STORY: A hierarchical animation and storyboarding system for alpha-1

We introduce an integrated animation and storyboarding system that simplifies the creation and refinement of computer generated animations. The framework models both the process and product of an animated sequence, making animation more accessible for communication and as an art form. The system adopts a novel approach to animation by integrating storyboards and the traditional film hierarchy in a computer animation system. Traditional animation begins with storyboards representing important moments in a film. These storyboards are structured into shots and scenes which form a standard hierarchy. This hierarchy is important to long animations because it reduces the complexity to manageable proportions. We also introduce the animation proof reader, a tool for identifying awkward camera placement and motion sequences using traditional film production rules.