Emmy award-winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. has indeed hit pay dirt with a product so versatile and smooth that it almost runs by itself! You have an idea, and the creative juices are flowing; now how are you going to get organized and get this all down on paper? No, not on Post-It notes— we’ve tried this method in the past, and trust us, it is a complete nightmare. There is a much easier way to actually move your dynamic story forward and into action. It’s the Toon Boom Storyboard Pro. Before you know it, this product will help you to take that original light bulb in your head and evolve it into a finished production. The software works for either animated or live-action ideas, and it was designed with storyboard artists in mind. It is one of the best digital storyboards on the market, and can transform even the most unorganized creative mind into a type-A bona fide genius. Toon Boom takes tremendous pride in offering software that promotes a “paperless workflow,” and this is why we would recommend this phenomenal breakthrough software to anyone with a story and a dream. So what kind of projects can you use the Storyboard Pro for? The answer includes anything for the small or big screen— commercials, sitcoms, dramas, documentaries, and even games or large scale, elaborate corporate presentations. This type of software is indispensable for producers, directors, and cartoonists alike. The key advantage to owning it is that it can decrease all of the time that is often used prior to actual production, while reducing costs. It works effortlessly on a Mac or PC, and boasts its True WYSIWYG multi layer drawing engine that we feel is second to none.

With this amazing technology, users can create their drawings like pealing away the delicate layers of a ripe onion, merging and flipping layers for the best outcome. It’s time to throw the drawing pencil and all of those illustration boards, sketchbooks and notepads away once and for all. Opening up on a user-friendly Welcome Screen, Toon Boom Storyboard comes with an easy-to-use interface presenting an elegant traditional panel window layout or an overview window layout that fits into your content creation process. The Storyboard interface is easily navigable using just a graphic tablet pen.

Toon Boom Storyboard Pro works a lot like Adobe llustrator or Adobe Freehand for drawing and Adobe Photoshop or After Effects because of it’s layering capabilities. It works best with a drawing pad which would more accurately portray the sensitivity of your strokes. Amazingly enough this little powerhouse can import and export AAF, CSV, PDF, PSD, SWF, AI, JPG, TGA, PNG and QuickTime file formatting. This allows almost anyone with a creative design program to be part of the storyboarding process. Exporting to QT also allows for distance approval from your client, which saves a budding producer/director both money and headaches. The layering process used will be familiar to anyone in the industry, so don’t be afraid to dive right into the Toon Boom pool. Revisions to your story are as easy a word processing or changing a layer in Photoshop. You can import a script, logos, and pictures into your timeline and even add music or voice over. Toon Boom Storyboard comes with an array of digital goodies to get your creative juices freely flowing. A set of templates includes characters, backgrounds, props, effects and symbols. Drag them into a scene and you have the bare bones of a storyboard, even if your drawing skills are more suited to the playground than Pixar. They won’t win any awards, with characters resembling those found on children’s DVDs sold in pound shops, but serve a purpose when time is of the essence. If you just can’t live without those little cartoon boxes on paper don’t worry. Storyboard Pro will even let you print everything out, the old fashioned way.

Although this is not a "video editing" program, (which it is not intended to be), if you’ve done your homework and planned ahead there is no reason your vision will not be seen with the utmost clarity. Toon Boom Storyboard is the leading storyboarding system for visual storytelling, perfectly suited to traditional and paperless methods. Truly completing the production pipeline, Storyboard helps you take an idea and translate it into a visual story that will become a complete production, whether animated or live-action. Developed in conjunction with expert storyboard artists, Toon Boom Storyboard speeds up production planning and enables studios to reach new heights with increased production integration. Its advanced features make it the tool of choice to create an entirely digital storyboard. In our book, it is a very valuable tool in any production house. This is a welcome and worthy addition to the Toon Boom range offering a powerful and varied digital solution for visual storytelling. Once mastered you can significantly reduce time spent editing your final masterpiece by planning ahead. That being said, The Toon Boom Storyboard Pro is sure to change the technique of story drafting as we know it. For this reason and so many more this product easily snagged up one of our highly coveted Editor's Choice Awards! By all means... snag up a copy of yours today online at their website www.toonboom.com. UB

Christina Morgan's initiation into the entertainment industry began 'swimming with sharks' at her first film internship in New York City working for Scott Rudin, one of Paramount Pictures' notorious producers. Known as one of the only employees not to be fired on his staff, she recognized early on that she was intended to succeed in media. After clearing this low— yet, actually quite high— bar, Christina went on to NBC, landing production jobs for both the Sydney and Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Upon receiving her BA in Communications from Penn State University, she returned to the Big Apple to join the Sony Pictures buying team at McCann Erickson.
 

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