COLORSCRIPT
For Feature Animation

Begins October 11th - December 6th (Skipping Saturday November 29th)

Classes are 2 hours long on Saturdays

10 Spots for student who want Feedback

50 Spots for students who want to follow along without feedback.

About Me

Drew Hartel is an Art Director specializing in colorscripts at Skydance Animation. He worked on Academy Award winning films such as Coco, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Cars 3, Blue Eye Samurai, and many more.

In addition to his studio work, Drew developed an original animated series as its creator and executive producer while in development at Apple TV+. He’s passionate about visual storytelling — using color and light as emotional language — and is dedicated to helping the next generation of artists find their unique voice in the world of animated filmmaking.

Course Overview

This course explores the art and craft of colorscripting for animation — distilling the emotional arc of an entire film into a single, powerful visual. Through lectures, demos, and hands-on projects, you’ll learn how to use color, light, and composition to drive story and emotion, just like the pros do at major studios.

Class Schedule

Week 1 — The Big Picture

Intro + History: What is a colorscript? How the craft began, how it’s evolved, and why it’s still one of the most powerful storytelling tools in animation.
Finding Your Voice: Learn to see beyond “pretty” color — start thinking in emotional beats, visual rhythm, and tone.

Week 2 — Building Your Rulebook

Create Your Rules: Every strong colorscript has a clear set of visual “rules.” These rules bring clarity and cohesion, but I’ve been seeing a trend over the last 10+ years where films skip this step — and it weakens the storytelling. We’ll build your unique system so your story sings.

Week 3 — Storytelling Through Palette

Emotion by Color: How color palettes shape the emotional spine of your film.
Art vs. Editing: When to push your instincts and when to step back and simplify.

Week 4 — First Pass: Getting It On the Page

Kickoff: Map your story beats and build your first rough pass — the full emotional journey of your film on one page.

Week 5 — Key Moments: Turning Up the Volume

The Crescendos: Like music, films have emotional key changes. We’ll find your major story beats and make them unforgettable — from big emotional swells to quiet, powerful silences.

Week 6 — Second Pass: Light as Language

Advanced Techniques: Integrate lighting strategies from live-action DPs to add depth and help your script communicate with layout, lighting, vfx and production teams.

Week 7 — Refinement & Collaboration

Navigating Feedback: How to adapt your vision while collaborating with directors, studios, and executives — without losing your voice.

Week 8 — Your Story, Your Future

Final Presentations: Share your completed colorscript.
Career Talk: How to stand out, keep growing your voice, and get hired in today’s animation industry.

What You’ll Walk Away With

• A fully developed colorscript for your own project or a story of your choosing
  
  

• A repeatable process for future films
  
  

• A deeper understanding of how color drives story and emotion
  
  

• A stronger personal voice and portfolio-ready work