Hoylu makes storyboarding simple! Find out how animator Lauren Bertino utilized our tools to create Seafoam for the Orlando Film Festival.
I started writing Seafoam during my second year at the University of Central Florida. Weekly, I would respond to writing prompts – slowly fleshing out a story. Working on Seafoam was the first time I was genuinely excited about the world and characters I was developing. This project was very ambitious. I was hoping to garner some help from some of the talented artists I had met. I knew that I needed the right tools to help this process run smoothly. If I were to see this project through, I would have to be more serious about planning.
The backbone of any animation projects is a storyboard. I’ve been filling up sketchbooks and drawing out my storyboard rectangles for years- but I wanted to make this process more efficient. As someone who is trying to work with a team, I can’t confine my ideas to a bedside sketchbook. So, I moved on to digital storyboards.
A problem I faced with digital storyboards was the fact that I had no intuitive tool to create them. I was still drawing out my rectangles. I had to either create a large file or several smaller files – not my favorite way to work. I scoured phone apps and desktop apps for something that I could use to rapidly sketch and prototype. It wasn’t until I started working at Hoylu, a company that produces collaboration software, that I found what I was looking for – infinite storyboard templates!
Of course, Storyboarding is just one feature that Hoylu provides. I’ve been using Hoylu’s Sketch application not only to plan out all my scenes but also share my progress with my collaborators, get feedback, and keep all of our decision-making in one workspace. I’m someone who loves pen and touch devices. I work with a Windows Surface and a Galaxy Note. It makes all the difference that Hoylu is supported natively on my PC and via the web. I’m even able to collaborate directly from my smartphone – which is my preferred drawing tool.
I’ve been working diligently in Hoylu to assign tasks, storyboard, and share ideas. Hoylu has been instrumental in helping us produce a trailer for the series. All digital artists understand the struggle of keeping up with the latest products as well as finding the right tools for your workflow. I’ve been jumping around products for years now, and it’s so exciting to find a tool that resonates with me.
Seafoam’s pilot episode was selected to be shown at the Orlando Film Festival (October 17th-24th, 2019). The trailer is out now!