A big shoot is just around the corner, and before the time, you want to visualize all the scenes you’re planning to shoot with a storyboard. But here’s the real deal, how to make a storyboard that touches on anything and everything an awe-inspiring and refined storyboard should.
Well, the odds are most, or we might say all the filmmakers create storyboards – incorrect, or we may say, they overlook all the key steps involved in storyboarding overall.
Being fearful of formatting and drawing, concerns over price, technical constraints – these are some of those reasons filmmakers often refuse storyboarding.
Honestly, it’s not this much of a nerve-racking task. You just have to gather all the necessary knowledge on storyboarding to create it in the most resourceful way.
In this blog, to help you out, we’ll teach you how to create storyboarding in four simple, easy steps.
Trust us; if you follow these four steps religiously, we assure you no one can stop you from storyboarding like a proficient filmmaker in a flash.
So, without any further ado, let’s rock and roll!
Storyboard: An Overview
To put it in simple words, a storyboard is a visual outline of a video/film (be it a feature film or a short video) or an animated film.
Storyboarding, we believe, is the most ‘significant’ part of the pre-production process. Basically, it consists of a series of images that illustrates the whole concept scene by scene to show what will happen till the end of the piece.
The traditional style is using hand-drawn storyboards. However, since the world has become techno-centric, animators and creators use storyboarding programs, or you can call them software.
The results obtained by using such technology often resemble a graphic novel or a comic book.
Why is Storyboarding Important?
Before you create a storyboard, it’s essential to have a powerful and engaging script in your hand. Once you get hold of it, you already get to know the flow and nature of your project.
Here comes the real deal, translate all those creative ideas and flow from word to interactive visuals (images).
Each image included in your storyboard should give out all the necessary information. It must be so peculiar that someone who has not read your script can comprehend what is happening in it.
However, avoid revealing too much information, or the cat will be out of the bag before time.
When creating a storyboard, consider it as a graphic novelization of your script. Each panel should showcase a crucial moment or a new camera angle in action.
The primary purpose of the storyboarding process is twice as great. First of all, to make sure you get hold of all the coverage, you’ll require to efficiently craft a thrilling and comprehensible story at the editing station and do it all without burning a hole in your pocket.
This process safe you from spending hours and hours filming needless shots or breaking your budget by spending extra money on special effects or video production.
A well-crafted storyboard can be superlatively handy when directing huge action sequences. Drawing your shot list is one of the organizing principles in the cacophony of producing complicated shoots.
Making a storyboarding is just like creating a precise map of how a hectic shoot day looks and what necessary arrangements or actions you need to take to get things done in the right way.
Now it’s high time to learn how to make storyboards for films. So, let’s get to it.
Storyboarding: How to Make a Storyboard?
List out important shots
Take different scenes from your script and make a shortlist of how all the particular camera angles tell your story or make the moment more impactful. Also, how can you reveal details of your story and characters via camera angles?
It’s highly suggested to draw out a rough sketch of your important shots.
Sketch out your shots
Whether you’re working on a long film or a short animation, pick one of the more intricate scenes and visualize the scenario. Make a shortlist of all the shots you foresee needing raw material and then sketch them out in the storyboard’s squares, much like a comic strip.
If you are not an artist, it is OK to draw simple shapes and stick figures on a sheet of paper. However, if you are unable to get the desired impression, you can collaborate with a storyboard artist to make revisions or draw out a recommended sequence.
If you’re looking experienced and skilled storyboard artist, reach out to a video animation agency like BuzzFlick.
Add in the details
The most critical parts of each scene should be included in your storyboard. Even though it’s a still image, the final product will be a film or animation that moves along the plot.
Keeping this in mind, be sure to include motion in your storyboard. Arrows, for example, can be used to show a person’s walking path.
This will include any props, camera angles, and framing used in the final result.
As a general rule of thumb, offer only the most essential information about each image without going into excessive detail if you want to keep the exciting things a secret.
Add content (text)
When you’re done creating images, it’s an excellent idea to add some additional words to the images. The notion behind this practice is to reveal the context in a little more detailed manner.
This is an excellent practice followed at this stage of the process because it helps to express those details which you can’t reveal through the drawings you’ve created.
You can also add the voiceover to your storyboard to make things more crystal clear.
Best Storyboard Templates And Programs
If you have that kind of money, investing in screenwriting software can be a worthwhile use of a few hundred dollars.
You don’t have to twiddle with spacing, margins, page breaks, or any of the other clumsy word processing instructions since these programs will handle it all for you. Many more features are included in these software packages to assist you in creating storyboards, schedules, budgets, and shot lists for your projects.
The four best storyboarding software are listed below, with prices ranging from cheapest to the most expensive one:
- Celtx
- Fade In
- Movie Magic Screenwriter
- Final Draft
In case if you don’t want to break your budget and still create a great storyboard, you can try free programs as well.
If you want to create a whiteboard animation film without burning a hole in your pocket, check out the best free whiteboard animation software.
Free Storyboarding Programs
Consider these possibilities if you’d like to work with a free storyboard template tool that doesn’t have all the bells and whistles.
You can use Photoshop to build your storyboard if you’ve previously mastered the program. It’s even easier to construct your storyboards thanks to a variety of free storyboard templates that you can import directly into Photoshop.
In addition to a wide range of production management tools, StudioBinder offers a wide range of customizable solutions, including script breakdowns, shot lists, timelines, contact lists, and more.
The website also provides a helpful blog with pre-production suggestions, available for the free trial or as part of a variety of membership packages.
As you begin your motion picture career, bear in mind that an effective storyboard is a critical component of the creative process—one that will assist you in effectively translating your idea into a piece of art.
Storyboarding: FAQs
- What is a storyboard?
On the whole, a storyboard is a graphic representation of how a video unfolds, shot by shot.
- Is storyboarding essential?
Making a storyboard is an essential part of the pre-production process. It showcases how all the scenes of your story flows.
- What is the key method used in creating a storyboard?
The key method is to draw out your script shot by shot to decide how to visually compose each scene of the film.
- How to make a storyboard?
- List down all the important shots.
- Sketch out your shots.
- Add in the details.
- Add additional content (text).
In essence
Storyboarding is one of the most creative and enjoyable parts of the pre-production process. Though it seems a pretty daunting task, however, if you follow all the steps mentioned above conscientiously, you’ll become a pro at creating storyboards just like a master filmmaker.
Or, if you are looking for a proficient video production company, contact us!
We at BuzzFlick – a video animation agency, offer outstanding video production services at a budget-friendly price. Our diverse team is highly-skilled and innovative and provides services across the globe.
From 2D animation services to 3D animation to post-production services, we do it all.
An animation enthusiast who enjoys explaining complex animation techniques, mediums, and videos. Her love for animated films drives her. In her spare time, she enjoys watching animated films from Pixar, Disney, and Illumination productions.
