Are Storyboards Really Necessary?

S

seunosewa

Well-known member
I thought i was supposed to write everything I want in my movie into the script. now I'm discovering that after writing the script I'm supposed to create a comic based on the script. The storyboard.

As a low-budget first timer, this process ridiculously redundant to me. Why waste time writing a detailed script if at the end of the day what I'm shooting will be based on an amateur comic-book?

Why not write the comic-book (sorry, storyboard) straightaway and save time and money, or just shoot mechanically from the script?
 
I can understand exactly what you're thinking. It's seems like a waste of time but storyboards can help you to organize your thoughts and the direction of what you're doing and convey those ideas to others who may be involved. Think of them as an illustrated outline of your production. Although they're not necessary they can be very helpful. In the June issue of Videomaker Magazine there is an article on storyboarding software and they list some free ones. Hope this helps!
 
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I loved watching Top-Cat as a kid, classic stuff.

It proves to be better over time, the more pre-production and preperation you do for projects the better prepared and easier you find it. Many tend to find that out from bad experiances. You can never plan enough..
 
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I'm not the best writer, and goodness knows I can't draw, but I am a visual person. There are a thousand visual ways to interpret a script. To me, a storyboard lays the groundwork for how a movie is supposed to look, which is quite different to how it sounds, or it's pacing as it relates to dialog.

A storyboard helps determine the lens choices, the lighting setups, screen direction, shot selection, cuts, etc. It helps in the blocking and framing.

Quite frankly, I look at filmmaking in a completely different way after developing an appreciation for storyboarding.
 
One reason why I'm considering going straight for the storyboard is that I find it hard to describe movies visuals in a script. What if I concentrate on mostly dialog in the script and use the storyboard for everything visual?
 
Do you have ambitions to do this professionally? If so, then either find a writer to work with or learn how to write a script properly. Not every director needs to write his own material... in fact many shouldn't. But if you're going to do it and want to be taken seriously, you'd better learn to do it correctly.
 
When I was in school taking Graphics, they wanted us to do storyboards on different projects. Man I hate storyboards. Specially since I'm always changing subtle aspects, and it's a pain putting that much effort into something I'm not going to use. But... and there is always a but, there are times it is very handy. Sometimes it helps you to communicate your vision better than words ever could. So if you have a scene that you want done a certain way, storyboard it. If Dante and Randal are just sitting behind a counter talking about Star Wars, screw it.
 
I haven't really storyboarded much. But, I'm gonna start because I've had a few bad experiences. I really need to get into the habit. I thought storyboarding wasn't necessary as well, and I just found out that footage I shot on Saturday is totally unusable because we didn't properly plan things out.
 
You dont need to make one for every shot of your film just for when you have something visual in your head that might now always be easy for others to understand no matter how detailed you write your script. Google offers a free program I think its called sketchit, really easy to use and doesnt take that long to do.
 
If I'm going to be directing my own short film script, I'll always storyboard, in fact I'll usually do the whole film as a rough previz in my video editor with pictures of stick figures and temporary voices.

Yes it's hours of work, but it always saves many many more hours of work. You can show it to potential actors/investors/crew/helpers to get a much better idea of what you're wanting to film, and you yourself get a much better idea of what needs to be shown in each shot, and the timing required for each shot. So when you actually shoot for real, there are far fewer unpleasant surprises.
 
brokenjack said:
I have to chime in and say that storyboards make a HUGE difference. There is a great book out there which has been my bible for a number of years, called "Film Directing: Shot by Shot".
Click to expand...

That's a really great book. As the author points out, even the simplest stick-figure and outline drawings can do a lot for pre-visualizing your shoot. I totally agree that it's time *very* well spent, as are almost all forms of advance preparation.
 
Ted Spencer said:
...even the simplest stick-figure and outline drawings can do a lot for pre-visualizing your shoot.
Click to expand...

Martin Scorsese proved it when he drew out the ending sequence to "Taxi Driver"

The author argues that storyboards should not be drawn too well. Might as well forget the film and publish the comic book. In almost all situations I agree, but when the art direction plays a key role in what you are trying to shoot i.e. Star Wars, I think it's a good idea to communicate design through decent artwork.
 
Storyboard is great. I just have one done for my next short film and it's so much easier to explain to the crew and actors as well as potential investors what is going on. I can basically narrate frame by frame instead of saying "And he, remember him? Oh you don't remember, well, he was so and so" etc. People's eyes don't glazed over as fast when they've got something visual in front of them.
 
In my first two shorts I didn't storyboard, and I spent a lot of time explaining the shots, i.e., where to stand, where to look. I have a new short I am doing that has more detailed shots, and I plan to use storyboard on some of the shots. I have someone else doing the storyboarding at present, but I plan to take a look at SketchUp to perhaps use in future projects.

Thanks
 
I find the storyboard to be such an important tool and always board out my projects. The script is the script - actions, descriptions and dialog in words. But to visualize your shots and camera movements I think there is no better way to plan this out. If you are working with a crew it helps them know what to prepare for. In shot listing you also see how redundant some shots can be (camera always moves left to right or we need to break up the single head shots with an OTS). If you are shooting your project non-linear then it helps to show where you are in the process and again what is your "third man" (the camera) doing in the scene with your actors, etc. Even stick figures will work in the planning stages but a nicely comp'd board is cool to have.
 
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