Assignment Title: Story Spark: Your 8-Frame Animation Portfolio Storyboard
Build Your Bridge to Top Animation & Game Design Colleges!
This assignment is a key step in creating a powerful art portfolio for admission into the world's best animation and game design colleges. Showcasing your unique storytelling and visual skills here can significantly boost your application and chances for scholarships at leading world art and design colleges. It's also fantastic practice if you're targeting NID and UCEED admissions or preparing for NID entrance exams & UCEED.
The Challenge: From Inspiration to Your Own Storyboard
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Watch & Connect: Choose an animated movie (feature film, short, or even a series episode) that you love and feel inspired by.
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Find Your Spark: Think about the scene or character that really stuck with you. What was it about that moment or character that you found exciting, funny, emotional, or just cool?
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Spark Your Idea: Now, let that inspiration spark a completely new, short story idea. Don't just retell the scene! Ask yourself:
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What could happen after that scene?
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What if that character faced a totally different, simple problem?
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What adventure might a background character from that scene have?
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Could you put that character in a completely new setting?
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Let your imagination run wild!
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Write Your Mini-Story: Briefly write down your new story idea in one paragraph. Just give a simple beginning, middle, and end. Who is the main character (it can be the original one you liked, or a new one inspired by them)? What happens to them?
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Create Your 8-Frame Storyboard:
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Take a standard sheet of paper (like 1/8 or Letter size).
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In each section, draw one key moment (a "frame") of your new story. You should have 8 frames in total, telling your story visually from start to finish.
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Focus on:
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Clarity: Make it clear what is happening in each frame.
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Action & Emotion: Show your character(s) acting and feeling. Use simple poses and expressions.
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Flow: Make sure the story progresses logically from one frame to the next.
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Keep the drawings simple and clear – stick figures or basic shapes are okay if they tell the story effectively! It's about the idea and sequence.
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Need Ideas for Storyboards? Search on Pinterest or Google Images for "simple 2, 4, 6 or 8 frame storyboard examples" to see how others visually tell short stories.
Submission: Submit your short written story paragraph AND your completed 8-frame storyboard on google classroom on or before 12 April 25 (the single sheet of paper with 8 drawings).
Goal: This assignment helps us see your creativity! We want to see how you can get inspired, develop your own story idea, and communicate that story visually through a storyboard – essential skills for any animator or game designer! Show us your unique voice and storytelling potential.