Story Bards

Story Bards is an Italian boutique previsualization and animation studio based in Sarzana, Liguria. Founded in 2022 by storyboard supervisor Alessio Menghi and creative project manager Maria Cristina Menghi, the studio functions as a specialized narrative and previsualization unit for international animation houses, television broadcasters, game developers, and commercial agencies.

Operating under the philosophy that a storyboard is a critical architectural blueprint for production, the studio focuses on de-risking projects by aligning narrative pacing, shot readability, and production feasibility before high-budget animation begins. Their approach bridges creative storytelling with rigorous project management, including scheduling, budget control, and risk assessment.

Core Capabilities

Story Bards integrates traditional artistic techniques with modern digital pipelines. Their technical expertise spans:

• Previsualization & Storyboarding: From initial beat boards and thumbnailing to final clean-up boards.
• Animatics: Creating dynamic visual prototypes with temp voice-overs and 3D background staging.
• Consulting: Script interpretation, structural rewriting, and sequence polishing to ensure production-ready assets.
• Creative Management: Providing production scheduling, team development, and pipeline management services.

Production Philosophy

The studio emphasizes the strategic value of the pre-production phase, operating on the principle that "everything downstream is expensive." By acting as partners rather than mere executioners, the team works closely with client executives to ensure that the visual narrative is both creatively compelling and technically efficient. Their work supports a diverse range of formats, including preschool and kids' television, young adult animation, anime, feature films, and game cinematics.

In addition to client-commissioned work, the studio develops original intellectual property, such as the 2D comedy-mystery series Detective Nuts, and provides professional training and masterclasses on specialized workflows, including Blender-based storyboarding and advanced staging techniques.