It all starts with a pre-production phase, where all the planning is done and storyboards are reviewed several times before the video is actually filmed. This is done in order to improve the quality of the video and to avoid having to re-shoot scenes as they did not work out like we wanted them to. The first step consists of the student writing a script, which is then reviewed by the supervisors. Afterwards, the script is divided into scenes to create a storyboard. The storyboard is first made in a tabular form, in which it is described what will happen in each scene, what elements will be used and what the narration will be. This is then also reviewed by the supervisors. A template of our tabular storyboard can be downloaded here.

Once the tabular storyboard is approved, an animated storyboard is made on PowerPoint, in which the student uses images taken from our database and/or the Internet and his/her own voice as narration. This animated storyboard is very important for our production process, as it helps us to visualise how the final video will look like and to see if it is made in a way that catches the viewers’ attention. We have learned a few important guidelines that we now follow when creating our videos and these are included in our step-by-step guide below.

The most important points to remember when creating a scene are:

• Follow composition rules used in photography, like the ‘golden ratio’ or the ‘rule of thirds’. The ‘golden ratio’ is based on the ratio of 1 to 1.618, which has been found to create a sense of harmony and balance and can be found everywhere in nature, making it appealing to the human eye. In photography, it can be applied by using the Phi Grid or the Fibonacci Spiral. The Phi Grid is created by dividing the frame into nine sections, resulting in a grid that is 1:0.618:1, and it is applied by placing important elements along these lines and/or intersections; whereas the Fibonacci Spiral is based on the Fibonacci number sequence and it is applied by placing elements with the greatest detail in the smallest quadrangle and the rest of the object along the spiral. The ‘rule of thirds’ is similar to the Phi Grid; however, here the frame is divided into nine equal parts and important elements are placed along the dividing lines and/or their intersections.
• Make the scenes as simple as possible, as having too many elements may confuse the viewers or draw the attention away from important elements.
• Define order of events so there is only one focus point at a time and objects do not have to compete for the viewers’ attention.
• Follow the same style for all drawings used in the video and be consistent, that is, use the same style to depict people, environment, etc.
• Avoid text as much as possible.

After the animated storyboard has been perfected, the images to be used in the video can finally be drawn. We try to use the same style for all the drawings and, as all of the images are hand-drawn by the students, we have developed a style that is simple and easy for everyone. Since the beginning, we have collected all the drawings made for the videos and we now have a database of over 400 images; therefore, the number of new images that need to be drawn for a new video is now very small. When all the images have been drawn, they are printed, cut out and organized into envelopes according to each scene. After this, we are ready to go to the studio.