Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Camera Movement • Anticipation • Animatic

Boards

Term from Animation Storyboarding industry explained for recruiters

Boards, or storyboards, are visual plans that show how a story will unfold in animation or film. Think of them like a comic book version of the final product, drawn before any animation begins. Artists create these drawings to map out camera angles, character movements, and scene transitions. This helps everyone on the production team understand what needs to be animated without having to spend time and money creating finished animation first. When you see "boards" mentioned in animation job descriptions, it usually refers to either creating these visual plans (storyboarding) or working with them to create the final animation.

Examples in Resumes

Created detailed Boards for a 30-minute animated series episode

Collaborated with directors to revise Story Boards based on feedback

Developed rough Storyboards for character animation sequences

Presented Boards during weekly production meetings

Typical job title: "Storyboard Artists"

Also try searching for:

Storyboard Artist Story Artist Board Artist Visual Development Artist Previs Artist Layout Artist Production Artist

Where to Find Storyboard Artists

Online Communities

Job Boards

Professional Networks

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you handle major story changes that affect multiple sequences of boards?

Expected Answer: A senior artist should explain their process for efficiently reorganizing boards, managing revisions across multiple sequences, and coordinating with other departments to minimize disruption to production schedule.

Q: How do you mentor junior board artists while maintaining production deadlines?

Expected Answer: Should discuss balancing teaching moments with production needs, review processes, and methods for helping junior artists improve while keeping projects on track.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you collaborate with directors to achieve their vision?

Expected Answer: Should explain their process for taking director notes, asking clarifying questions, and showing multiple options while maintaining the core story points.

Q: What's your process for timing out action sequences in boards?

Expected Answer: Should describe how they plan action beats, use thumbnails to rough out timing, and ensure smooth flow between shots while maintaining excitement and clarity.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the essential elements you include in each board panel?

Expected Answer: Should mention basic elements like camera angle, character position, action arrows, and scene numbers, showing understanding of standard boarding conventions.

Q: How do you approach receiving feedback on your boards?

Expected Answer: Should demonstrate openness to criticism, understanding of revision process, and ability to implement changes while maintaining deadlines.