Interview with Hywel Prytherch Roberts
When did you take the storyboard course?
I took the storyboard course in the Autumn of 2019.
What is your background (education and experience from animation and similar)?
I did a BA in Animation in 2012 at the University of the West of England, followed by a 3-month stop-motion Character Animation course with Aardman in 2013. Following that, I worked as a stop-motion animator on shorts, TV series, and feature films for studios including Mackinnon & Saunders, Factory Create, and Aardman Animations. I also directed and animated a short explainer for the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
What was your reason for taking the storyboard course?
I’ve always been interested in telling stories, and when I was working as an Assistant Animator at Aardman on their feature film Early Man, I became friends with some Storyboard Artists who kindly showed me their work. This experience really inspired me, and I realised then that it was a skill that I wanted to develop further so I could work professionally as a storyboard artist and storyboard my own films.
Did you feel that the storyboard course helped you achieve the goals that you were hoping for?
Yes! The course gave me the skills, knowledge, and confidence to work as a storyboard artist, as well as to be able to storyboard my own films more effectively. I got my first storyboarding job a couple of months after finishing the course, and I’ve continued to work as a storyboard artist and revisionist ever since.
What was the best thing about the storyboard course in your experience?
The best thing about the course was getting to learn from such experienced tutors as well as from the other amazingly talented students that I met at the Animation workshop. I also really enjoyed the biweekly life drawing and the fun, creative atmosphere at the school.
Have you been able to use what you learned in the course in your work after graduating?
Yes, I used what I learned in the course every day in my work as a storyboard artist, as well as in my own films. In fact, I’m currently storyboarding a new short film as part of my MA in Directing Animation at the National Film & Television School, so I’m drawing upon what I learned in the course a lot, and it’s so valuable!