The Process

One of the most important parts of creating a visually compelling scene is planning. My favorite part of this process is drawing storyboards.


sto·ry·board
/ˈstôrēˌbôrd/
noun
plural noun: storyboards
1.    a sequence of drawings, typically with some directions and dialogue, representing the shots planned for a movie or television production.

You do not have to be an artist or need to hire one to do this process. The most important part of a storyboard is to visually organize what your scene is trying to tell the audience. These storyboards can also serve as a visual aid for others you might be working with, as they can visually see what you are trying to capture.

I found that drawing story boards has helped many other aspects of my filming process. Such as: staying organized, framing shots more efficiently, reminds me of talent and camera movement, keeps me focused on task, gives me a basic layout for equipment, and most importantly is saves me time.

Keep in mind that the storyboard should serve as a tool to organize and share your vision prior to filming it. However, once you are set and ready to film, you may find that certain shots may not work. Does this mean that you just wasted your time sketching your storyboards? NO! It means you need to adapt and learn.

There are many other forms of organizing your shots. Some people prefer shot lists over storyboards, others prefer to follow the script, and few don't plan at all. Either way, storyboards are a simple tool that have helped me conceptualize and film some of my best work.