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Animation vs Live-Action Storyboards: What Changes

· 7 min read

Animation boards time a reel; live-action boards plan coverage. Character libraries, leica reels, and which fields still belong on both.

Both are sequences of pictures with time on them. The production question is different.

Live action

You are buying setups. Coverage, 180, weather, talent hours. The board is an argument about the day. Film storyboard.

Animation

You are buying frames of work. The animatic (leica) is the edit. Layout and posing come after. Character turnaround consistency matters more than eyeline grammar — until you cut like live action, which many shows do.

What you can share

CineoBoard is built as a production record. It will not replace Harmony. It will hold the reel and the notes. For animation.

  • Beats before pretty
  • Durations that sum
  • A reusable character / location library so the lead does not mutate
  • Notes the next department can read

FAQ

Should animation use shot sizes like WS/CU?

Yes if you cut. No if you are boarding a continuous layout pan. Label what the next person needs, not what a live-action textbook requires.

Board your next scene in CineoBoard

Frames, elements, shot list and animatic in one place. Plans start at $30/month, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

See pricing