Certified Animation Professional (CAP) Practice Test

For what purpose is storyboarding primarily used in animation?

1. To draft the script

2. To plan the visual sequence

3. To list background music

4. To finalize character designs

The correct answer is: To plan the visual sequence

Storyboarding is a critical process in animation primarily used to plan the visual sequence of the narrative. This involves creating a series of drawings or images that outline each scene, including key actions, camera angles, transitions, and the overall flow of the story. By laying out the visuals in this manner, animators can effectively visualize the pacing and composition of each shot, allowing for adjustments and refinements before production begins. This organized representation of the sequence helps ensure that the creative vision aligns closely with the intended final product, making it easier to communicate ideas among team members and coordinate different aspects of the animation process. The other aspects mentioned, such as drafting scripts, listing background music, or finalizing character designs, while important in production, do not focus primarily on the visual storytelling aspect that storyboarding encapsulates. Instead, storyboarding serves as a blueprint for translating the written script into visual scenes.