Artists Alley: Disney Head of Story Josie Trinidad sketches Ralph Breaks the Internet storyboards

Have you ever wondered what it takes to bring an animated movie to life? In many ways, it's more complicated than live-action films. While both media employ storyboard artists, animators have to remain hyper-focused on the visuals even at the earliest stages of the film.

It's a process that Disney Head of Story Josie Trinidad knows well. She previously worked on projects like Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph before being promoted to overseeing the Story team. Essentially, it's now her job to figure out how to translate the script into a visual medium before the animators get their hands on it.

For the latest installment of SYFY WIRE's Artists Alley series, Trinidad demonstrated her craft by revisiting one of her most recent films, Ralph Breaks the Internet. Along the way, Trinidad also shared a few details about how she climbed the ladder at Disney.

"I started at Disney about 14 years ago," recalled Trinidad. "I started as a Story trainee, and it was one of the first times that Disney had this position ... I always knew I wanted to get into Story. Previously, they would have animation interns, and I was a terrible animator."

Trinidad enlisted the help of one of her college teachers, who had gone on to work for Disney himself. That assist allowed Trinidad to pounce on an opportunity once it finally came up.

"I applied, I did a Story test, and then I was accepted," added Trinidad. "After the mentorship, I started to work on The Princess and The Frog and some shorts."

Additionally, the closing seconds of this video include the final sequence as realized in Ralph Breaks the Internet. Check out the full video to see that and more of Trinidad's techniques in action!