Animated storyboard — still images sequenced with temp audio and music. Pre-production visualization tool or financing pitch device.
Before the first clap, we show the producer, studio, or financier what we have in mind — and that's precisely what we use a Leica Reel for. The thing is essentially a moving storyboard: photographs or painted images are laid out one after another at editing pace, underscored with temporary music, sound design, and possibly a not-yet-finalized voice-over. The result is a 3- to 15-minute test format that makes the dramaturgy, pacing, and emotional curve of a scene — or even the entire film — tangible before a single minute has been shot.
The format owes its name to the Leica camera — photographic documentation was long the medium of choice for quickly creating image sequences. Today, we just as often work with digital illustrations, 3D renders, or even raw footage from tests. The workflow is pragmatic: the story artist or production designer draws key frames, we scan or digitize them, the editor lays them out at the desired length, the sound designer builds initial atmospheres. The whole thing sits in Final Cut or Premiere — no motion design needed, pure timing and emotion.
The practical value lies in being able to make decisions without burning money on set. A director with uncertain image composition can experiment with the Leica Reel: faster cuts? Longer takes? Different music cue? All of this can be tested at a fraction of the shooting costs. At the same time, it's a sales tool — investors see that we know where we're going, not just that we have an idea. For complex action sequences, visual effects, or unconventional narrative structures, a well-made Leica Reel is often the deciding factor between financing and rejection.
Important: The format is a means, not an end. A beautiful Leica Reel doesn't mask a bad story, but it makes good ideas visible before they become expensive. Some editors and directors even work with it continuously — editing the Leica Reel parallel to pre-production, refining it with every new reference material until it becomes the blueprint for the shoot.