To help you understand the importance of storyboarding in organizing a video/movie/television show, understand that most are not necessarily produced or shot in the order of its final presentation. For example, for scenes shot on a location the movie producer will organize all the scenes for that location to be shot all at once, regardless of the final editing scheme. Even if the story line chronologically takes the viewer back and forth to a remote location, all those scenes would be shot at once regardless of their place in the final story. All interior scenes are then shot together. Again, regardless of their place in the final story. In fact MOST movies/shows are shot out of order in this way.
A second use for storyboarding is to create video overlays or inserts over a video track that has been laid down on a time line. This is useful when a video/movie is shot using more than one camera. In the old days many shows were shot using a two camera arrangement (an ‘A’ camera and a ‘B’ camera). The main camera (A) was the main one used. The second camera would be used to shoot at a different angle (such as an over the shoulder shot) or a different scene entirely while the audio would continue along. In movie making these ‘inserts’ are called ‘B-roll footage’ (or simply B-roll). The most common usage would be in a newscast, for example, when the anchor is reading the news about a topic (say a car accident). While he or she is talking, a b-roll is inserted at strategic points in the story.
To do this activity this you need to decide on your video editing software. You probably did already when you created your audio file.
Regardless of your platform, our activity is intended for you to understand the importance of a storyboard. In editing we use a special kind of storyboard that we call an Edit Decision List (EDL) to help keep things in order.
Your job is to download a folder that contains 13 tracks: a main video track, several insert video clips, and three audio inserts. Because of format/codec differences we have three folders… one for Windows, one for MAC desktops and one for iPads. Click on the appropriate link then right click on each file to download it to your computer.
- This folder contains several scenes formatted for Windows and Android (.wmv). Create a folder on your desktop and download the files to it.
- This folder contains several scenes formatted as mp4 files. Create a folder on your desktop and download the files to it.
- This folder contains several scenes formatted for iPads . Upload the files to your iPad.
In all three cases, the scenes are listed out of order/jumbled. There is one timeline clip (a-roll footage.. easy to find.. has the word master embedded in the title). Most of the rest of the clips are inserts/b-roll, where you utilize the overlay function to insert/overlay them over the top of the primary a-roll that you lay down first on to the primary video track (sometimes labelled ‘Video 1’). It carries all of the dialog. There are also three audio overlays (.mp3) that need to go in their appropriate spots on the timeline.
Alternatively, you could simply cut the timeline and insert the overlay video on the same timeline. If you the editing in this way you need to make sure the audio timeline is not cut (except for the spots where the .mp3 files go).
Your job is to assemble the scenes into a coherent final video, save it as a single mp4 or flv file and then upload it using the Easy Uploader Function. DO NOT SEND UP A PROJECT FILE.. YOUR FINAL UPLOAD SHOULD BE A FINALIZED VERSION USING EITHER A MP4 OR FLV FORMAT.
Select the usual choices for the course, term, sections etc, and and select storyboard as the assignment in that drop down. Name the file video_assembly (do NOT place your name in the file name). Post your confirmation on Canvas.
Please take your time with this. Your first task is to view the videos. This activity may take you up to four hours to complete so don’t get frustrated! The message here is that without a storyboard/EDL this can be a giant task. If a storyboard/EDL were provided it might only take about an hour or so to do.
Storyboards are helpful organizers for creating your time-based media. They can be completed after you write the script or as something you do as an outline before writing it. The storyboards shows what you want the scene to look like with more detail than the script. In it, you are drawing out visually an entire scene or part of one. It is helpful because you are showing what is going on and depicting camera angles and camera shots at the same time.
You can become very creative with your storyboards by drawing the scenes in sequence, giving various camera shots of characters and camera movements. Because the storyboard is a visual representation of the video, it will help you decide on what kinds of images and video clips you will be needing to add to the footage you actually shoot.
In some cases you will be drawing your own images to place on the storyboard. But you are also allowed (and encouraged) to find still images that help you visualize the scene, especially if you are not that great of an artist.
