STORYBOARDING 101

@Danijsanderson

WHAT IS A STORYBOARD?

A storyboard is the step-by-step representation of the visual stories of

planned videos and films (live action or animated), most often using still

pictures and type to represent moving pictures and sound.

Concept: distills the project down to the minimum number of views

necessary to tell the story.

Production or shooting: provides more detailed information for a

production crew.

GETTING STARTED

Research and brainstorm for a concept.

Account for format and aspect ratio.

Experiment with visual composition using thumbnail sketches.

The elements of design: space, line, shape, size, pattern, texture, and

value.

The principles of design: focal point, contrast, balance, movement,

rhythm, perspective, and unity.

You don’t have to be an artist to create a storyboard.

You can sketch out your ideas with rough drawings and stick figures.

You can use, mix and match stock images, whether photography or

line art.

FRAMING THE SHOT

How to frame a scene within the four corners of the screen.

FRAMING THE SHOT

How to frame a scene within the four corners of the screen.

PERSPECTIVE

How deeply the viewer sees into the shot.

PERSPECTIVE

POINT OF VIEW

Whose eye is supposed to be doing the looking?

While the viewing audience is always the implied eye, you can

nudge the audience to identify with different points of view in the

story:

Omniscient third-person observing the story.

Participating in the story by seeing with the same eye as

the protagonist or the villain.

As a third person within the scene, etc.

POINT OF VIEW

Tweet an image from a particular point of view and explain its effect.

Omniscient third-person observing the story.

Participating in the story by seeing with the same eye as

the protagonist or the villain.

As a third person within the scene, etc.

@Danijsanderson

CAMERA ANGLE

A canted or tilted camera creates a sense of unease by tilting the

horizon line and upsetting the viewer’s visual equilibrium.

Framing the shot from above, as if looking down on the focal

point, can make the focal point seem small, insignificant, and

powerless.

CAMERA ANGLE

CAMERA ANGLE

Shooting the focal point from below can have the opposite effect,

communicating larger size and power.

You don’t always have to shoot from the front. You may decide to

shoot from behind, from the side, or at a 45° angle. Mix it up, but

make sure it suits your subject matter and tone.

MOVEMENT

Panning: a stationary camera that sweeps across the scene.

In a truck: usually accomplished with a camera on a dolly trucking

sideways across the scene.

Handheld: the cameraperson holds the camera as he or she walks

or runs through the scene.

Steadicam: a kind of harness the cameraperson wears to hold the

camera steady during a handheld scene.

MOVEMENT

Tracking shot: a stationary camera tracks along with a moving

focal point.

Push shots: pushes into the scene. In a zoom, a stationary camera

pushes into the scene by using the lens to zoom in on the focal point.

In a dolly shot, the camera itself, positioned on a dolly, moves or

pushes toward the focal point.

CONTINUITYaka: My biggest pet-peeve.

Each shot must build on the previous one and prepare for the next

for narrative continuity.

Beginnings should capture attention immediately and establish the

relevant Ws (who, what, where, when, and why).

Middles do exposition and drama: convey information and evoke

emotions.

Endings put closure on the tale or ask for the sale.

TRANSITIONS

Cutaway: “cuts away” from the main action by inserting something

else going on simultaneously in the scene.

Cut-in or insert: “cuts in” or “inserts” a close-up shot of

something significant to the meaning of the scene.

TRANSITIONS

Wipe

Dissolve

Fade

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4nJS-LPcFfw#t=155

LIGHTING

Key light: the main light source in the shot.

Fill light: supplements the key light by filling in unwanted shadows

for less contrast.

Backlight: light source used to highlight the focal point from

behind to give it contrast and dimension.

LIGHTING

Soft light: evens out shadows to decrease harsh contrasts.

Hard light: emphasizes shadows, thus contrast, including shadows.

Light shining directly from above or below can form sinister shadows,

especially on people’s faces.

Backlighting can make a focal point appear angelic, powerful or

significant.

Side lighting casts long shadows and increases the sense of three-

dimensional space.

LIGHTING

Tweet an example of dramatic lighting

and what effect you think it has.

@Danijsanderson

TYPE

Super: any type or graphic superimposed over a picture.

Crawl: moving type running—or crawling—across the screen.

These are most common on newscasts. Or at the beginning of every

Star Wars movie.

When using a super type, design for typographic readability and

legibility.

AUDIO

If your storyboard includes audio, you have to represent it visually

on the storyboard by using textual direction.

Using a script setup, type your audio direction to correspond with

visuals.

Specify direction for things such as music, sound effects (SFX),

visual effects (FX), or an off-screen voice, narrator, or announcer

(ANNCR), which is called a voiceover (VO).

@Danijsanderson

Complete this brief storyboard: visual and audio directions (including SFX,

music, and/or VO).

AFTER THE STORYBOARD

Spec cuts, videomatics, animatics, or ripomatics: using software to

roughly cut together stock, archived, or homemade footage, stills,

animated illustrations, or cartoons to see how the storyboard might

look in live action.

Spec cuts are used to persuade the financial backer to sink money

into your project.

AFTER THE STORYBOARD

Spec cuts, videomatics, animatics, or ripomatics: using software to

roughly cut together stock, archived, or homemade footage, stills,

animated illustrations, or cartoons to see how the storyboard might

look in live action.

Spec cuts are used to persuade the financial backer to sink money

into your project.

KISS

As a beginner, focus on generating a killer concept. No amount of

money can make a bad concept look good.

If it isn’t vital to the story, cut it.

Be smart, have fun, and, as they say, “Break a leg.”