Possibly the most important stage and where the fun starts. This provides a map, or blueprint, for everything which comes after.

The layout we use allows us to line up what can be heard against what can be seen, so anyone can get an idea of the final film and if it will work. This is the best stage for making changes, because it costs relatively little to write and re-write a script.

It’s also the stage where you realise how much your film might cost. Remember, ‘the stick figure scratches his head’, takes longer to write than ‘the armies meet’, but will take a lot less time to animate.