Storyboarding
Read Orbiting the Giant Hairball Chapters 5- 10 Think about what you read. How do all these stories apply to being creative? What is the author encouraging you to do? How can his ideas help you to be more creative?
Watch Five Loaves and Two Fishes | Dallas Jenkins | 2024 Consider how failure and trials lead you to success and doing what God truly wants for you.
This week we are learning about Storyboarding. Right about now you may be asking yourself: What is Storyboarding? Well I am glad you asked. Let’s get into it. Over the last couple months, we have come up with a story idea and then written a script for our stories. Hopefully we have a good idea of the who’s and what’s and when’s and why’s of the story. But now we have to start thinking of the where’s and the how’s. Storyboarding is some of the first things you can do when visually planning out what your film will look like.
A storyboard is a graphic representation of how your video will unfold, shot by shot. It’s made up of a number of squares with illustrations or pictures representing each shot, with notes about what’s going on in the scene and what’s being said in the script during that shot. Think of it as sort of a comic book version of your script.
A storyboard is your roadmap when you make a video. Like a script, your storyboard visually guides you throughout the production process. By planning your video, you know which shots you need to create and how to create them when filming begins. You can get others’ feedback early on and make simple adjustments to your storyboard, rather than making major changes while filming.
To make a good storyboard, you don’t need to be a visual artist (though you can be). A storyboard can be anything from comic book-like rough sketches to stick figures to computer-generated drawings. To help you plan your own video, we’ll walk through the basics of creating storyboards, including:
- The basic elements of every storyboard
- A breakdown of two popular storyboarding methods
Understanding different ways to storyboard, you’ll be set to visually plan your own video. Regardless of your budget or design experience, you’ll be able to create a clear map that seamlessly guides you through production.
Why do you need a storyboard
Creating a storyboard might just sound like an extra step in the process of making a video, but trust us, it’s a step you won’t want to ignore. Here are three reasons why you need a storyboard:
Best way to share your vision
A visual aid makes it much easier for you to share and explain your vision for your video with others.
We’ve all had experiences where we were trying to explain something and the other person just can’t see our vision. The core of this issue is that most stakeholders don’t have the experience of visualizing something off of a text deliverable, such as a script.
With a storyboard, you can show people exactly how your video is going to be mapped out and what it will look like. This makes it infinitely easier for other people to understand your idea.
Makes production much easier
When you storyboard a video you’re setting up a plan for production, including all the shots you’ll need, the order that they’ll be laid out, and how the visuals will interact with the script.
The video storyboard is a starting point or suggested through line around which you can plan your coverage (all the angles you will shoot of a scene). This really comes in handy when you’re making your video, as it ensures you won’t forget any scenes and helps you piece together the video according to your vision.
Saves you time
While it may take you a little while to put your storyboard together, in the long run, it will save you time in revisions later. Not only will it help you explain your vision to your team, but it will also make the creation process go more smoothly.
How to create a storyboard
Ultimately, a storyboard is a series of images representing each frame of your video. How you put the storyboard together, and how much detail you add, is up to you — you can do it on paper, in a word processing program, or using specialized software.
Here’s how to go about creating a storyboard for your video:
CREATE A BLANK STORYBOARD
The first step in creating a storyboard is to draw a series of squares on a piece of paper
Hereare a couple examples of a blank storyboard:
(You can also find tons of printable storyboard templates on Google). Don’t worry about your drawing skills — stick figures will suffice. Just make sure to leave room to jot down the accompanying text (whether it appears on the screen or is spoken by your characters or narrator) for each visual.
Think of these squares as the video frame. In each square, a different shot or scene will take place. You can sketch the scenes by hand, create them on a computer, or even take photographs. Make sure to leave space to write notes and lines from the script beneath or next to each frame.
For best results make your frames the same aspect ratio as you will be filming. (Widescreen format vs. Square.)
Add your script
Beneath each picture, write the lines from the script that will be spoken in that scene and jot down some notes about what is happening.
Your storyboard should read like a comic book, so readers (coworkers, clients, etc.) can get a sense of exactly what will happen in your video.
Sketch your story
Next, you should sketch how each scene will look visually. Note that your storyboard doesn’t have to be incredibly detailed — you don’t have to draw in all of the props or even use color. (Hint: You don’t have to be great at drawing either. Bad drawings are far better than no drawings at all.)
