DancingBoard: Streamlining the Creation of Motion Comics to Enhance Narratives

TL;DR

DancingBoard tackles the barrier of amateur motion comic creation by combining formative research, a structured design space for object actions, and an AI-assisted, guided authoring workflow. The system frames narrative text with GPT-4o, defines atomic animation operations and eight action types, and provides a Canvas-based editor with a supporting asset library. Two user studies show that DancingBoard reduces workload and accelerates production while delivering storytelling that is comprehensible to audiences, comparable in effectiveness to professional tools. Collectively, the work offers a practical path toward low-threshold, high-ceiling motion-comic authoring and discusses directions for deeper AI integration and richer design capabilities.

Abstract

Motion comics, a digital animation format that enhances comic book narratives, have wide applications in storytelling, education, and advertising. However, their creation poses significant challenges for amateur creators, primarily due to the need for specialized skills and complex workflows. To address these issues, we conducted an exploratory survey (N=58) to understand the challenges associated with creating motion comics, and an expert interview (N=4) to identify a typical workflow for creation. We further analyzed $95$ online motion comics to gain insights into the design space of character and object actions. Based on our findings, we proposed DancingBoard, an integrated authoring tool designed to simplify the creation process. This tool features a user-friendly interface and a guided workflow, providing comprehensive support throughout each step of the creation process. A user study involving 23 creators showed that, compared to professional tools, DancingBoard is easily comprehensible and provides improved guidance and support, requiring less effort from users. Additionally, a separate study with $18$ audience members confirmed the tool's effectiveness in conveying the story to its viewers.

Figures (12)

• Figure 1: A comparison between static comics ((A): The Black Terror #11StaticMotionExample) and motion comics ((B): The AccountantAccountant) reveals a key difference in storytelling techniques. The adaptation of static comics to motion comics typically follows a "Cinematic Approach" smith2015motion, where the presentation resembles animation or film. While static comics rely on panels and gutters (the spaces between panels) to convey the narrative, motion comics employ a full-screen canvas with animation effects applied to the visual elements, resulting in a more dynamic and immersive experience.
• Figure 2: The findings from the exploratory survey touch upon three main aspects: (A) proficiency levels in acquiring professional skills, (B) frequently used tools for motion comics creation, and (C) potential challenges encountered during the creation process.
• Figure 3: The design space for object actions is organized into categories based on six atomic animations and eight fundamental types of action. Each card displays icons in the bottom-right corner indicating the atomic animations that constitute the action.
• Figure 4: The Outline Browser facilitates seamless toggling between two modes: (1) displaying the original text and (2) presenting an outline for each scene. In the outline view (2), all specific actions are listed chronologically from top to bottom. Users can access built-in animation suggestions by clicking the button.
• Figure 5: The Visual Element Editor offers two distinct modes: (1) Overview Mode, which presents all characters and items in the story when no scene is selected, and (2) Scene Mode, which exclusively showcases visual elements pertinent to the selected scene. In either mode, users can seamlessly transition to the editing panel by clicking, enabling them to adjust the visual design of elements.