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How to Draw a Storyboard in Hours

A storyboard is one way of telling a story in pictures with little or no writing. It is similar in format to a comic book except that it often includes cues for camera movement and editing. Storyboards translate a film or play's script -- or perhaps a single, complex scene -- into picture format so that everyone can see how it plays out visually. The storyboard, used for decades in Hollywood, can help determine how a scene in a live film, animated film or play is staged, cast and produced before any crew members are involved.

Things You'll Need

  • Lined paper
  • Pencil
  • Colored pencils (optional)
  • Story script
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Instructions

    • 1

      A common way to organize the storyboard is chronologically by hour. Write down on a piece of lined paper the hours that you want your storyboard to cover. Leave five to 10 lines between each hour. For example, you might write "8 a.m." on line one, skip seven lines and write "9 a.m." Keep this up until you include every hour you want included in your project.

    • 2

      Describe under each hour what happens in the script during that time frame. These are the concepts that you want to convey in that section of the storyboard. If a character wakes up, eats breakfast and takes a shower during the 8 a.m. time frame then write those things under that hour.

    • 3

      Draw one picture for each hour that shows the things you listed under that time. You are representing what the audience will see in the frame of a television or movie screen. An untrained artist can use stick figures, just so long as closeups, wide shots and camera angles are clear.

    • 4

      Add a time box in the upper right or left hand corner of each image to show which hour the picture portrays. Alternatively, you can draw an entire section of boxes for each hour of the story on one page and then flip a page to draw boxes for the next hour of the story.

    • 5

      Add words or color to each of the boxes, if necessary. If you add words, write them underneath the picture box or inside the box as character dialogue. This helps others understand what is happening in the story. Your storyboard is done.

Film Production

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