Storyboards: The Imaging Begins.

The collage of storyboards pictured above is a good cross sample of the boards I’ve worked with in my career. In the eighties most visual effects companies had in-house art departments that would create storyboards and key frame production paintings that captured the scale, mood and dramatic intent of a particular scene or moment in the script. Most storyboards in those days represented all of the elements in each shot that could be broken down into schedulable and budgetary terms - a visual menu if you will. Art departments needed a lot of wall space because each board was tacked up, in sequence, for all to see and talk about.

Storyboards should be drawn with the projects aspect ratio in mind. The three boards across the top are drawn in the 2:40 to 1 or “widescreen” format. In the old, old days art directors would actually draw with a specific lens in mind from a shoot-able spot determined from a plan view drawing - now that’s knowing your set.

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