ART308 STORYBOARDING FOR DIGITAL MEDIA
WEEKLY SCHEDULE - FALL 2025
Tuesday/Thursday: 2:00-4:50, Wightman 149
Sleeper's Personal Zoom Room - Password: animation
308 Demo Page / 308 Readings & Film Lists / Story Resource Page / 308 Basecamp Folders / Storyboard Pro Tutorials Page
1. INTRO TO CLASS / SIX PANEL FICTION
WK01: AUG 25-29
Reading 1: Making Comics - Writing with Pictures pt 1 p. 8-25 - Download: PDF of first reading if your book hasn't arrived
TUESDAY: CHOOSING THE MOMENT - SIX PANEL FICTION
In Class Story Lab: Six Panel Fiction - Beats
Demo/Tutorial: JSL Story App - From Sketchbook to Pitchable Panels
THURSDAY: FROM PANELS TO STORYREEL - FACULTY EXHIBITION RECEPTION 4PM
Demo/Tutorial: Six Panel Fiction - Premiere Pro Workflow
Assignment: Six Panel Fiction - Storyreel
2. PERSONAL MEMORY
WK02: SEPT 01-05 - LABOR DAY - CAMPUS CLOSED MONDAY
Reading 2: Making Comics - Writing with Pictures pt 2 p. 26-53
TUESDAY: PERSONAL MEMORIES - SNAPSHOTS
Assignments: Personal Memory A. Snap Shots
THURSDAY: STORY BEATS - PITCH NEXT TUESDAY
Demo/Tutorials:
Assignments: Personal Memory B. - Story Beats
WK03: SEPT 08-12
Reading 3: Framed Ink - Working the Flat Surface/A Quick Word on Lenses p. 24-30
TUESDAY: FILM LANGUAGE & A QUICK WORD ON LENSES
Demo/Tutorial:
3. Shot Counts, Action Beats & Identifying Camera Moves - 6:30
Assignment: Personal Memory C. Thumbnails "Action Beats"
THURSDAY: SCENE BUILDS, ACTION BEATS
Demo/Tutorials:
4. Scene Build-outs in Photoshop - 8:30
5. Creating Action Beats with Photoshop Layer Comps - 9:30
6. Scene Build-out with Masking Tool - Comp Layers Revisited - 11:30
Assignment: Personal Memory D. Scene Builds
WK04: SEPT 15-19
Reading 4: Framed Ink - Composing Shots with a Purpose; Visual Message within a Still; p.33-59;
TUESDAY: INTRO TO CAMERA MOVES
Demo/Tutorial: 1. Setting up a Camera Pan in Photoshop - Tracking Shot - 15:00
Assignment: Personal Memory E. Camera Motion
THURSDAY: ROUGH CUT STORYREEL
Demo/Tutorial: 2. Simulating a Camera Pan with Premiere - Tracking Shot - 9:40
Assignment: Personal Memory F. Storyreel - First Draft "Roughcut"
WK05: SEPT 22-26
Reading 5: Framed Ink - Composing Shots with a Purpose; Working With Motion p. 60-72
TUESDAY/THURSDAY: FINAL STORY REEL
Assignment: Personal Memory G. Storyreel - Final Revision
3. STORIES FOR CHANGE PSA
WK06: SEPT 29-OCT 03
Reading 6: Research Two Articles
TUESDAY: STORIES FOR CHANGE - INTRO
THURSDAY: STORIES FOR CHANGE - THEME & IMAGES
Assignment: PSA A. Stories for Change - Theme and Images
WK07: OCT 06-10 - FALL BREAK - NO CLASSES MONDAY/TUESDAY - CAMPUS OPEN
Reading 7: Visual Story: Contrast, Affinity & Visual Space - Reading Guide Here
TUESDAY: NO CLASS
THURSDAY: STORIES FOR CHANGE - STORY BEATS
Assignment: PSA B. Stories for Change - Research & Story Beats
WK08: OCT 13-17
Reading 8: Making Comics - World Building- Sense of Place, Perspective and Research pp. 158-179
TUESDAY: STORY THUMBS - ACTION BEATS
Assignment: PSA C. Story Thumbs - Action Beats & Shot Numbers
THURSDAY: STAGING & CAMERA MOVEMENT
In Class: PSA D. - Production Map - A Single Scene
Assignment: PSA E. - Scene Builds II - Staging & Camera Movement
WK09: OCT 20-24
Reading 9: Mark Kennedy: A quick Primer in Values - Reading Guide Here
TUESDAY: TONAL KEYS - LIGHTING AND TONE
Assignments: PSA F. Tonal Keys - Lighting & Mood
THURSDAY: STORYREEL I - ROUGH CUT
Assignments: PSA G. Storyreel I - First Draft / Rough Cut
WK10: OCT 27-31
Reading 10: Making Comics -Stories for Humans - Character Design p. 58-79
TUESDAY/THURSDAY: FINAL PSA STORYREEL
Assignment: PSA H. Final Draft / Supporting PDF
4A. FINAL PROJECT I: STORY EXPLORATION
WK11: NOV 03-07
Reading 11: The Heroes Journey: Step by Step - Reading Guide Here
TUESDAY: INTRO TO FINAL PROJECT / STORY EXPLORATION I
Assignment: Story Exploration - Character vs. Environment
THURSDAY: STORY EXPLORATION II
Assignment: Story Exploration - 5 Modes of Conflict
WK12: NOV 10-14
Reading 12: The Story Spine, Pixar's 4th Rule of Storytelling - Download Reading Guide
TUESDAY: STORY BEATS
Assignment: StoryBeats 9-12 Panel Pitch
THURSDAY: OPEN LAB - CLASS WILL NOT MEET
4B. FINAL PROJECT II: ORIGINAL STORY REEL / STORY TREATMENT
WK13: NOV 17-21
Reading 13: Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling. - Reading Guide Here
TUESDAY: WHY WE TELL STORIES - MYTHIC CYCLES / IMAGE SYSTEMS
Assignment: Written Story Treatment in Three Acts
THURSDAY: STORY THUMBNAILS
Assignment: Story Thumbnails 15-25 panels.zip
WK14: NOV 24-28 - THANKSGIVING BREAK - NO CLASSES WEDNESDAY THRU FRIDAY - CAMPUS CLOSED
Reading 14: Why and How to Incorporate Custom Sound Design - Reading Guide Here
TUESDAY: BLOCKING, SCENE BUILDS & ROUGH CUT
THURS: NO CLASS
Assignment: Scene Builds & Blocking / Storyreel Rough Cut
WK15: DEC 01-05
Reading: None
TUESDAY/THURSDAY: ROUGH CUT FEEDBACK & REVISIONS
Assignment: Storyreel - Final Submission / Story Treatment - PDF
FINAL EXAM: DEC 09 - TUESDAY 2PM