Arts >> Movies & TV >> Film Production

Storyboard Directions

Storyboards are visual blueprints for shooting films. To the casual observer they look somewhat like a crude comic book: a series of frames illustrating the story of the film. In practice, storyboards are a useful guide for directors, cinematographers, stunt coordinators and special effects artists. The specific needs of a production determine the storyboard approach a filmmaker should take. Some films may not require storyboards at all.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pencil/pen
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Decide on the visual style of your film. Use storyboards if your film is heavy on effects or relies on non-verbal and visual storytelling, but don't if you allow extensive improvisation and flexibility to your actors. Revisit films created in a style similar to yours and examine their use of shot selection and editing.

    • 2

      Make a basic shot list comprised of brief descriptions rather than developed sketches. Choose your close-ups, medium shots and long shots, and from which general directions. Have an idea of the visual progression of a scene before beginning a detailed storyboard, and make this list while on the actual scene location.

    • 3

      Sketch your storyboard. Storyboards are not comic books. Visual and character detail is unimportant. Shading is only useful as a guide to light and shadow for your cinematographer. Cinema is a medium of movement and your storyboards should convey movements required of the camera and of your actors within the frame.

    • 4

      Edit your storyboard. Each additional set-up can add hours to production time. Artistically, the fewer shots you have, the more impact each remaining shot will have. Alternatively, you may find the sequence not entirely comprehensible and a new shot may be necessary to visually complete the scene.

Film Production

Related Categories