Story boarding?

G

GrahamRobbins

Active member
Ok everyone quick question. I am big on being prepared, for my upcoming feature I am getting ready to prepare a detailed storyboard of the project. I am a horrible artist I can only draw cartoons haha :p. So I was wondering how my fellow DVXusers get there storyboards done? Do you use artists, programs, or other methods? Let me know!

Thanks guys,

Graham Robbins
 
Story boards don't have to be amazing as long as you understand them, so cartoon figures are fine. The only time I pay for an artist to do my storyboarding is when I need a couple for a pitch or when going for funding.
 
Either. If you have access to a computer program that generates them for you, that would be helpful to use so that other people can understand the drawing too, but each has their pros and cons; computer storyboarding isn't as flexible as hand drawn obviously having to work within the limitations of the program but at least you can load them straight up to the computer etc.
 
I've found that using a program to generate storyboards is too time consuming. You can draw a frame in the time it takes just to turn the computer on. Just get a nice heavy marker or pencil and go to town. Make sure you print out multiple pages with blank frames in the aspect ratio you'll be shooting in to draw on.

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Ok I guess I will get on drawing them out, do you storyboard every single scene or only the most intensive ones? Thanks again to chris, and yeddi

Graham Robbins
 
I'd recommend checking out the DV Rebel's guide - Stu goes into some really useful tips on storyboarding (and how to draw in all the useful info you need if you are artistically crippled... like me :) )
 
if you need storyboards as part of a package to pitch to investors, i'd hire an artist. but if you only need storyboards for yourself and the dp, then stick figures is all you need. you just need to show the basic composition and staging. i would also recommend doing floorplan drawings, those overhead diagrams that show the placement of the actors and camera.
 
GrahamRobbins said:
Ok everyone quick question. I am big on being prepared, for my upcoming feature I am getting ready to prepare a detailed storyboard of the project. I am a horrible artist I can only draw cartoons haha :p. So I was wondering how my fellow DVXusers get there storyboards done? Do you use artists, programs, or other methods? Let me know!

Thanks guys,

Graham Robbins
Click to expand...

I would like to do more storyboarding, however, I don't draw well and seeing my 'stick figures' just pisses me off...

I've tried some software solutions, but the one I liked the best, other than it was only on Windows, 'went private' and is no longer supported for the public use...

For me what is important about storyboarding, is not just getting stuff into the frame, but also getting estimates of what lenght of lens to use, whether a shot can be done in a 'confined' space, since I can't afford big sound stages, or pay use fees for public facilities, etc.

So, when I shoot I want to really know beforehand what is possible, and work with that.
 
I used to hate storyboarding in school, because it was what the teacher wanted first, then the project. For me, things were constantly changing during the project, and I would have ended up spending all my time just updating the boards. In this case, it is the opposite, you have the story, you just need to give it visual cues, right? Get a snapshot camera, some friends and props, and block out your scenes with snapshots.
 
I use both. My drawing skills are pretty bad. I am beyond stick figures but bad nonetheless. I have a program called Frameforge3D which is fantastic, But time consuming. Plus when I start getting into that, The next thing I know it's 6 hours later and I have done one scene.
 
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