The Videomaker Guide to Video Production, 4th Edition

24Storyboards and Shot Lists

 

Jim Stinson

 

 

 

 

Some DVDs (Shrek and The Matrix, for example) now include sample storyboards—shot-by-shot sketches drawn to visualize the action of key sequences—as bonus material. As you study these slick drawings, you’ll notice that most frames are remarkably close to the actual shots they predict. Back in Hollywood’s glory days, most directors (with Hitchcock a notable exception) rarely worked with storyboards; today, however, they’re everywhere. Should you be using them too? That’s what we’re here to discover. We’ll start with a look at what storyboards do.

Storyboards Visualize

Basically, pre-designed storyboards in pencil or marker predict what shots will look like. Why not just invent shots as you actually ...