First develop a character. This could be a self-portrait animation, but the character is not to be you exactly, just an adaptation of you. Maybe an animated instrument, or paintbrush that has your personality or some characteristics that resemble you. You could be a toaster, or a light bulb, or a cat...
THE STORY
One story condition: your character/self is to be confronted with a challenging decision. Make the consequences obvious and the decision difficult. The conclusion will be the following through on the choice and the consequences of that choice.
BRAINSTORM your character(s), scene, props, mood, movement, and the story.
STORYBOARD
Include the following in your storyboard:
- Character(s)
- Background(s) Use more than one scene.
- Strong narrative: establish space and character(s), create a conflict, and then resolve.
- Include at least 3 perspectives (variety in the frame, use different angles, change the distance to subject, POV or point of view)
- Use a Cut-Away- where you switch your frame to draw attention to something and/or lapse time more rapidly.
- Motion tween, shape tween, frame by frame, scale, colour tweens. etc..
- Movie clip/symbols
- Working with scenes motion guide,
- Layers & grouping layers,
- Bone tool if you are trying walking or running.
- Importing an image & manipulating the image (Trace Bitmap),
- Sound.
- Credits- to create opening and closing credits to suite animation.
- Consider pace, dynamics, variety of frame,
- Also consider compositional techniques: Rule of 3rds, Contrast, Repetition, Framing, Leading Lines...
