Storyboarding Assignment: Due Monday

A storyboard provides a detailed mock-up of the film you plan to make.  It functions as a map for the filmmaker and helps her project, plan, and play with the story she wants to tell and the way she imagines telling it.  A storyboard can include everything from image to sound and length of time for filming. For our purposes, however, we want you to focus on the visual images (still and moving) and the text (or language) you want to use. We encourage you to think in terms of scenes and to limit your scenes to 4-6. If you want to include more than 6 scenes, be sure that you have a rationale for why. Keep in mind that a scene is usually comprised of multiple shots.  (Review the YouTube videos under film techniques for examples; for instance, the Fight Club scene has at least 12 shots.) 

 

What you’ll need:

• Large piece of poster board
• Post-its
• Index cards

 Construct the Storyboard:

Post-its: Describe or sketch the images you want to use (think about shots here—close ups, pan shots, montage, etc.).

Index card: Any text or language for scene. This could include: text box, voice-over, etc.

On the posterboard itself: Write out the purpose of each scene.

Use arrows to show movement. (Think of your storyboard like a flow chart!) How are you going to move/shift from scene to scene?)

 Questions to answer for each scene (on the posterboard):

• Within each scene, what’s the relationship between the images and your story? Consider the relationship between language and image. What images can speak for themselves? What images need language?
• What effect do you want your images to have on the viewer? (What do you want your viewer to learn that they didn’t already know? What do you want them thinking, feeling, and wondering about when your film is over?)

 Three ways you could use language:

•  
  • Voice-over narration-you read and record (either your words or someone else’s)
  • Text box-captions, subtitles, explanatory notes, or words being typed onto the screen
  • Video that shows a conversation or speaking-pre-existing footage or an interview.

Working with images:

• Still images (Photographs, maps, books, letters, paintings, etc)
• Moving images
• Stock images available in the public domain (YouTube videos, anything from Blog Post #6 or #7)