Tips for creating a Storyboard Pro Portfolio

Looking to enter the job market, but aren’t sure where to start? We’ve collected some tips on how to create an effective portfolio that showcases your strengths in Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.

Portfolio format

A storyboarding portfolio usually includes animatics and PDF or image formats of the storyboards. These can be curated as a package that is sent via email, as an online portfolio, or both.

It is important to include both images and animatic versions of your storyboards as this allows the potential employee to browse the artwork at their leisure, but also see the overall vision in the animatic.

Portfolio content

Here are some general tips regarding the content you should choose for your portfolio:

• Only include storyboards that you feel are strong and you are proud to show. You are judged by the weakest thing in your portfolio.
• Put your best work first and make sure there isn’t too much content as potential employers will have limited time to browse your portfolio.
• Try to include a range of genres if possible; comedy, drama, action, thriller etc. 
• Do not upload entire storyboards unless they are a short story. Instead choose a few strong sequences from each board that still contain a narrative (beginning, middle, end). It could be an action sequence, the setup and punchline of a joke, or a pet who is lost then found. Aim for around 150 to 200 panels.
• Rough storyboard thumbnails can be included if you feel they are strong and clear enough.
• You can also include supplemental sketches that show exploration of the characters and strong poses. These should be related to the storyboards and do not need to be fully rendered artworks.
• Only include animatics if you were the one who created them.

Include storyboards/scenes that showcase one or more of the following skills:

• Strong staging and a sense of perspective
• Good use of storyboard techniques (shot consistency, 180 rule, etc.)
• Consistent artwork that communicates clearly (clear drawings with consistent shapes are more important than ‘pretty’ drawings)
• Strong visual storytelling and direction
• If an animatic, make sure it is timed well, that the sound is synced properly, and that all animatic features make sense and add to the storytelling.

Tailor your portfolio

Tailor the content of your portfolio according to the company you are applying to work at. Organize your online portfolio with categories in mind, and curate your private portfolio that is sent via email or other means.

Before applying, research the company and make sure that your portfolio fits their trademark as much as possible. If they specialise in live action comedy, make sure to include live action and comedy-themed storyboards. 

Using work from jobs

If you’ve done any storyboards for companies and you want to include it in your portfolio, make sure what the permissions for use are. Usually if something has not yet been released, you cannot use it in a public portfolio, but may be able to use it in a private one. Make sure to double check any NDAs you signed, or speak with the company you did the work for.

Where can I host my public portfolio?

If you’re unsure where to host your portfolio for job submissions, the following free sites are known for their professional layouts and easy-to-use organization:

Of course you can also use sites like Instagram and Tiktok, however these are better used for interacting with other artists and may not be the best place to host your professional showreel.

Alternatively, you can create your own website (like many artists do) and have more control over how to showcase your storyboards. 

How do I create a private portfolio?

A private portfolio is a portfolio that is sent directly to a company, or one that requires a password to access. This is usually because there is content in the portfolio that is not allowed to be shared publicly, but is allowed to be used in private portfolios.

For these portfolios, you can try these approaches:

• Create a folder based portfolio on your computer and send it as a compressed file.
• Create a Google Drive portfolio that has strict access permissions and grant permission when a potential employer wants to view it.
• If you have your own website set up, you can create a password protected section for specific content and only give the password to potential employers who need to view it.
• If using PDF format, you can password protect any PDF that contains this content.