What is an Animatic?
An animatic is defined as a series of images played in sequence, often with a soundtrack. In essence, it's an animated storyboard.
For video agencies and production teams, animatics bridge the gap between storyboard and final edit — helping you align clients, directors, and animators before anyone hits record.
- What's the definition of an animatic?
- Animatics in pre-production
- Animatic vs Storyboard - what's the difference?
- Animatic vs Animation - what's-the-difference?
- What are the benefits of an animatic?
What's the definition of an animatic?
The goal of an animatic is to define the timing for a piece of moving image. When used with a soundtrack, they're a quick and easy way to get a sense of a finished piece of moving image.
Animatics are created by playing a series of images in order and changing the timing on each frame. Timing changes are used to create a sense of pace and emotion — the rhythm that makes a story feel right.
Originally, animatics were created by filming drawings with a camera, then editing the film to various scenes. Today you can create an animatic in Photoshop, After Effects, or specialist animatic software like Boords.
In addition to traditional methods, AI-powered tools are emerging to streamline the animatic creation process. These AI storyboard generators use AI to automatically generate storyboards from scripts, text descriptions, or even sketches. This can significantly reduce the time and effort required to create an animatic, allowing creators to iterate and experiment more quickly.
Animatics are at the heart of the pre-production process
Pre-production is the multi-stage process that happens before a film or animation comes to life. Animatics are made after storyboarding, but before the design phase — when creative teams define pace, tone, and story flow.
| Stage | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concepting | Define your idea |
| 2 | Scripting | Draft your story |
| 3 | Storyboarding | Plan your scenes |
| 4 | Animatic | Define pace & timing |
| 5 | Design | Define visual approach |
| 6 | Logistics | Plan the production process |
Animatic vs Storyboard
Animatics use the same images as storyboards — but stitched together in sequence and rendered as video.
Although animatics and storyboards share the same images, there are some fundamental differences between the two:
| Animatic | Storyboard | |
|---|---|---|
| Low-res images | ✅ | ✅ |
| Written frame descriptions | ❌ | ✅ |
| Subtitles | ✅ | ❌ |
| Video output | ✅ | ❌ |
| Varying frame lengths | ✅ | ❌ |
| Audio/Soundtrack | ✅ | ❌ |
With Boords, you can move from storyboard to animatic in one click — complete with sound, timing, and captions. Perfect for teams who need to present ideas quickly and iterate fast.
Animatic vs Animation
Animatics are used to plan an animation, using low-resolution images to convey timing rather than final visuals. An animatic is the bridge between storyboard and animation, and a key part of the planning process.
This example from Tend shows how an animatic is used to guide the final animation. The key scenes have been sketched and timed out. These timings are then used as a guide by the animators working on the final piece.
What are the benefits of an animatic?
Save hours in pre-production
If you've already created a storyboard for your film or animation, it's easy to make an animatic using your storyboard images. Specialist software like Boords lets you turn your storyboards into animatics automatically — no After Effects required.
Keep clients and animators aligned
When working on your final animation, you can refer back to your animatic to get a reference for frame timing. Without this, it's easy to get lost in the detail and lose sight of the overarching story you're telling.
Iterate fast with your team
Because animatics use sketches, not final images, you can test, change, and improve your story without friction. No sunk cost. No messy revisions.
Get client approval early
An animatic is the first time your team and client see the project in motion. It's the perfect opportunity for stakeholders to react, give feedback, and approve the flow before animation begins.
Cut revisions, not quality
Animatics help you make confident creative decisions before production. They help you decide what works — and what doesn't — before you commit time and resources. Creating film or animation is expensive; animatics make it smarter.
