The Mechanics of TV Animation

Hank Hill, the sitcom icon, shares many traits with other TV figures. His appearance and voice are instantly recognizable, he boasts a dedicated fanbase, and he occasionally graces magazine covers. However, unlike his live-action counterparts, Hank doesn’t need a lavish dressing room, premium bottled water, or even oxygen to survive. Following in the footsteps of Fred Flintstone and Homer Simpson, Hank exists purely in two dimensions—a fully animated character.

The series "King of the Hill" is a key player in a creative revolution that has transformed TV animation over the last decade and a half. With their advanced humor and mature themes, shows like "King of the Hill," "The Simpsons," and "Family Guy" have proven that animation appeals to more than just children or Saturday morning viewers.

As we’ll explore, these programs are also highly advanced in terms of production. Crafting each episode from concept to airtime involves immense effort. In this article, we’ll connect with the skilled creators of "King of the Hill" to uncover the process behind making animated TV series.

The Big Picture

Creating a live-action TV series follows a relatively simple workflow. Writers develop scripts, actors perform them in front of cameras and a live audience, the footage is edited, and the show is prepared for airing. (While this is a simplified overview, it captures the essence of the production process).

Producing an animated TV series is a much more intricate and time-consuming endeavor, requiring the efforts of numerous individuals over hundreds of hours. In traditional animation, which remains the norm for TV shows, each frame must be hand-drawn. The roughly 20 minutes of footage in a typical half-hour episode comprises approximately 30,000 individual frames.

On average, a half-hour animated show is the result of a nine-month production cycle, encompassing eight key stages:

In the following sections, we’ll explore each stage of the process in detail.

Writing the Script

Each new season of "King of the Hill" begins with the writing team assembling to brainstorm story concepts. After extensive discussions, they refine the ideas into a finalized list. The producers then allocate each story to a specific writer or writing duo.

Once a writer drafts a story outline, a group of writers convenes to review the plot, address potential issues, and generate fresh humor.

Writers for animated series enjoy a unique advantage over live-action writers: they aren’t constrained by practical production limitations. Dave Krinsky, Executive Producer of "King of the Hill," notes, "Since sets aren’t a concern, you can include numerous locations without worrying about the logistical challenges of physical production." Essentially, if a writer can envision it, it can be incorporated into an animated show.

Krinsky also appreciates the creative freedom animation offers, allowing for scenarios that would be challenging with live actors. "Animation creates a slight detachment that you don’t get with real actors," he explains. This detachment enables more daring content, such as an early "King of the Hill" episode where Hank Hill struggles with constipation. "With cartoons, you can push boundaries," Krinsky adds. "We can show things like naked backsides, which most shows, aside from 'NYPD Blue,' wouldn’t dare attempt."

While Krinsky sees few downsides to writing for animation, he acknowledges certain tradeoffs. "There’s a delay in gratification with animation. In live TV, you hear the audience’s laughter and get instant feedback." Without immediate audience reactions, writers and producers must rely on their comedic judgment, often leading to numerous revisions throughout the process.

Table Read

Once the script is finalized by the writer or writing team, the next step is the table read. During this session, the entire cast, all writers, and any available staff members assemble to perform the script aloud.

The table read is a critical step, as it allows writers to hear their dialogue spoken aloud for the first time. Writers and producers closely observe the reactions of those present, noting which elements resonate and which fall flat. For "King of the Hill," the focus is particularly on identifying which lines elicit laughter and which do not.

Following the table read, the writers reconvene to address any issues and refine the script. Together, the writers and producers finalize the script, which is then sent to the recording phase.

Recording and Editing the Soundtrack

Once the script is finalized, the next step is recording the actors' voices. To ensure clarity and eliminate background noise, all voice recordings take place in a studio. The approach varies based on the producer’s style—some shows record each actor individually, capturing multiple takes with different tones and inflections, while others prefer recording actors together, reminiscent of classic radio productions.

It’s not mandatory for the entire cast to be present during the initial recording. Some actors may have prior commitments or scheduling conflicts. In such cases, their lines can be recorded later and seamlessly integrated into the final audio track.

After the dialogue is recorded, the audio track is assembled. Kenny Micka, Co-Producer of "King of the Hill," explains, "Editing the soundtrack takes about two weeks. We compile the recorded parts, select the best takes, and trim it to our target runtime of nineteen minutes and thirty seconds. Our goal is to align the performances with the writers’ and producers’ vision before sending it to Film Roman, our animation studio."

