Regardless of whether you’re making a short promo video or a feature-length film, the storyboard is an intrinsic first step in the pre-production of your content. When you start your planning, you need to think of your storyboard as a blueprint - a visual representation, using drawings and illustrations to map out the flow of your content. It is in this early stage that you can create an effective skeleton and solid plan that you and your team agree on. You can hash out details on specific shots, transitions and suggest ideas that will work on film. Coming back to your storyboard will also help with editing and any issues that may arise later in production.
1. If you simply have no idea of where to begin with your storyboard, it might be worth utilising a storyboard template to plan your shots. These will often be split into two columns - one with boxes, where you sketch out a visual idea of the scene, and one for text where you explain what is happening in the shot. As a general rule, basic ideas work great.
2. When planning your shot, remember to keep in mind the editing process that will follow. Shoot to edit in mind every time.
3. Make sure to account for audio; ambient sounds, natural sounds, echo, by writing these notes down on your storyboard. Audio is just as important as video.
4. Don’t be on the outside looking in. Be in the action and give your viewers unique access to your subject.
5. When planning for action shots, make sure to record at least 1 reaction shot for each action shot. Tears of joy, laughter, shock - get to the emotion of the reaction and plan it into your storyboard.
6. Never have 2 of the same shots in a row, such as wide-wide, medium-medium, close-close. Therefore, every edit should be from a different camera distance and angle. If this is incorporated into their storyboard, you will have plenty of great footage to choose from when editing your footage.
7. Finally, don’t worry if you’re artistic ability is less than desirable. Chances are, no one outside your production team will see your storyboard. Even if you use stick people in your storyboard, so long as your concept is clear your video will be fine.
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*****Madeleine Hammond is a marketing executive at Skeleton Productions - one of the UK's leading video production companies*'
