Introduction To Storyboarding

Storyboarding is (in my personal opinion) the most important process of any visual communication. From horror movies to yogurt adverts, the way the scenes and frames are laid out to the viewer, can either make or break how effective it is. Storyboarding is used in a range of media, film, animation and even music videos. Basically, anything involving capturing motion, a story or even a message; involves some form of storyboarding.

Storyboards can be presented with many different medias, such as charcoal or even digital illustrations. Most common of all is the good old pen or pencil and paper. However, even storyboarding takes many different stages, much like the movie itself. The first stages are basic gestures of movement and are scribbled down onto paper. Next comes the more detailed ones, characterising more necessary elements to the scene.  Finally the storyboards are crisp and detailed, able to explain to those working on the project what should be happening on set. And what it should look like, where characters should stand or how they should react. And so on..

What I learnt today is that characters on the scene aren't the only thing that's important. The whole composition of the frame is! Open spaces. Cramped frames. Close ups and wide shots. Even lighting, can give the audience either a very good or very bad vibe to the whole scene; depending on the messages you want to give off. Either way, I can't wait to study the art of storyboarding further. In fact again, I'm so excited about learning more about methods and techniques!