Drawing & Composition for Visual Storytelling
Communicating through visual media requires planning about how you want to convey your message. An important part of visual communication is the use of Storyboards. The following will outline key components to creating a successful storyboard.
Why Learn How to Storyboard? A story artist is like a mini-director
- In control of creative content
- Visualizing (and improving) the idea or script
- Lots of responsibility, but lots of freedom
- In control of creative content
- Visualizing (and improving) the idea or script
- Lots of responsibility, but lots of freedom
The Function of Storyboards
Staging: The positioning of characters in each scene for maximum emotional content and clear readability of actions. In Animation it refers to the purpose of directing the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of greatest importance in a scene; what is happening, and what is about to happen. This can be done by various means, such as the placement of a character in the frame, the use of light and shadow, and the angle & position of the camera. In live-action this is refered to as 'Blocking'.
Storytelling: Each panel's sketch clearly communicates to an audience the important ideas expressed through the action of each scene. This is all compromised of different types of shots, framing / editing principles, and scene transitions, and how they are used by filmmakers to help tell a story. These depict many elements like the poses and expressions of the characters, as well as how the scenes will cut and how close (or far) the camera is to the subject.
Staging: The positioning of characters in each scene for maximum emotional content and clear readability of actions. In Animation it refers to the purpose of directing the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of greatest importance in a scene; what is happening, and what is about to happen. This can be done by various means, such as the placement of a character in the frame, the use of light and shadow, and the angle & position of the camera. In live-action this is refered to as 'Blocking'.
Storytelling: Each panel's sketch clearly communicates to an audience the important ideas expressed through the action of each scene. This is all compromised of different types of shots, framing / editing principles, and scene transitions, and how they are used by filmmakers to help tell a story. These depict many elements like the poses and expressions of the characters, as well as how the scenes will cut and how close (or far) the camera is to the subject.
Storyboarding Usage
1. Film / Television / Video Games: The storyboard is essentially a large comic strip of the film or some section of the film produced beforehand to help directors, cinematographers, video game cinematic director and advertising clients to visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur.
1. Film / Television / Video Games: The storyboard is essentially a large comic strip of the film or some section of the film produced beforehand to help directors, cinematographers, video game cinematic director and advertising clients to visualize the scenes and find potential problems before they occur.
2. Interactive Media / Advertising / Business: Storyboards were adapted from the film industry to business for planning ad campaigns, commercials, workflow proposals or other projects intended to convince or compel an audience to action, and to pitch a concept to the client. Storyboarding is even used in the fields of web development, software development and instructional design to present and describe interactive events as well the display of flowcharts, audio elements and motion graphics.
But the most important reason is for yourself. Whatever animated thing you are about to create or develop, storyboarding it first will always help to PLAN YOUR WORK, which is vital to figuring out the staging of all your characters and backgrounds and how the camera will frame these elements. Before you begin any shot, it's so important to study references, work out your thumbnails, and make your timing and acting decisions on paper. This may seem like an "extra" step to some of you, but believe me, it will save you time in the long run and your work will look so much stronger than it would have otherwise.
Terminology
Source: http://www.floobynooby.com/comp1.html
Notice that the background is drawn in for the first panel, then (unless indicated otherwise) remains the same in all the other poses in the same shot. Lots of arrows to indicate the arcs of motion and direction of gestures and body movements.
The scene numbers stay the same as long as the camera does not cut to a new scene.
The panel numbers accumulate until you cut to a new shot (thus resetting the Panel number back to 1).
The scene numbers stay the same as long as the camera does not cut to a new scene.
The panel numbers accumulate until you cut to a new shot (thus resetting the Panel number back to 1).
Storyboard Essentials
1. Can I clearly see what is going on?
2. Is the camera angle motivated by the story point?
3. Number of characters in the scene, do they all need to be here)?
4. Can I tell where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going?
5. Has the staging become too obvious?
2. Is the camera angle motivated by the story point?
3. Number of characters in the scene, do they all need to be here)?
4. Can I tell where I've been, where I am, and where I'm going?
5. Has the staging become too obvious?
Staging
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Often I find that the point of the story is being lost simply by unclear staging. To the left is an example of a scene in which a boy is showing his mom he got an F on a paper at school. The boy is giving excuses at this point in the story and fearful of his mom's reaction. Though the staging is interesting the focus has been put on the mom. This is a great opportunity for some acting on the boy but it's missed and most likely will have a long paragraph worth of dialog assigned to this single panel. Many times I will see a panel like this with both the boy's and the mom's dialog set to it. No matter if you are creating the dialog or it's coming from a script, you need to look for opportunities for acting where you can give the audience a chance to know your character.
The second image is an alternate staging for the same scene. It gives the boy a chance to act and it's easy to tell right away what the scene is about. I would probably add several panels of acting in this same staging. |
Mood
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One of the ways you can change the mood of a scene is simply by changing the angle of the camera. In this post I have presented the same basic scene from 3 slightly different camera angles. I purposefully kept the camera on the same side of the character to help show how the change can effect the feeling of the scene. To begin with I have a level camera to the character. Here you get the feeling the lady is remembering something or someone. A scene like this often is accompanied by a camera move either in or out depending upon the point in the story that it appears.
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The second image is a low camera angle that give a more heroic or dramatic feeling. It's basically putting the character on a pedestal. With this type of camera angle give the character a sense of accomplishment. Addition of harsh shadows can make the subject appear sinister.
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Assignment #4 - The Pitch |
The final image is a down shot. This type of camera angle can help give scale and place the character into their world. No matter how you see these angles it's always good to keep in mind that the angles should not feel out of place.
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PART 1 - SHOT TYPES
1) Using Google Classroom; Open the PDF worksheet " PART 1: SHOT TYPES" and answer the questions using information from the provided web links.
2) Upload a copy of your answers to the Google Classroom.
PART 2 - THE PITCH
3) With a partner use the provided information to create a PITCH for a short film that you will present to the class. The pitch include a summary of the story/cast considerations/audience/production locations/dialogue sample)
4) Working with your partner create a sample storyboard to your short film using the supplied Storyboards that highlights the Establishing scene.
5) Submit an electronic copy of your completed storyboard, pitch and completed answers to Assignment #4.
7) Voila! Your done!!
1) Using Google Classroom; Open the PDF worksheet " PART 1: SHOT TYPES" and answer the questions using information from the provided web links.
2) Upload a copy of your answers to the Google Classroom.
PART 2 - THE PITCH
3) With a partner use the provided information to create a PITCH for a short film that you will present to the class. The pitch include a summary of the story/cast considerations/audience/production locations/dialogue sample)
4) Working with your partner create a sample storyboard to your short film using the supplied Storyboards that highlights the Establishing scene.
5) Submit an electronic copy of your completed storyboard, pitch and completed answers to Assignment #4.
7) Voila! Your done!!
| com1105_assignment_04_shottypes__1_.pdf |