Raúl García, animator and animation director. He’s actually been in animation for over 35 years. For 10 years he was working as an animator at Disney and then he became sequence director and animation director on different international projects.
On October 24, < strong>Raúl García presented his book ‘Storyboard Artist’s Manual’, a publication that aims to become a reference manual within the educational audiovisual publishing panorama in Spanish. In the presentation he told us about the importance of storyboarding within animation, and we also wanted to talk about the figure of the storyboard artist and his book.
What has working at Disney meant to you?
For me it was like a childhood dream. I have always respected and really liked Disney and it is, really, the standard for what animation is. Being the first Spaniard to work at Disney was quite a big responsibility but also realizing a child’s dream.
What is the function of the storyboard artist within animation?
It is the skeleton on which a film and animation narrative is built. The same as in real image, the film is built in the editing room. In animation, the film is built in this phase: in the storyboard.
We, in some way, edit the film while we do the storyboard. They are the foundations on which we are going to build the story we want to tell.
What is the purpose of this ‘Storyboard Artist’s Manual’?
The objective of the Storyboard Artist’s Manual is, mainly, to answer all those questions that students ask themselves when they think about what a storyboard is and if it wants to be one. So, it is a bit the result of years of teaching and encountering the doubts that, year after year, all students have. And, in some way, trying to take the heat off the work of making animated films, which is something unattainable and very expensive. Also, always start with this step, which is the simplest in the world because you only need paper and pencil.
What will the reader find in this manual?
I think this book will give you answers to what happens behind each project. The storyboard is an integral part of it, because in some way you are visualizing what you want to tell. It is no longer something that is for real images, or because it is for animation, it also encompasses musicals, video games or even large shows such as concerts or the opening of the Olympic Games that somehow have an artist storyboard to create that visual flow of images that will later be reflected on the screen.
What advice would you give to future animation students at L’idem who want to dedicate themselves to the world of storyboarding in animation?
This is a passionate job. You make cartoons because you like it. So, we are in something that is a spring. You don’t always have to arrive first, but it’s a matter of continually continuing to learn. There is a passion factor, of loving what you do and I think that is transmitted not only when animating but when carrying out any project.
Do you want to dedicate yourself to the world of animation?
L’Idem is a platform for new talents in Animation that, for years, has been training the best professionals in the sector. The school offers programs in 2D/3D animation and Video Games and International Master 2D/3D Animation that seek to provide the student with tools that allow them to successfully integrate into the world of work.