# Animatic

> An animatic is a timed preview of storyboard frames, often with audio, used to review pacing before production; AI-generated frames remain drafts.

An animatic is a timed preview of storyboard frames, often with audio, used to review pacing before production; AI-generated frames remain drafts.

**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](https://boords.com/docs/concepts) 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](/guides/design/ai-storyboard-from-script) preserves approved beat IDs and continuity requirements alongside the timing proposal. A planning tool such as [Boords](/tools/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](/agents/design/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.

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_Source: https://agentscamp.com/glossary/animatic — Term on AgentsCamp._