Storyboards serve a very important function in movie making.. in that storyboards are a whole lot cheaper than bringing the entire crew to the set and be waiting around for the director to make creative decisions from the script. Because the storyboard is part of the planning process, there will be several instances where the actual video will end up being different. These differences are the result of decisions made at the time of shooting and may be due to complications and other issues that come up when actually trying to create the scene.
The videos below display the point. On the right is the storyboard from the book trailer Alas Babylon. On the left is the actual trailer. While the resulting video generally follows the story line, issues arose during the shoot. For example, in the opening scenes the plan was to have a street scene with people going about their business as usual. Because the team was having difficulty getting enough people to volunteer for the scene, it was re-shot as an empty street scene with an empty swing, moving in the breeze. While this scene came out slightly different, it actually was more effective in the way it was shot, creating a feeling of emptiness and desperation. See if you can find other differences.
The best way to view the videos below is side by side. First click on the trailer on the left then immediately click on the storyboard video on the right. The timing will be a little off a but it is an effective demonstration.
| Alas Babylon Trailer | Alas Babylon Storyboard |
Animatics
Sometimes the storyboard can be created in the form of an animatic. An animatic is an 'animated' storyboard in which the images, actually move. While these movements are rather crude, they represent better the camera shots and movements within the scene. Animatics are often utilized during the planning stages of animated films because they are very much cheaper to produce.
Here is a cute video from YouTube that shows an animated story of line drawings.. it has no dialog but the music fits.. as you can see, if this organizes the final product, the inserting the finalized images into the storyline in exchange for the line drawings, your final video is pretty powerful:
Below is another great example of an animatic. This one was created by one of our Digital Media students, Taylor Gorman, who was using the animation to add robustness to the content of his Me-Story video project. He did such a wonderful job creating the animatic, it actually can stand on its own as a 'feature'. On the left is the original animatic. Once you have played it, click on the right video to see how he incorporated it into his final video.
|
|
|
| Gorman Animatic | Gorman Me-Story |
Storyboard Pitch
The most common use for storyboards in animated films is the storyboard 'pitch'. This is a session at which movie production teams present of 'pitch' their concept for a particular scene or event to be included in the final film. Most pitches are not included for various reasons, even though the concept is very well done. An example of such a real life 'pitch' is shown at the left below. It is for a scene for the movie Shrek that never made the film.
The video on the right is a video made of a series of storyboard pitches from students at a local middle school that we were working with on the video My Name Was Keoko. After being shown the Shrek pitch, these students were assigned to present their team's project idea in front of the class, mimicking the Shrek concept. It is at these sessions when you, as the teacher, can critique the conceptualization the students have for the book, test them on whether they have actually read it and have made proper decisions. It is also your opportunity to determine whether the students will be able to actually produce what they imagine or have 'over-engineered' their concept in terms of what they have technical competence to do and what can be done in the time frame you have allotted for the process. Very often you can make suggestions as to how to accomplish what they intend visually on the video long before they have invested too much time and energy in a project for which they lack expertise. You can also cover once again the concept of original content and copyrights,etc.
|
|
|
| Keoko Storyboard Pitch | Shrek Storyboard Pitch |
Storyboard and the Director
Sometimes an entire movie (including its script) can be driven by a visualization of the plot. Decisions made to the point where the intent of the story can be modified (including the script) once the director gets a visual picture of how the movie is to be shot. The story board becomes the director/screenwriter of sorts. Each shot angle value implies a certain meaning or mood and once the director gets the idea as to which of these works best he will sometimes decide to actually alter the movie. One such director who utilizes the storyboard in the way is M. Night Shyamalan in the Sixth Sense:
Click below additional information on using storyboards
- A Great Little Tutorial on Storyboards
- Karen Lloyd's Storyboard Blog
- Wikipedia Storyboarding Resources
- What is Storyboarding?
- Click here for a link to some Storyboard templates to Choose From
- Here is a great online storyboarding site