Live online learning

Please note that our evening courses will be running live online in 2021 as access to our campus is limited in line with government guidance. For more information, please visit our live online learning page or contact our Admissions team.

Storyboarding (Evening - 10 weeks)

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. See below for the online course requirements.

The course is designed and delivered by industry professionals, including the very talented Francesca Adams. Francesca is a storyboard artist at Blue Zoo, one of London's leading animation houses. There will also be a live industry brief to give our students experience of what an industry storyboard test is actually like.

To provide additional support and practice there will also be a 6 week period of online mentoring, in which students can polish their skills in a virtual classroom and receive ongoing feedback and support.

Location: Live online
Start dates: 12 May 2021
Tuition fees: £905
Mode of study: Part time (Wednesday Evening: 7pm - 10pm, plus additional 8 weeks of online mentoring)
Programme duration: 10 weeks
Entry requirements: Aged 18 or over, a good understanding of written and spoken English

Buy now

Online course requirements

Access to the internet
3 button mouse
Wacom tablet/ Microsoft Ink
Access to Adobe Premiere Pro
Access to Panelforge
Hardware to install DISCORD, the software we will be using for our class
A laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone
A microphone
Webcam (not compulsory)
Materials to take notes such as notebook and pen/pencil
Personally preferred material and/or software to work on storyboarding
Access to a scanner or camera to share homework

Contact admissions for any further enquiries

Why choose this course

You'll study in an environment that mirrors a standard industry animation studio to get a taste of true life in the workplace.
You'll get hands on experience and the chance to work on a live industry brief.
Online mentoring will continue for a further 6 weeks. Students will be set a series of projects for delivery, using a Facebook Group as an online virtual classroom. Tutors will provide online mentoring and individual feedback.
Learn from award-winning industry professionals and experienced industry-focused tutors; our tutors have not only been behind some of the best new talent in their field, but have an impressive array of achievements from their time practicing what they preach.
Our small class sizes ensure that we deliver a personalised, student-led approach to learning.

Module information

Part One - Introduction to Storyboarding

Week 1 - General Introduction to Storyboarding: Introductory Exercises. Creativity, ideas and inspiration for stories. Gesture drawing, fast sketches, and research.
Week 2 and 3 - Creating images which tell a story: Single images that tell a story. Gag drawings. Situations and character-driven ideas.
Week 4 and 5 - Standard industry storyboarding process: Script, beat boards, story reel and animatic. Movie structure analysis. Camera and Layout. Reverse-storyboarding a pantomime sequence.
Week 6 - Character Design and Art Direction: Introduction to principles of design and visual development.

Part Two - Storyboarding Technique

Week 7 - Structuring a Scene: How to break down script pages. Progression and punctuation in a sequence. Staging.
Week 8 - The Performance: Story beats, narrative structure, pacing, cinematography.
Week 9 - The Animatic: How to edit, cut and time storyboards in Premiere, to create a storyboard animatic. Music, sound effects, voice over and dialogue.
Week 10 - The Pitch: How to pitch your storyboards. Acting, performance and delivery.

Part Three - Online Mentoring

Online mentoring will continue for a further 6 weeks. Students will be set a series of projects for delivery, using a VLE as an online virtual classroom. Tutors will provide online mentoring and individual bespoke video feedback.

How to apply

Entry requirements

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

To study an Escape Studios short course, you must:

Be over 18
Have a good understanding of written and spoken English
Feel comfortable using a computer

Apply

Evening (part-time) courses can be purchased directly via our online shop - just click the Buy Now button at the top of the page.

Alternatively, you can:

Call our Admissions Advisors on +44 (0)203 441 1303
Email us at admissions@escapestudios.com
Reach us on LiveChat Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Following your application, you will need to agree to our terms and conditions before your place on the course can be secured.

Where will this get me?

On completion of the course you will achieve an Escape Studios Certificate of Achievement, a well-respected qualification within the industry.

