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as schedules have been shortened & positions have been reduced/removed to cut budgets, a lot of extra responsibilities have fallen onto board artists.
nowadays boards, especially ones circulated on social media, look more like tied down key animation.
nowadays boards, especially ones circulated on social media, look more like tied down key animation.
not that long ago, boards were clear but fairly loose, and posing was limited bc animation plussed the boards.
check out this board to final comparison for spongebob’s pilot/first episode, help wanted.
check out this board to final comparison for spongebob’s pilot/first episode, help wanted.
now, we don’t have character layout. some shows don’t even have a revisions staff.
expectations vary from show to show, but overall boarders are expected to deliver much more polished layouts & poses than before.
expectations vary from show to show, but overall boarders are expected to deliver much more polished layouts & poses than before.
overseas animation studios deal with low budgets and short schedules, and the animation they return is often EXACTLY what’s in the board, no embellishment.
this has increased pressure on board artists to spell out every little bit of acting & action.
this has increased pressure on board artists to spell out every little bit of acting & action.
and on top of all this, board wages have stagnated and schedules have been cut almost in half!
8 weeks used to be standard for 2 people to board an 11 minute episode.
now, you’re lucky to have a 5 or 6 week schedule. some shows are down to 4.
8 weeks used to be standard for 2 people to board an 11 minute episode.
now, you’re lucky to have a 5 or 6 week schedule. some shows are down to 4.
more poses, more cleanup, in less time for less pay.
on top of all this, if you’re boarding on a board driven show, you’re WRITING. you’re handed a loose outline and you’re creating a storyboard and a finished script. (but you don’t get paid a script fee.)
on top of all this, if you’re boarding on a board driven show, you’re WRITING. you’re handed a loose outline and you’re creating a storyboard and a finished script. (but you don’t get paid a script fee.)
if you’re on a scripted show, you might be expected to write/rewrite without getting writing credit.
or you might be expected to assemble an animatic. timing your own boards has become common—no increase in schedule or pay, while studios save money hiring fewer animatic editors.
or you might be expected to assemble an animatic. timing your own boards has become common—no increase in schedule or pay, while studios save money hiring fewer animatic editors.
all this to say: cost-cutting measures have dumped extra responsibilities on board artists. this reflects larger capitalist trends of suppressing wages and expecting more labor from workers.
it hasn’t always been like this, and it doesn’t have to be this way.
it hasn’t always been like this, and it doesn’t have to be this way.
the fight for labor rights is a big one, and there are people in much more vulnerable positions (min wage & gig economy workers especially). i don’t want to downplay that!
but there are things we can do within our own industry to improve working conditions.
but there are things we can do within our own industry to improve working conditions.
supervisors can apply pressure upward, pushing back on bad schedules and budgets, instead of applying pressure downward on board artists to do more in less time.
board artists can also push back on unrealistic schedules instead of doing unpaid overtime to meet deadlines.
board artists can also push back on unrealistic schedules instead of doing unpaid overtime to meet deadlines.
this already happens! i was on one production where the schedule was very tight, and the board artists collectively talked to production, and we got the schedule changed.
i’ve had directors tell production we need more time.
work culture improves because people speak up.
i’ve had directors tell production we need more time.
work culture improves because people speak up.
anyway, long story short—board artists already have a lot of responsibilities in a short amount of time. we—boarders, supervisors (incl directors), production—gotta work together & look out for each other to keep this industry safe & sustainable.
