Some questions (and advice) to ask to storyboard on a series.

1. Interview/Job Questions
(and some advice)
for a freelance series storyboard gig:
Some general questions to ask
This is not an full time employee checklist.

2. Who’s the audience?
Some studios perceive pre-school as needing
more wide shots and a longer panel count.
There should be a specific explicit direction from
the director prior to starting.
First Contact Information:
Pre-school
Comedy
Action
Adult

3. What studio?
Reputation is everything.
What’s their track record?
Have they established or a “start-up”?
Do they have experience with the audience?
First Contact Information:
HAVE THEY STIFFED( not paid)
PPL IN THE PAST?

4. Are they a “vendor” studio?
Who are their “vendees”?
For example:
just because it is distributed on Netflix
doesn’t mean it is made at Netflix Animation.
First Contact Information:

5. Who’s the director?
First Contact Information:
Research them.
Ask your friends.
Look up on IMDB.

6. Is there a bible?
A style guide versus a writer’s bible.
Always ask for both.
First Contact Information:

7. How will it be produced?
2D hand
2D rigged
3D
There are many pipelines
Will the modelling be subcontracted?
Will the animation be subcontracted?
Will the crew be “green”?
First Contact Information:

8. Where will it be produced?
A personal experience:
script & board in Canada.
layouts in Ireland.
animation in Hungry.
post production and project management in Germany.
First Contact Information:
International tax agreements can dictate the budgets
of where the work is done.

9. Is there an existing episode?
Not an animatic pitch or show opening
First Contact Information:

10. Is there a sample board?
at the level of finish and produced in the time frame required
First Contact Information:

11. What’s the cutting (editing) strategy?
Is the board timed by the board artist?
That’s editing and an editor/director’s job.
First Contact Information:

12. Who’s the show producer
and production manager?
Nice to Know but not critical yet:

13. Who controls the I.P.?
Are the original creators involved?
Charles Schultz in 2000.
Walt Disney died in 1966.
George Lucas is still alive,
but he’s not in control of SW.
Nice to Know but not critical yet:
Sometimes creators have notes that don’t correspond well into animation

14. Where are the scripts and designs produced?
Some Californian studios term themselves as
“pre-production” studios.
American I.P. is produced by “vendor” studios
around the world.
Nice to Know but not critical yet:

15. Is a test required?
If so, will it be compensated?
If not, is it sufficiently limited and short?
Process

16. How rough or clean are the boards expected to be?
Everybody’s version is different.
Process

17. What’s the plan if the designs aren’t ready?
A board artist shouldn’t design as well without extra compensation.
Process

18. Is there a nat pause?
Process

19. Does the nat pause need to be built into the SBP file?
That’s editing and an editor’s job.
Process

20. If “plussing” gags or dialogue is required, will
the board artist get writing credit-and
residuals?
Process

21. How many weeks in the schedule?
How many episodes will be assigned to one
artist?
How many board artists on this show?
Only commit to one board.
Try them out as much as they are trying you out.
Schedule

22. Schedule
How are revisions handled? In-house?
What’s the turn around time for notes?
2 days

23. What’s the delivery process?
Are roughs pitched?
Then, just sent in after notes?
Is it a reasonable delivery schedule?
Are weekends expected?
Delivery
Notes sometime arrive on Friday PM for
Monday delivery.
That’s not good production management
or common courtesy.

24. Delivery
Will there be a confirmation email?
“Yes, we got it.”
“ No revisions are coming?”
More common courtesy.

25. and don’t start until you get one.
READ YOUR CONTRACT

26. It is standard practice NOT to be paid until
the job is delivered.
For example:
This may mean no pay for a five week job
then possibly 30 days from your invoice.
Reputable companies pay promptly.

27. So, it is important to get approval clearly,
limit revision passes
and invoice promptly.
It is not your responsibility to buffer the
cash flow of the studio
Send your invoice to the production manager
AND the producer. (Not the director.)
(whoever signed your contract.)

28. Freelance information and advice
https://doingronin.blogspot.com/