Storyboards

[Mark Williams]

I was curious how people use them. I know it gives an idea of the scene and maybe some camera angles But although helpful, especially for TV shows where the artists are basicly blocking . I imagine in film work where you arrive on set and nothings how you imagined then most people use it as a starting point then block their own version? I'd like to know how closely and how important people think they are in their work and what the storyboard does for them.

[Bob Hayes]

I was curious how people use them. I know it gives an idea of the scene and maybe some camera angles But although helpful, especially for TV shows where the artists are basicly blocking . I imagine in film work where you arrive on set and nothings how you imagined then most people use it as a starting point then block their own version? I'd like to know how closely and how important people think they are in their work and what the storyboard does for them.

 

In television you arrive and nothing is what you expected and you have to improvise on the spot and you have no time to do it. 90% of the time I haven’t even seen the set until I arrive that day. Feature films have the luxury of lots of pre-production and story boards can be very useful. On feature films that have lots of stunts and visual effect work storyboards are in dispensable. In fact many times I will be matching to full action animatics. If the effects guys are good and they usually are they will nail what I need to do in pre-vis. Then my job becomes paint by the numbers.

 

Funny as a director I usually story board a lot. I do it my self and I’m fast mediocre storyboard artists. As a DP I find they sometimes get in the way. They blocking a has been designed by a guy at his desk and doesn’t reflect the juicy realities of a real location. More and more story boards are being included in the DVD special features. It is amazing how closely they match the real thing.

 

I hear Sami Rami hires multiple storyboard artists and picks the shots he likes for each scene.

 

Also I hear Walt Disney invented the idea of the storyboard. Any truth to that?

[Mark Williams]

Hi Bob

 

The idea of storyboards started by Walt Disney’s animation studios in the early 1930s. Those days, the drawings made for live action films were mostly called continuity sketches and illustrated sets and scenes of a film.

 

Very interesting.

 

QUOTE

On feature films that have lots of stunts and visual effect work storyboards are in dispensable.

 

Yes absolutely. I think also for budgeting and to create the world atmosphere and style. Sami Raimi's got the right idea! I cant imagine the cost though of hiring four storyboard companies. Maybe though just for the action sequences only! But directors are supposed to be artistic its what they get paid for! I imagine most would have exactly the right blocking preprogrammed as well as some original ideas of their own evolved in pre production.

[Matthew Jankes]

I find they can be the most helpful or the most painful things in the world, depending on a variety of situations. If I haven't seen the location I use them as a flexible device to remind me of the type of shots I wanted, but I'm more than prepared to adjust to get the best results out of the location. I always have boards for any type of action or visual effects scene. Most of all I find that they serve as a safety blanket when a shoot starts to get very hectic. I film in South Africa, sometimes we are shooting 8 pages of script a day in like 7 locations, those boards help me to remember what I wanted when my head starts to spin out of control.

 

But boards should never prevent you from trusting your gut and finding shots on the day....

 

It also depends on style, handheld aggressive styles are far less condusive to boards than slow, progessive and meticulous framing...

 

Thats my feeling anyway...