Production Diary: Storyboards

Below is a list of the 21 planned important shots that I hope to include in my film, as well as the corresponding storyboards.

Important Shots

• Establishing wide of house
• Closeup of clock ticking
• Birds-eye-view shot of the student at a desk
• Closeup of calendar
• Tracking shot of student walking to curtains
• Mid closeup of student typing
• Ground level tracking shot of protagonist
• Over the shoulder shot looking at hooded figure
• Crab shot of chase
• Tracking shot of protagonist tripping, slowly dollies up to reveal face
• Low angle shot of hooded figure looking down
• Mid closeup of student at desk
• Tracking shot of protagonist in cafe
• Mid closeup of protagonist at table
• Wide shot of love interest walking through the door
• Shot/reverse shot at table
• Waiter POV shot
• Closeup of love interest talking to camera
• Closeup of student looking out of window
• Multiple snippets of the two ideas cut in sequence (editing)
• Over the shoulder shot of student watching TV

Storyboards

Production Diary: Research into storyboarding conventions

At their core, storyboards act as a visual guide for the production process of filming, informing the director of the basic composition of each shot of the film. A basic storyboard consists of a series of images that read like a comic strip, each panel representing a shot of your film. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to create a storyboard.

Steps to create a storyboard:

1. Make a shot list

After writing your screenplay, write down and number a list of each shot in a particular scene. At this point, it is important to consider what type of shot or angle will most effectively convey a particular meaning or effect.

2. Sketch out storyboard panels

Either using a storyboard template or digital software, sketch out each shot in a separate panel on your storyboard, numbering each as you go.

3. Add any important detail

Be sure to convey any important motion on your storyboarding by implementing directional arrows. Any props of particular importance must also be detailed on the storyboard.

4. Write the corresponding action or dialogue below each panel

This helps to contextualise the particular shot and illustrate the bigger picture of the film as a whole.

Storyboard example

Kitchen Sink Drink: Storyboards

The next step was to storyboard the sequence of events, determining the specific shot types that I would use. Below is my completed storyboard.

Storyboard