The Value of Storyboards
STORYBOARDS
One of the most important steps in the pre-production stage is the storyboard. Storyboards are a series of diagrams used to outline the composition of your video project, segment by segment. Each diagram consist of a visual image (photo, sketch, or cartoon) of the scene and characters within the scene, a brief description of the segment, notes for the camera operator, notes for the audio capture and a estimate of how long that particular segment is expected to last. The segments are arranged in a sequence in the order that they will appear in the video to provide the foundation needed to plan capturing the correct footage and editing appropriately.
A good storyboard doesn't have to be priceless artwork - it's an outline to help format the video. And it isn't written in stone - it's a only guide. The storyboard becomes a valuable tool for everyone involved in the production. When the director, camera operator, talent, and editing team all have the same understanding of the goals of the video, the end result will be as expected. Creating a storyboard also allows the production team to experiment with different ideas and sequences before taping any segments.
What storyboarding does best is help point out the holes in your story by helping you identify the resources (time, funding, equipment and personnel) needed for the project, or whether you need to adjust the project to match your resources. If your production company isn’t offering you storyboards before every project, you might be wasting valuable time and money!