Just provide enough visual detail to give an impression of what is happening, which characters are in the scene, and what the general framing will look like. The script and notes will help fill in the rest of the details.
You can also make notes about camera angles and movement, transitions between shots, and other details that will come in handy during production and post-production.
Not everyone has the time or skill for such storyboards, but this level of detail is especially helpful for complex projects with a variety of stakeholders.
Whatever method you choose, be sure that your storyboard conveys what’s happening in the frame, the setting, which characters are present, any essential props, and what text (if any) will appear on the screen and where. You can also include important notes about camera angles and movements, transitions between shots, and any other production or post-production details.
Go-to storyboard checklist
Whether they’re drawn by an artist or diagrammed on a computer, all storyboards share the same information. They need to touch on the main actions, speech, and effects in every shot to clearly communicate how a video will appear.
Here are the key elements that every storyboard should include:
- Shot images: Individual panels featuring 2D drawings to show what’s happening—actions, characters—throughout a video
- Shot number: The number indicating when a shot appears according to a video’s shot list
- Action: The primary activity happening in a shot
- Dialogue (or narration: Any speech that is heard throughout a video
- FX: Technical details that explain how the shot is created in production and post-production (e.g. aspect ratio, camera angles, camera movement, shot type, sound effects, special effects)
A full storyboard has all of the information necessary to imagine how your finished video will appear. Reviewing your images and notes for each shot, you and your team can brainstorm how your video should be adjusted and what resources you will need in production.
Popular storyboarding methods
When most people hear the word “storyboard,” they think of a professional animator quickly sketching out a cartoon feature film.
As it turns out, a storyboard doesn’t have to be a work of art—it doesn’t even have to be hand-drawn. With video production software, there are options for all types of users—regardless of their industry, design experience, or budget—to create useful professional-grade storyboards.
Hand-drawn storyboards
The classic storyboarding process is drawing by hand. You sketch out a mock-up of what each shot will look like.
As mentioned, you don’t need to be a great artist to create a storyboard—stick figures are enough. The principal goal is to convey the main action that is happening in the shot, so each frame doesn’t need to be very detailed.
Here’s another example
Here the artist had opted to use 3 squares with the info, dialogue, etc to the right of the squares. Use which ever method works best for you to communicate what you are thinking.
A typical storyboard frame won’t cover more than 6 seconds of a film. Don’t worry about specific times per frame. but do think about changing camera angels to keep the audience form getting bored.
Some shots can be used multiple times and not need to be redrawn – think conversation between two people switching back and forth views of who’s speaking, you konw stuff like that.)
Here are some tips that can help you:
What message are you trying to deliver?
Show, don’t tell. Use the storyboard as a litmus test to determine if your story is truly being visualized.
Be cinematic. Does your video do things that movies do? Do people, places, and things move or stand still? Does the camera move? Keep these factors in mind and bring them all together to create a cinematic video.
Make sure it’s logical and coherent. You’re creating a story, so the video should look visually consistent from beginning to end
Pick a theme. If you want to create a video infographic, add relevant charts and graphs. If you want to highlight a customer’s pain point, show a character on screen and take them through a journey.
Include all relevant details. Break up your script into smaller chunks and make note of important information:
What is the setting or background for the scene?
Is there a character on the screen? If so, what action is the character performing?
What props are in the scene? This should fit in with the context of the background/setting you’re using
Will any text appear on the screen? What is the size, color, and position of the text?
That’s a lot- I know- Now watch some stuff. Hopefully they explain it better than above.
NOW WHAT?
Watch a movie. Choose from one of the following: The Iron Giant, Wreck it Ralph, or The Empire Strikes Back. Pick a scene in that movie and draw out a storyboard for that scene. You are simply drawing what you already see. Your goal here is to practice creating a storyboard without having to come up with the compositions, camera angles, or transitions, etc. on your own. Those problems have already been solved for you.
Practice storyboarding one of these commercials (see below). Notice how the shots help to tell the story. By simply changing how we view the situation we are shown much of the story. How many shots are in each scene? How long are the shots? What happens in each shot?
Start creating a storyboard for your group film. Consider how many scenes your movie will need. Pick a couple scenes (you may want to discuss with your team which scenes each person should work on) and break down how many shots you want for each scene. (Any time you change what the camera is looking at is a different shot.) Sketch out a story board for your scene. Be sure to include enough information to clearly communicate how you want to see this film. Don’t worry about storyboarding the entire film at this point. You will have all winter break to worry about that.
