Illustrator to storyboard artist
An illustrator already meets 35% of what the storyboard artist role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.
65.1/ 100
1 How much of what a storyboard artist is expected to do is already part of an illustrator’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the storyboard artist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A storyboard artist role treats 4 of its required skills as things an illustrator already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- copyright legislation
- follow work schedule
- graphic design
- select illustration styles
What stands in the way is 11 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 14 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A storyboard artist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an illustrator background worth leading with.
- already held create animated narratives communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held create original drawings communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held use traditional illustration techniques communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held select illustration styles communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held use digital illustration techniques working with computers
- already held create 2D painting communication, collaboration and creativity
All 14 carried skills, including the 4 the storyboard artist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 19 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn adapt to type of media required
- still to learn analyse a script required
- still to learn consult with motion picture producer required
- still to learn consult with production director required
- still to learn familiarise with personal directing styles required
- still to learn present storyboard required
- still to learn use storyboards required
- still to learn develop creative ideas required
- still to learn manage feedback required
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held work with playwrights optional
- optional, not held create digital images optional
- still to learn film production process required
- optional, not held cameras optional
- optional, not held photography optional
- still to learn study media sources required
- optional, not held apply 3D imaging techniques optional
- optional, not held digital content creation optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a storyboard artist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 adapt to type of media practise this
- 02 analyse a script practise this
- 03 consult with motion picture producer practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 14 skills that carry over
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held follow work schedule skill
- already held graphic design knowledge
- already held select illustration styles skill
- already held ICT software specifications knowledge
- already held create 2D painting skill
- already held create animated narratives skill
- already held create original drawings skill
- already held create sketches skill
- already held design graphics skill
- already held multimedia systems knowledge
- already held perform image editing skill
- already held use digital illustration techniques skill
- already held use traditional illustration techniques skill
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply 3D imaging techniques optional
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held digital content creation optional
- optional, not held work with playwrights optional
- optional, not held cameras optional
- optional, not held create digital images optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- optional, not held photography optional
23 held skills the storyboard artist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse texts to be illustrated skill
- not needed by the target role apply desktop publishing techniques skill
- not needed by the target role art history knowledge
- not needed by the target role collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions skill
- not needed by the target role consult with business clients skill
- not needed by the target role consult with editor skill
- not needed by the target role contextualise artistic work skill
- not needed by the target role design greeting cards skill
- not needed by the target role desktop publishing knowledge
- not needed by the target role develop artistic educational activities skill
- not needed by the target role develop educational resources skill
- not needed by the target role edit negatives skill
- not needed by the target role edit photographs skill
- not needed by the target role ensure visual quality of the set skill
- not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
- not needed by the target role follow a brief skill
- not needed by the target role gather reference materials skill
- not needed by the target role gather reference materials for artwork skill
- not needed by the target role intellectual property law knowledge
- not needed by the target role interpret illustration needs skill
- not needed by the target role labour legislation knowledge
- not needed by the target role perform ideation activities skill
- not needed by the target role plan art educational activities skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn film production process required
- optional, not held cameras optional
- optional, not held photography optional
Common questions about this move
Can an illustrator become a storyboard artist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. An illustrator already covers 35% of what a storyboard artist is expected to do: 14 skills carry over, 4 of which the storyboard artist role treats as required.
What skills does an illustrator need to become a storyboard artist?
11 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is adapt to type of media.
How hard is the move from illustrator to storyboard artist?
Its learning distance is 65.1 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.