Budgeting Time for One Webtoon Episode: From Storyboard to Post-Editing

Why you should record your time

The biggest reason webtoon artists are chased by deadlines is that they don't know exactly how long an episode takes. You start by gut feeling, thinking "two days should do it," and it keeps stretching to three or four.

First, record the time for each stage while working on this episode. You can use a timer or a work-log app, or write start and end times on paper. After at least three episodes you will have an average.

Finding the bottleneck

Looking at the log, the stage that takes longest stands out. The way to improve differs depending on whether line art or coloring takes longer. If one stage accounts for 40% or more of the total, that is your bottleneck. Cutting just 20% from one stage shrinks the total time considerably.

Saving time: draw less

• Reduce the number of panels at the storyboard stage. One fewer panel cuts both line art and coloring time
• Draw a complicated background in detail once and build later panels around the characters
• Make frequently appearing backgrounds into reusable assets (within the limits of copyright)
• Duplicate crowds and repeated elements you've made once
• Save your frequently used effect lines and speech-bubble styles as presets and load them

Saving time: organize how you work

1. Batch similar kinds of work. Finish all the line art for an episode in one go and then do all the coloring to cut the time lost switching tools.
2. Put the hardest work (character expressions, panels where direction matters) in your most focused time of day.
3. Work in blocks such as 50 minutes of work + 10 minutes of rest, and loosen your wrists and shoulders during the breaks.
4. Organize your shortcuts and workspace. Even a few seconds saved on repeated actions adds up to a lot over an episode.

Calculating your release cycle and buffer

Using your recorded average, multiply by the working hours you have in a week. If one episode takes 33 hours and you can spend 25 hours a week, a weekly release is a stretch. In that case you need to release every two weeks, shorten each episode, or increase your working hours.

Before you start a serial, I recommend building a buffer of at least three episodes. With a buffer, your release won't be interrupted if you suddenly get sick or something comes up.

Health and working speed

Working while seated for long hours builds fatigue in your shoulders, wrists and eyes, which slows your work in the long run. Cutting rest to save time often backfires. Include rest and stretching time in your work plan in advance.

Try it yourself: log the time for this episode

Records are most useful once you have about three episodes. One episode alone is heavily affected by chance, so record at least three in the same way.

1. Get a timer or recording tool ready when you start working.
2. Write down the time each time the stage changes (script, storyboard, line art, coloring, post-editing).
3. When an episode is done, calculate the total per stage and the overall proportions.
4. Choose one thing to cut from the stage with the biggest share (number of panels, backgrounds, effects) and apply it to the next episode.