Charming Simplicity: Batman Storyboard by Mike Thomas
This is a short storyboard sequence done for fun by Mike Thomas. To me, it’s a perfect example of how, when you know what you’re doing, you can create a great storyboard using a very limited number of panels. This scene has only 26 panels. The drawings are kept very simple, and by setting the scene in the Bat Cave, Thomas barely needs to draw any backgrounds at all, instead getting away with a quick dark tone. As you might notice, these boards are done traditionally, with pencil or possibly china marker on paper. There are digital tones in some of the panels, to clearly separate the characters from the background, but there are no fancy blurs or effects, the animation is kept to a minimum and there are no complicated camera moves. It is just simple but very solid visual storytelling. In a time when students and upcoming storyboard artists often try to impress with flashy technical tricks, a sequence like this feels like a breath of fresh air. Despite being short and simple, ...
