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The Importance of Using Storyboards

In the video production world, you’ll hear the term “storyboards” used a lot.  They’re a great way to visualise your shot list and prepare to move into production.

Whether I am working on a commercial TV spot, web video, film or even planning for a new learning solution– storyboards are an effective way to quickly tell a story.

A storyboard is a sequence of drawings that represent the shots planned for a video production. It covers all of the major shots, angles and action of your film. The storyboard is a very important part of the pre-production process because it clearly conveys how the story will flow, as you can see how your shots work together.

It also allows you to see potential problems that would not go unnoticed, ultimately saving you time and money. Here are a few reasons why we think they are important:

1. Will the concept work?

A storyboard reveals whether a concept will work or not. A concept is typically verbalised in a couple of paragraphs. A storyboard helps the client validate whether the concept is working or not, and determine the direction the production is going to take.

2. Organising Shots

They are a helpful way to organise the shots. Commercials are usually limited by time. I have to tell a complete story in 60 seconds, 30 seconds, sometimes even 15 seconds, so it’s important to make every shot count. Storyboards help me to determine the best way to tell the story in the allotted timeframe

3. Utilising the budget effectively.

In case of complex animations where it takes a lot of time and budget to develop the final product, it is always better to have an approved storyboard from the client in place. The storyboard helps to envision what the final product would look like. They’re a fantastic way for the client to see exactly what you have in mind for the piece. You can have a million conversations about how something is going to look, but nothing conveys it quite as well as being able to show them the proposed frames in sequential order.

4. Identifying errors at an early stage.

It is during the storyboarding phase that most of the errors related to narration, media, and other relevant details are identified. This saves the much necessary time, effort, and cost that could disrupt the production phase.

5. Deciding on appropriate media.

They’re extremely helpful for the director and DP. The storyboarding process usually starts with a conversation between the director and the artist (and may feature some stick figures doodled on a piece of paper). Ultimately though, it’s up to the artist and their understanding of the director’s vision to illustrate the frames that will tell a complete story. It is important that these two work closely together as it has been known for the storyboard artist deviate from the director’s vision.

6. Hitting off with punch lines or dialogues.

It is while creating the storyboard that you can test if certain punch lines or dialogues would work as you have imagined before. You can write these dialogues and share them with the stakeholders.

 

 

There are multiple styles of storyboarding but simple sketching is good for a beginning storyboard artist. There are a few ways to build one, either with pencil and paper, or on the computer, but it really all depends on your need and skill level. Depending on the time frame of the production, you can gauge how much detail is needed on the board. Often times simple sketches are able to communicate the story. Although more detailed storyboards typically leave your audience with a greater understanding of your story and goals. When used properly they can streamline production, get everyone on the same page, avoid common mistakes, and keep things on track.

 

 

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