Keep a correct total duration separate from a director's decision that the sequence communicates its actions clearly.

Text-to-image produces an individual picture. An animatic concerns the ordering and duration of frames, whether those frames were drawn or generated. It also remains a planning preview rather than finished animation.

The Storyboard Continuity Reviewer helps organize script and frame issues for human review. In the example, a red book violates the blue-book constraint, while a receipt appearing too soon violates action order. Both can persist in a smoothly timed sequence. Review fidelity and pacing separately, record the director's decisions, and keep any proposed script changes with the script owner before proceeding to production.