Question Time 07

evil-city asked:
 how did you become a storyboard artist? that's my dream job but i'm from Morocco and don't know any resources on how to become a storyboard artist in my country. i have no clue what studies i should take or what schools i should go to. all i have is the program Storyboard Pro and unfinished WIPs :"^)
(Original Source)

Hi! This is gonna be a bit long but I hope I can help. I’m from Colombia and I first did an undergrad in fine arts and then decided to go into storyboarding. But here the animation industry is only starting, which means there are 0 places to study it and a LOT of people are self-taught with all the problems that it has. SO.. when I decided to go into animation as a professional I chose to get a masters degree in Animation in the UK. I was looking for that sweet experience from a place with an established industry. (and that is way cheaper than the USA, and  I also knew the language) That’s how I went to become a storyboard artist. 
If you are still unsure of where to start or if it is more convenient for you, start studying in your country something that has to do with visual arts, that way you can develop solid drawing skills while also focusing on storyboard, visual narration, and animation.
In the end, these are means to have a good portfolio you can use to show directors, producers, or recruiters what you can do and start working in animation anywhere. Since I don't really know how the animation industry is in Morocco, I would think that you have to do a lot of work yourself to be part of it. Being really observant of the animated shorts produced in your country or how small studios or just people already working in animation are doing. While also working on your storyboarding skills. Have in mind that at the end your artwork is what’s backing your dream to work in animation.
I think there are 3 paths on how to become a storyboard artist, depending on what you want to do with your life...for example, if you want  emigrate to another country, you need to have a degree for visa requirements and stuff. But sometimes it is not required to work on animation. 

•  Self taught: There are many resources online that can help you with this. Nowadays there are easier to find, like in youtube or just online that tell you about the basics, also by studying the work from professionals, from the ones that are only starting to bigger names. By looking at their portfolios you can see what they do and how they organize their work. And what the standard for the industry is. This one requires more self discipline and, for me, it is the most difficult since starting can be really confusing 
• Study online: There are some great courses about it, I think I heard good things about the ones from storyboardart.org or many others, where professionals explain and give direct feedback and you can find from basic to advanced levels. These are paid but you can do them from home which can be really convenient. These usually last a couple of months.
• Get a degree: This one is the most expensive, so it is a big decision if you go for something like this. you can study an Undergrad in animation where you learn a bit about everything  and can focus on storyboard, or if you already have a undergrad you can do an MA ,( usually shorter and more focused on the area you are interested in) this can be from 1 year to 3 years depending on each course.

You said you got storyboard pro and wips, right? first thing is...complete at least one of those wips so you have something to show!. The second you say to someone looking for a storyboard artist  “hey I’m looking to work as a storyboard artist, let me show you the storyboards I have” you have the advantage of showing people that you, in fact, are a storyboard artist (even if a very new one). And that’s the first step tbh.

I know some things about studying animation in the UK, or...if you want to ask something more specific, my askbox is open :) i know it’s very hard to start somewhere and ’m very glad i can help somehow. Thank you so so much for asking!