storyboard artist

dlang

dlang

Well-known member
Hey guys...after doing some searching on the web I'm having a hard time finding some pricing for storyboarding. Does anyone have some good references that'll steer me in the right direction. I'd like to sketch out (pun intended...cheez) a rough budget for pre production. :dankk2:
 
Wrong forum. :Drogar-Smoke(DBG): Best thing to do would be just to find some storyboard artists online (there are plenty), give them an email, tell them about your project and see what they'll charge. Maybe do this to heaps of people to get an idea. Unless you are looking at the real high end, you'll probably find a big difference in rates...might be worth your while to find a good student, or someone just looking to get experience/portfolio...you might find someone really good who can do it for cheap. Much cheaper than industry rates and still get a killer product. With things like this, sometimes it's a good idea to find someone before you budget it, because you might get a much better deal than you would have otherwise thought.
 
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For reference purposes only, my storyboard rates were (I don't really do it for others anymore) between $50-$100 per board, depending on the length of the project, number of boards, and project's budget. That said, I've done boards for as little as $10 each or even free for friends or projects I thought highly of.

Best way to save money on professional quality storyboards is to reduce the number of boards. Comb your script and really nail down which scenes need pre-vis and which can get away without it. When you're potentially looking at one board for each shot or camera angle, the number of boards can add up quickly.

Also, examine what you're really going to be using the boards for. If you just want to block out a quick camera set up, rough sketches and stick figures can work because you only need to convey the general idea to the crew.

The more detailed the information you need the storyboard to convey (lighting, mood, set dressing, costumes, props) the more detailed the board needs to be and the more important an experienced storyboard artist becomes.

If your set ups aren't all that complicated and you just need to get the visuals across, I'd budget $100-$200 and find a local collage art major with good drafting skills and an interest in film. Go over their portfolio (even if they've never done storyboards) and decide if this is someone you can work closely with to get the details across through their work.

When looking through their work, pay particular attention to hands, feet, facial expressions, and perspective! Less talented or amateurish artists avoid drawing hands and feet (or they just do fists and bulky boots) because they're hard to draw well. Subtle facial expressions are also difficult - the difference between slightly concerned and slightly scared, for example, is a lot harder to portray than flat out, screaming rage. If all their people have the same face, or they only draw three expressions (happy, neutral, and pissed-off), stay away. Lastly, avoid artists that don't draw backgrounds. Creating a sense of 3D space in a 2D drawing takes skill, and I've noticed a trend for artists these days to draw cool pin up characters without even trying to place them in any kind of environment. Accurate representation of perspective is vital to being able to reproduce a film frame. Look for examples of one-, two-, and three-point perspective in their work.

When you do hire an artist, give them as many resources as you can. If you've scouted locations, give them pictures of the rooms you're actually filming in. If you've cast any roles, give them photos of the actors, preferably from different angles and with different moods. The more reference material you can give them, the closer they can get to representing what the final shot will actually look like.

Whenever you don't have images to give them, be prepared to guide them closely on the look you're trying to achieve. Good storyboard artists will have no problem redoing boards to get the look right (within reason) or checking out other movies that have a similar visual feel to what you're trying to achieve.

-Jeff
 
Chris, thanks for the tips....Jeff wow man great guidance. Thanks so much for taking the time to give me some insider tips!
 
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