Storyboards and Artwork

The storyboard marks the initial phase of transforming the script’s words into visual art.

A storyboard comprises pages with designated spaces for the director to outline the episode’s animation. Each panel typically features a rough sketch of the action, accompanied by character dialogue and camera instructions below. "While storyboards may appear simple on paper, they hold immense significance," explains Micka. "They serve as the foundation of the show."

In animation, storyboards require extensive detail. "Storyboards convey a wealth of information," Micka notes. "They outline camera angles, shots, and, crucially, provide a sense of timing and character behavior."

The director starts brainstorming storyboard ideas upon receiving the finalized script and begins crafting the final boards once the soundtrack is available.

Once the rough storyboard gets the green light from producers, lead animators start crafting the key drawings for the episode. These artists focus on capturing the pivotal moments of each scene and designing the necessary backgrounds, such as interior settings or street views, rather than fully animating the entire sequence.

To ensure consistency in character appearance, animators rely on character model sheets. These sheets provide detailed illustrations of each character’s proportions, size relative to others, and various poses from multiple angles. This tool is essential for making animated characters behave like real actors. Without it, inconsistencies in size and appearance could arise, disrupting the character’s continuity throughout the show.

The Animatic and the Color

Once the storyboard is approved, the next step is creating an animatic, a rough animated draft often referred to as a "pencil test." This moving storyboard uses photographed pencil-drawn key frames to provide a glimpse of the final product. While characters may move jerkily and lip-syncing may be off, the animatic helps producers assess performances and comedic timing. It also serves as the final opportunity for major story adjustments before moving forward, as changes afterward become costly and time-intensive.

After finalizing the animatic and incorporating all changes, American animators send their key drawings to animation studios in Korea. Korean firms are favored due to their lower operational costs and access to a vast pool of skilled artists, making them a practical choice for American TV producers.

In Korea, the initial step is "in-betweening." For instance, if Hank Hill is flipping a burger on his propane grill, the American animators supply several key frames of this action. The first frame shows Hank with a spatula under the burger, the next depicts his arm slightly raised with the burger in mid-air, and the final frame shows the burger landing back on the grill. Korean animators then animate the frames between these key frames, ensuring smooth motion in the final sequence.

Following in-betweening, the process moves to the ink and paint stage. Animators trace each frame onto clear acetate sheets and fill in the colors. With advancements in computer technology, many shows now handle ink and paint digitally.

Once the ink and paint stage is complete, each transparency is placed over the corresponding background and photographed to create a frame. The developed film is then sent back to the United States for further processing. This final product is referred to as the color.

Editing

Even with a fully animated product, the show may still require adjustments. Errors in the color might need correction, or producers might feel a joke or scene doesn’t meet expectations, prompting further revisions.

Retakes in animation can be expensive, so editors employ creative techniques to achieve the desired outcome. "Through innovative editing, we can implement numerous changes," explains Kenny Micka. "We can reuse animation to have characters deliver new lines or incorporate footage from other episodes. In fact, we’ve constructed entire scenes using shots from different shows—something impossible in live-action production."

This is why characters in animated series typically wear the same outfits every week. This consistency allows for easier reuse of animation from other scenes or episodes.

The Soundtrack and Score

Once the visual edit is finalized, the show is passed to the sound department. Sound engineers refine the vocal tracks and incorporate sound effects, which play a significant role in shaping the show’s tone. "'The Simpsons' leans toward a cartoonish style, highlighted by its exaggerated sound effects," Micka observes. "In contrast, 'King of the Hill' aims for realism, with background sounds like birds chirping, dogs barking, and lawnmowers running."

"Music also significantly influences a show’s tone," Micka adds. "For 'King of the Hill,' an acoustic guitar often complements the mood, though we’ve also utilized full orchestras when the story demanded it."

Once the sound department compiles all audio elements, they balance the tracks to ensure clarity. It’s crucial to prevent background music from overpowering a character’s dialogue or to avoid sound effects being excessively loud.

Following nine months of effort, the episode is complete. The production company sends a high-definition master tape to the network, which then airs it via cable, satellite, and broadcast channels. By this stage, numerous other episodes are already in progress at various phases of production.