Animatic
An animatic is a timed sequence of storyboard images used to test a video’s pacing and structure before full animation. It may include temporary sound and simple movement.
An animatic turns a storyboard into something you can watch in real time. Instead of imagining how long each panel lasts, you play the sequence and check whether the action, words and transitions have enough room.
School of Motion’s workflow describes using an animatic to test timing with designs and temporary or refined sound before committing to the full animation.
What this timing test checks
The fictional Focus Desk sequence gives three seconds to the competing tasks, six seconds to selecting a task, and three seconds to the closing message. The action gets more time because it carries the explanation. These timings are a starting choice for this example, not a rule for other videos.
The drawings remain simple and the video is silent. For a narrated piece, add a temporary voice track before judging the pacing: a panel that reads quickly on its own may need to stay on screen while a sentence finishes.
How to make an animatic
- Place the storyboard panels in order. Any editor that can put still images on a timeline can make a basic animatic.
- Set rough durations. Allow time for the action, spoken line and on-screen text rather than giving every panel the same length.
- Add temporary audio if the piece needs it. Record a guide voice or use approved scratch sound. It does not need final production quality.
- Add only essential movement. A rough pan, position change or extra panel can clarify an action. Decorative polish can wait.
- Watch without pausing. Shorten dead time, extend unreadable moments and remove ideas that do not fit. Replay the complete sequence after each change.
Animatic vs. storyboard and final animation
A storyboard shows the ordered panels. An animatic adds playback timing. The final animation supplies finished artwork, continuous movement and the final sound treatment. A rough sequence can answer the timing question without looking like a finished advertisement.
An animatic also differs from an animation test: a test may investigate one effect or movement, while an animatic evaluates the sequence as a whole.
Taking the timing into iArt
Use the chosen scene order and durations in your animation instructions. Specify what needs reading time and where the key action happens, then compare the generated draft with that plan. A timing plan is useful input; it is not a guarantee that a first generation will match every beat. For a complete explainer workflow, see creating an animated explainer video.
Related: style frame, motion design brief, explainer video.