FRANKENWEENIE Sequence 255

FRANKENWEENIE Sequence 031

LION KING. Conceived and boarded "Be Prepared"-sequence

STORY BOARDS


Originally animation stories were written with drawings to explore physical gags and situations better than the written word alone.

At studios today, "story men" or "story board artist" are the secret weapon in terms of writing and inventing physical gag ideas.


My debut as a "story man" was on "The Nightmare Before Christmas", directed by Henry Selick, a great taskmaster. I stayed with Skellington Production for "James And The Giant Peach", where I had the pleasure of brain storming with Randy Newman for the "Eating Peach" song. Returning to Disney’s I story boarded on "Lion King" conceiving the visuals for the "Be Prepared" sequence, finding inspiration in Leni Reifenstal’s "Triumph of the Will”.


I joined my friends at Pixar in 1993 becoming employee #73. I storyboarded, helped design and co-wrote "A Bugs Life", before becoming a story development artist. Later I originated the idea for “CARS”, where I co-wrote the script with Joe Ranft and John Lasseter.


I have storyboarded for Pixar, Walt Disney, Tim Burton, Universal Studios, Dreamworks Animation, Reel FX, Laika, Illumination, Paramount Animation and Sony Studios.

Thumbnails and individual story sketches for "Be Prepared" sequence.

Seq. 3 "On Trail" from A BUG'S LIFE - I wrote and boarded this scene that wasn't in the script originally. I thought it would be a good idea that the ants lived on an island, and that the drought would enable them to go to the mainland for the first time to look for help.

In this court room scene the queen ant sends Flick on his mission, after the judges condem Flick for being too inventive. That Flick should be an inventor, was also my idea.

Storyboards from A BUG'S LIFE

I had Flick give Dot a medallion to remember him by as he was leaving to go to the mainland. Andrew Stanton re-wrote it and it became a rock.

Often in animation an original idea gets changed as it moves through production.

Thumbnail sketches and storyboard drawings from A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

Storyboards from HERO FACTORY, INVASION FROM BELOW

Rough storyboards from FREEBIRDS   ("Time Travel" Seq.)

Rough storyboards from FREEBIRDS

FRANKENWEENIE "Sparky runs away"

FREEBIRDS