Storyboards are the blueprints that allow film crews and actors to understand, as a group, the visual depiction that a director has in mind for shots and scenes. It is the fundamental visual representation of what we hope to reproduce on film. Storyboards show a desired set, props, characters, movement and most importantly narrative structure. For every scene that requires multiple shots to be filmed and later edited in a particular order, a storyboard is essential – without it, there would be no inventory of shots to confirm that nothing has been forgotten or overlooked. Depending on the complexity of the scene or shot, storyboard images can be very simple or highly detailed. The storyboard serves as a reference for every member of the crew from the cameraman to the actors, sound engineers, directors, producers – literally everyone with an interest in the planning and production of the film. The storyboard image provides everyone involved with a common understanding of an ultimate goal. Therefore, it allows each member of a crew to assume responsibility for his individual role in making that goal a reality. Storyboard illustrations are fundamental outlines and instruction manuals that help us to create an organized reality to capture on film.

 

The storyboard provides crews with a method to break down individual responsibilities and collaborate as artists to create a final product. Like a blueprint, it keeps the team focused on the details of the of vision that are essential to the desired effect of the end product. It provides and inventory of shots that can be referenced to structure and organize the filming process. This approach to storyboarding allows for an incredible amount of flexibility, improvisation and adjustments to the original visual concept. There are an incredible number of details and considerations that must be coordinated in order for a scene to turn out correctly.

 

The more complex a scene is, specifically with regard to action scenes consisting almost entirely of jump cuts, the greater the need for a detailed storyboard, because every detail of the scene must be planned in excruciating detail before it is filmed. Car chases demonstrate this perfectly. Imagine an expensive car chase scene filmed in a city. Bond Films, The Fast and the Furious, the Transporter, etc. We have all scene a highly detailed and exciting car chase scene in a film. All of these scenes consist of constant jump cuts between incredibly detailed and technically difficult shots to film. Hundreds if not thousands of shots make up these film sequences, which may last for a minute or less in the final film. Everything needs to be coordinated with the cities and places where car chases are filmed. The level of coordination and pre-production planning necessary to film such types of scenes would be absolutely impossible without storyboards because they provide a simple image that anyone can understand. City officials will be able to understand your request to film a movie if they can see what you are planning to do. Storyboards are much simpler and universally accessible than trying to explain production details any other way.

 

The sheer number of camera shots involved in filming two or more moving vehicles from multiple angles, speeding through city streets full of real people and obstacles would be utterly impossible without first establishing a storyboard. It allows for planning and production to shoot their shots and sequences in a safe and controlled environment. The storyboard allows for effective planning by the director and crew of sequences, whether simple or amazingly complex. All films benefit from pre-planning and a thoughtful production process. No aspect of a shot sequence or film is done without planning, even if that planning is a simple rehearsal with or without a storyboard. Even scenes that are improvised must be thought out and communicated to camera and sound engineers before they can be shot. It may be possible to accomplish this verbally or in writing, but the simplest and most universally effective way to do this is visually in the form of illustrations.

 

Storyboarding is analogous to construction in many ways. Visual images are the most basic and universally understandable form of communication we have.

 

The pyramids would not exist if not for the planning of the engineers and visionaries who designed, planned and oversaw their production. The pyramids were built from visual concepts. They were conceived of visually and they relied on the clear communication of visual concepts to produce. The pyramids did not accidentally result of poor farmers throwing rocks into a pile for fun. Like a film, these structures required meticulous pre-planning and vision to create. The forms that we know as the pyramid did not happen accidentally – film sequences do not happen accidentally either. The difference between building an architectural wonder and filming a blockbuster film is very small – both require clear communication of visual concepts between a great number of collaborators. Throughout human history, the most effective method to communicate such things has been through visual pre-planning in the form of illustration - and the artists who partner with A41 do exactly that, both a la carte or part of a larger pre-production package. From script to shotlist to storyboard to silver screen, we’re here for you.