Our students go on to work in many areas of the industry as highly creative professionals. You'll find our alumni, dubbed Escapees, in many of the world’s top VFX studios, behind many Oscar and BAFTA-nominated films, 100s of award-winning films and television shows and 1,000s of award-winning commercials. See some of our Escape Studios success stories.

This course will give you a distinct advantage in the field of storyboarding, you’ll get an introduction to storyboarding and gain experience working in a professional studio environment.

Fees and funding

Fees: £905

Funding for UK students

You may be able to get funding to help cover the cost of the course. For independent advice, and to find out more about your options, visit gov.uk or call the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900.

Funding for international students

We recommend you visit the UK Council for International Student Affairs website. The Council doesn’t provide funding directly, but it will give you all the information you need about studying and living in the UK, including visas and funding.

We do our best to find funding solutions for overseas students. For example:

If you’re from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Burma, you may be able to get funding from the Charles Wallace Trust, to help towards your living costs and educational development in the UK. Find out more at wallace-trusts.org.uk.

Get in touch

We can help with any problems or questions you have with course fees and funding. Speak to one of our Applicant Advisors via phone or email today! Call us on +44 (0)203 441 1303 or email admissions@escapestudios.com.

Next steps

A group of students are sitting, listening to a speaker in front of them (not seen)

Open events

Find out more about our courses. Meet our tutors, admission advisors, alumni and current students.

Book my space

Two students are working together on a computer in a studio classroom, one is pointing at the screen.

Taster courses

Try before you buy and get a hands-on feel for what it's like to study with us.

Book my space

A tutor is standing next to a student and looking at their vfx work on their screen. Both are in a studio classroom with other students and computers and vfx work on a big screen at the back.

Meet us

For a one-to-one chat or a personal tour of our industry-like studios, contact our Admissions team.

Get in touch

Meet our tutors

Our tutors have all sculpted their own careers in successful studios in the industry and are now sharing their expertise in the classroom. Packed with everything from Thor: Ragnarok, Black Mirror and Black Panther to the original Lion King and multiple PlayStation titles, their CVs don't get much cooler! They know exactly what skills you need – teaching you real-world tips and tricks, as well as the latest industry software and techniques to kick-start your career.

Meet our tutors

Industry partners

Industry partners and advisors influence everything we do, from the curriculum we teach and how it's delivered to our webinars and events.

We work alongside an impressive list of VFX, Games and Animation studios including Industrial Light & Magic, Framestore, Blue Zoo, MPC, Jellyfish Pictures, PlayStation London Studio and Creative Assembly and many more across all our courses at Escape Studios.

With exclusive professional feedback, intensive software training and much more, our industry-led courses give you up-to-the-minute, inspirational knowledge and experience, tailored to the work you’re passionate about. Our Escape Studios Alumni (Escapees) can be found working at a variety of studios including Pixar, MPC, Industrial Light & Magic, DNEG, Rockstar Games and Electric Theatre Collective.

Find out more about our industry partners

Why Escape Studios?

Learn industry-relevant techniques from the experts, in a studio-like environment.

Industry-experienced tutors. Our tutors have worked at studios including DNEG, Walt Disney Animation, EA, Rebellion and Framestore and their credits include Captain America, Black Mirror and Bond: Spectre. They speak at international conferences, like B’Ars (Spain) and VIEW Conference (Italy), write for industry-recognised blog Befores&Afters, and are authorised trainers for software like Unreal Engine, Autodesk or Houdini.
State-of-the-art facilities. Our central London campus is surrounded by world-leading studios and fully equipped with high-end hardware and the latest software.
Industry partners. Our studio partners, including DNEG, Framestore and PlayStation London Studio, help design and develop our courses to make sure that what we teach is relevant to the current industry practices. You’ll also have access to events and webinars ran by our Student Experience team with industry speakers.

Live online learning

Storyboarding (Evening - 10 weeks)

Next steps

Open events

Taster courses

Meet us

Meet our tutors

Industry partners

Why Escape Studios?

Escape Studios prospectus

Pearson Business School prospectus

Contact us

Study with us

Stay in touch

Legal