Phase 08 – Line Clarity
Refining Performance, Power, and Palettes
April 20 – April 26
The Goal: Line Clarity
Phase 08 is about the transition from rough exploration to Line Clarity.
We are moving from storyboard Thumbnails to Tie-downs and from Narrative written draft to the first version of your Script. This is the stage where we commit to the specific performances and emotional palettes that will define the final film.
1. Narrative Stream (Power & Performance)
Move beyond the structure to find the internal pressure of the narrative.
- V1 Script: Perform a first pass on dialogue and acting notes that specifically concern the visual expression of implicit power hierarchies within the narrative structure.
- Ruff Storyboards: Approved thumbnails move to Ruffs. These must explore acting, gesture, power, and staging to ensure the emotional subtext is visually supported. Pose, eyeline, and head orientation are key here.
2. Design Stream (Finding the Colours)
Evolve your silhouettes and turnarounds into a functional emotional palette.
- Palette Evolution: Establish the overall palette and colour harmonies. How is colour being used to communicate emotion, context, and temporality?
- Emotional Mapping: Ensure your colour choices support the narrative arcs identified in the script.
3. Production Stream (Flow Rationalization)
Use your technical scaffolds to build the digital infrastructure.
- Asset Rationalization: Use the shot exemplaire to define what constitutes a Shot or Asset in terms of specific tasks.
- Flow Automation: Use your locked Excel Shot Planner to automate the creation of shots and tasks in Autodesk Flow by developing your Asset & Shot Templates.
Phase 08 Review Conversations
Mentors will be auditing the clarity of your performance and pipeline decisions:
- Narrative: Do the Ruffs show clear physical gestures that communicate the power dynamic / intentionality in the scene? Does the V1 script dialogue feel specific to the characters' acting notes?
- Design: Does the palette evolution have a logical harmony? Can you explain how the colours transition as the emotional state of the narrative changes?
- Production: Do your Flow templates map to the tasks identified in your Exemplaire? Is the automation from Excel to Flow functioning without data loss?
ANI30003 Animation Preproduction | Phase 08: Line Clarity | 2026
