Storyboards and animatics are both pre-production tools designed to show what a commercial will look like before it is shot. They are not interchangeable. Understanding the difference — and knowing when each is sufficient — prevents a specific category of production problem: the kind that emerges when client expectations diverge from what was actually approved.
What a storyboard is
A storyboard is a sequence of still frames that represent the key shots of a film. Each frame shows composition, character position, and action — typically with a brief written description of what is happening in the shot and any relevant camera movement. Storyboards can be hand-drawn or digitally produced, rough or highly finished.
A storyboard communicates shot selection and composition. It does not communicate timing, pacing, sound, or the relationship between consecutive shots. A director who has a clear internal sense of the film can produce a storyboard that conveys the concept clearly. But the storyboard requires the viewer to fill in a significant amount of the film from their imagination.
What an animatic is
An animatic is a rough moving version of the film, created by animating the storyboard frames — adding motion, timing, and a soundtrack or guide track. It runs in real time (or close to it) and allows the viewer to experience the actual rhythm and pace of the film, not just its key frames.
This distinction matters enormously in client presentations. A client approving a storyboard is approving a concept. A client approving an animatic is approving something much closer to the actual film — the pacing, the music feel, the sequence of information delivery, and the approximate duration of each scene.
When is a storyboard enough?
A storyboard is typically sufficient when: the creative concept is simple and well-established, the client has significant production experience and can extrapolate from frames to film, or the project is a straightforward product demonstration with no complex editing structure.
When an animatic is necessary
An animatic is necessary when: the film relies on pacing or editing rhythm for its impact, the client is less experienced with commercial production and may misread still frames, the project involves complex VFX or transitions that do not communicate well as stills, or the approval has significant financial consequence and rework must be avoided.
The cost of producing an animatic is modest relative to the cost of a reshoot. Any time a client says "I thought it would feel different" after the offline edit, the question is worth asking: would an animatic have caught that earlier?