Storyboarding (evening - online)

Course details

Location

Live online

Start date

4th March 2025

Duration

10 weeks

Mode of study

Part time (Tuesday evening: 7pm-10pm)

Fees

£950

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Course overview

Every good artist tells a story... learn about the initial conceptual process required to create a feature. 

This online evening course provides an introduction to the art and craft of storyboarding, the initial conceptual process required before any feature can be created, in a virtual classroom setting. It’s relevant for anyone who wants to learn storyboarding, whether for live action, animation, commercials, or your own private projects.

Why choose this course 

  • Based in London – home to some of the best animation and visual effects studios in the world  

  • Industry briefs – work on industry-standard briefs and experience real-life scenarios, just like in a professional studio  

  • Professional input – our advisory board of experts, from the likes of DNEG (Avengers: Endgame and Oscar-winning Dune) and Cinesite (Iwájú and Thor: Love and Thunder), help keep this degree relevant

  • Successful alumni – you'll join our community of thousands of Escapees, many of whom have gone on to work at some of the world’s top studios. 31 Escapees worked on Thor: Love and Thunder, 28 on Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and 16 on Stranger Things

  • Industry-standard facilities – study in a studio environment that mirrors current industry practice, using professional software and techniques 

  • Online mentoring and individual feedback will be provided by your tutor for a further 4 weeks after the course. You'll be set a series of projects

  • Fast-track learning – studying a short course allows you to learn new skills quickly, in a fast-paced environment, so you can start applying for jobs as soon as you’ve completed the programme 

  • Intensive training - we pack a lot into a few evening classes, and we recommend that you work outside of classes for an extra few hours per week to complete your assignments

  • Flexibility - study live online and in the evening to fit the course around your professional and personal life and other commitments  

  • Strong portfolio - along with an Escape Studios Certificate of Completion, you'll leave with strong creative and technical skills and great pieces for your portfolio  

  • Small class sizes - a convivial environment allows students to assist and inspire one another and benefit from personalised feedback from tutors.

Course Modules

  • The purpose of storyboarding, fast drawing exercises to loosen up, tips for breaking mental blocks & breaking out of perfectionism

  • Creating individual images and beatboards, focusing on clarity and emotional impact, improving composition

  • Character gesture drawing, conveying emotion through posing and expression, developing shorthands, drawing acting and performance

  • Camera positioning, staging and simplified perspective, practice drawing a scene from different angles

  • Introduction to the various shot types, getting inspiration and choosing your shots, learning when to cut, applying the 180 rule

  • Breaking down a script, fast thumbnailing and how to study existing films

  • Drawing up industry standard boards in Photoshop, storyboarding process demo, drawing economy, non-destructive workflow & organisational tips

  • How to pitch your storyboards

  • Acting, performance and delivery

  • Generating personal project ideas, structuring a portfolio, info on the day-to-day of a storyboard artist, application tips

More information

Minimum requirements

We welcome and encourage applications from students with a variety of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.

To study this short course, you must:

  • Be over 18

  • Have a good understanding of written and spoken English

  • Feel comfortable using a computer.

If you’d like to discuss your circumstances before applying, contact us!

We can provide remote access to our workstations during teaching time. Due to availability restrictions, we highly advise you to have your own set up at home to study in your own time.

More things you’ll need:

  • A strong internet connection

  • Cloud storage or external hard drive to back up your work, 1TB+ recommended

  • A three-button mouse or graphics tablet. Please note, the Wacom Intuos Pro range of tablets have the best support for our remote desktop software and provide the best experience.

  • A computer microphone (and optionally a webcam)

  • Note-taking materials.

If you have any questions about learning online or if you need help with what to buy, get in touch at hello@escapestudios.ac.uk.

To apply, complete the relevant online application form below:

Our Admissions Team will get in touch to take you through the next steps.

If you have any questions about your application or our entry requirements, get in touch!

As part of the application process, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions for your place on the course to be secured.

Fees 

Live online: £950

Payment plans

We offer a range of payment plan options for all courses. Following an initial deposit at registration stage, your chosen payment plan will break down your remaining fees into equal instalments, to be paid over the course length.

Visit our admissions page for any questions about fees, funding and payment plans.

We pack a lot into each class of our evening courses, to be able to offer a learning option that is more flexible and fits in with your personal and work life. This means that contact time with your tutors will be intense learning and hands on. To make the most of this course, we recommend that you spend at least 10 hours working on your projects or practising your new skills in your own time each week. 

  • Photoshop

“The UK is home to distinct and highly successful centres of animation production excellence throughout the country, including Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, London and Manchester.” (source Animation UK)

You’ll leave with an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, along with strong creative and technical skills and some great pieces of work for your portfolio. Ready to apply for jobs in the industry!

Storyboard Artists often start on junior roles before rising to mid-level and senior roles. They can also go into a Producer and Director path further on down the line. 

You can aspire to work on a great variety of projects, whether it is a film, video game, virtual production or architectural visualisation, working directly with Writers, Producers, Directors and creative teams. 

Our students have gone to work at companies including Disney and The Third Floor

Read some of our Escapee success stories.

Check out our Careers Guide for more information about career opportunities and progression routes.

Why Escape Studios?

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Meet our industry-experienced tutors

Clara Cornish is the tutor on this programme. She has worked as a Storyboard Artist in the animation industry for over five years, mainly working in the feature film department of Aardman Animations. She has worked on various productions, including the Oscar nominated short film Robin Robin and Bafta nominated feature A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, as well as the anticipated sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget.

Meet your tutors

Student Showcase