Story Boarding

The story board allows you, and other people who are looking at it, to see what will be in the film. They allow the film maker to pre visualise their ideas and refine then in the same way a script writer refines their ideas through a succession of drafts. It also serves as the clearest language to communicate ideas to the entire production team eg. camera operators, actors (anyone who is working on the film).
For a story board, you will need include:
- shot type --> e.g.. wides shot/long shot, medium shot, close up, extreme close up, low angle, high angle. USE A WIDE VARIETY OF SHOTS
- camera position --> Use arrows to show zooming into a shot or zooming out.
- details about dialoge, camera action
- camera position - high camera angle, low camera angle, level camera angle, long shot
- Use action quotes - e.g. numbers on the clock flick to 6:39 am -- e.g.. point of view from the door way.
illustrating camera movement/action
--arrows
--time lapse
--zoom in box

Pan: A steady, sweeping movement from one point in a scene to another.
POV: (point of view shot): A shot which is understood to be seen from the point of view of a character within the scene.
Reaction Shot: A shot of someone looking off screen or a reaction shot can also be a shot of someone in a conversation where they are not given a line of dialogue but are just listening to the there person speak
Tilt: Using a camera trip, the camera moves up or down to follow the action
Zoom: Use of the camera lens to move closely toward the subject
Close-up Shot: A close range of distance between the camera and the subject
Dissolve: A transition between two shots, where one shot fades away and simultaneously another shot fade in
Fade: A tradition from a shot to black where the image gradually becomes brighter is a fade in
Jump cup: A rapid, jerky tansition form one frame to the next, either disruption the flow of time or movement within a scene or making an abrupt transition from on scene to another.

A storyboard is an illustrated version of the script in a production. The director will use it as a first visual draft of what should be done in a film or a television series. The storyboard is a very effective way to communicate what a director wants in their project. A script can be interpreted in many different ways, but a storyboard doesn’t leave much place for interpretation.

In animation, the storyboard will contain all the important information needed for the production:

• A basic idea of the layout

• The script

• The dialogue

• The duration of each scenes

• The camera move if there is any

• Character or element actions

• Sometimes even mood or colour.

What’s in a Panel?

A panel is one specific action or moment in a storyboard. One drawing is one panel. You will find all sorts of information in a single panel.

The Action

The action is what is going on at the moment in the storyboard. The character or characters poses should be clear and to-the-point. Arrows can be used to help explain what is going with the action also. (for example, if a character is walking in a certain direction, you might want to use an arrow to show the path)  

Action Notes

Action Notes are extra information to help understand what is taking place in the storyboard. Not every panel has notes but there should be enough so that no one is confused by what is going on in the board.

Dialogue

Dialogues (if there are any) should be included in the specified box. Simply copy the dialogue from the script and paste or type it into the dialogue box.

Arrows

Arrows are a clear way to indicate to the viewer what is going on. They can be drawn in all sizes and directions to show perspective in movement. Use them as often as you need to make your storyboard clear.

Panel Annotations

Panel Annotations as shown in the above example are important. Sometimes, they are put inside arrows, sometimes just like here, inside a circle. This is up to the storyboard artist. Characters coming in or going out of a panel should be clearly indicated as this makes a big different in a scene.

Camera Moves

Camera moves should also be included in the panel. A camera move should be marked as shown in the above image. You should have the first frame for the starting point and the second frame for the ending of the move. Then arrows can indicate the direction of the move.

What’s in a Scene?

A scene is contains panels. It can have one panel, or many. All panels in a scene will have the same background and each panel will have different actions in it, so that when you watch them in an animatic, it will look animated. The images above are a good example, notice how the framing of all the panels are the same, but the wolf and the house each have actions that, when put together, look like they are animated?

Camera Shots

If you plan on creating storyboards, you will need to learn about the different camera shots that you can use in your scenes. The following is a list of some commonly used shots. Start with these, then, do a little more research to learn about new shots and try to integrate them in your future storyboards.

The Establishing Shot

The establishing shot lays the groundwork for the context of a scene by showing the relationship between the characters and their location. It is usually used to indicate where a scene takes place.

The Long Shot

The long shot is used to show the entire object or character and puts it in some way in relation to its surroundings. Unlike with the establishing shot, the long shot will not necessarily show the full scenery around the characters. It is used to show what is going on, not where the characters are located.

The Medium Shot

There are many definitions for the medium shots. Depending on whom you might talk to, it will slightly vary. But the medium shot usually is a mid-shot view of a character (from the waist up).

The Close-Up

The close-up is when a scene tightly frames a character or an object. This shot will show a lot of details about the subject for rarely includes any background element. Such a shot will suggest emphasis on the character’s emotions or a very specific detail that is important to the story.

The Extreme Close-Up

The extreme close-up is a magnified view of a small object. That object will usually fill the entire screen, this way the audience can only focus on that element and nothing else.

Camera Moves

The following are three basic camera moves you can use in your storyboard projects. • Zoom In • Zoom Out • Pan Camera moves are used to direct the audience to the important part of your scene. You can hide elements that you might not want them to know about right away. It can also give a whole new perspective on a scene or a situation by revealing an important part of your scene.

Zoom In

This type of camera move is when the camera moves in from wider shot to closer shot. (for example, from a medium shot to a close-up). Depending on the speed of the camera move, it can either bring a lot of action to a scene or slowly direct the audience to a specific detail in the scene.

Zoom Out

The zoom out is the opposite of zoom in. Instead, you will go from a closer shot to a wider shot. (for example a close-up to a medium shot). This type of move can be very quick or slow.

 Pan

In animation, the pan is the horizontal or vertical movement of the camera. The pan is often used so that your audience can view across a wide panorama that doesn’t fit in the camera frame.

Staging the Action

Staging which is a term taken from theatre, it refers to placing the characters at the ideal position on the stage so that the story events are clear. In animation and storyboard, staging will refer to trying out different arrangements on paper to find the best presentation for a scene, so that it is clear and dynamic. A great way to stage a scene is to create a little diagram like the image above. An overview of the whole set will allow you do have a clear idea of what you should see in the panels you will draw in your storyboard.

 Show, Don’t Tell

Remember that animation is a visual medium. You shouldn’t depend on the dialogue to explain what is going on in a scene or in the whole story. The viewers will understand quicker if you can clearly show what is going on, instead of actually having a character say what is going on.

Here are some examples of visual cues you can use to explain elements in a story:

• Use the character’s surroundings to explain what kind of person he/she is. A messy room will tell use about their personality. Or maybe he is artistic with paint and craft material around? How about a geeky character with a computer room and posters and books lying around?

• Remember that an action will can say a lot. Instead of having a character say: “I am going out to the grocery store”, have him go out, then cut to an establishing shot of the grocery store.

• Use clever shots to show a character’s emotional state. If you look up at a character he will seem imposing. A character that is very small in a large empty field will seem completely lonely and isolated from the world.

• Showing the reason why a character is scared will have more impact than just saying the character’s emotion. If the character is terrified of falling, you might want to show the edge of the precipice.

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