Magic Beach

Before an animator brings characters to life, they map out every beat of the story. Storyboards are a series of static drawings that act as the blueprint for an animation, shaping action, emotion and rhythm.

Once these drawings are assembled into an animatic, timing, sound and movement begin to emerge. Scenes can be refined, reordered or reinvented, ensuring the flow of the sequence long before a final image is rendered. This process sits at the heart of animation, whether hand-drawn or stop motion.

For Magic Beach, Alison Lester’s beloved Australian children’s book, ten animators were invited to reimagine a single page as an animated moment. Here, you’ll see three evolve from first sketches to finished films: Emma Kelly’s lively ‘The Horses’, Anthony Lucas’ suspenseful ‘The Smugglers’, and Kathy Sarpi’s dreamy ‘Tangerine Boat’.