This year, in addition to your group film project, you will each individually also be responsible to create a 15-30 second commercial for a product. Start thinking about a product you would like to make a commercial for. It can be a real product or an entirely fictional one. Come up with an idea and start writing and storyboarding your commercial.
Here’s a list of fictional products to get your creative juices flowing- you are welcome to choose one of these- or come up with your own:
Invisi-Drink – A beverage that turns invisible after you take a sip.
Mood Socks – Socks that change color based on your mood.
Smart Spaghetti – Pasta that cooks itself when you think about it.
Time-Traveling Toaster – A toaster that sends your breakfast back in time.
Eco-Bubble Wrap – Sustainable bubble wrap that grows plants when popped.
Scented Homework – Homework that smells like your favorite food for motivation.
Unicorn Toothpaste – A toothpaste that sparkles and promises magical smiles.
Chameleon Phone Case – A phone case that changes color and pattern at will.
Mood Ring Oven Mitts – Oven mitts that reflect your cooking mood.
Teleporting Lunchbox – A lunchbox that teleports your meal to you when you’re hungry.
Infinite Notepad – A notepad that never runs out of paper.
Caffeinated Air Freshener – An air freshener that gives you a caffeine boost.
Pocket-Sized Time Machine – A compact time machine for spontaneous adventures.
Dance-Activated Floor Tiles – Floor tiles that dance along with you.
Personal Weather Cloud – A cloud that follows you around with your preferred weather.
Soundtrack Shoes – Shoes that play a theme song as you walk.
Magic Marker – A marker that brings your drawings to life for a short time.
Teleporting Toenail Clippings – Clippings that teleport to the nearest trash can.
Invisible Snack Pack – A bag of snacks that are always invisible until you eat them.
Scream-Proof Pillow – A pillow that absorbs all sounds when you scream into it.
Eternal Bubble Gum – Gum that never loses flavor, no matter how long you chew it.
Instant Friend Generator – A device that creates a new friend every time you press a button.
Banana Phone – A phone that only works when you’re holding a banana.
Mood Ring Pizza – A pizza that changes toppings based on your emotional state.
Reverse Microwave – A microwave that instantly cools your food instead of heating it.
Invisible Cloak for Pets – A cloak that makes your pets invisible (and very confused).
Singing Toilet Brush – A toilet brush that sings show tunes while you clean.
Wormhole Backpack – A backpack that opens to a random place in the universe.
Pillow with Built-in GPS – A pillow that helps you navigate your dreams.
Pet Rock with Attitude – A rock that gives unsolicited advice and sarcastic comments.
Self-Watering Plant Pants – Pants that water your plants for you (not always accurately).
Frog-Scented Air Freshener – An air freshener that smells like a lily pad.
Mood-Boosting Scented Erasers – Erasers that smell like positive affirmations.
Wind-Up Personal Trainer – A wind-up doll that gives fitness advice and motivational speeches.
Instant Haircut Spray – A spray that gives you the perfect haircut in seconds (results may vary).
Invisible Pizza Cutter – A pizza cutter you can’t see but definitely works… maybe.
Self-Spilling Water Bottle – A water bottle that spills water whenever you try to drink from it.
Perpetual Motion Treadmill – A treadmill that runs on its own while you just sit there.
Out-of-Tune Guitar – A guitar that only plays the worst notes imaginable (for avant-garde music).
Magnetically Challenged Refrigerator – A fridge that repels magnets instead of attracting them.
Holographic Air Freshener – An air freshener that projects a hologram of fresh air.
Shower-Activated Towel – A towel that refuses to dry you off unless you sing in the shower.
Self-Wrapping Gift – A gift that wraps itself but is never the right size.
Giant Rubber Duck Surveillance – A rubber duck that claims to watch your every move.
Eternally Frustrating Puzzle – A puzzle that can never be completed, no matter what.
Sleepytime Alarm Clock – An alarm that gently sings you back to sleep instead of waking you.
Reverse Magnifying Glass – A magnifying glass that makes everything smaller.
Voice-Activated Spoon – A spoon that only works when you whisper sweet nothings to it.
Nonsensical GPS – A GPS that gives you directions based on random movie quotes.
Socks That Argue – Socks that bicker with each other every time you put them on.
Get creative. Do great work! And as always. Have Fun!
