Storyboarding is not a new design term, but in the wake of the attention to video content, motion design, and interactive projects, it has been talked about often and loudly. Let’s understand what a storyboard is and why it is so important in creating videos and any other visual content.

What is storyboarding?

Storyboarding is a series of information blocks, from images and illustrations to text. The storyboard plays a very important role in video production because it helps you understand what the finished product will look like frame by frame.

And now a little history.

In the 19th century, there lived a Frenchman named Georges Méliès. To those around him, he seemed a bit of an eccentric, because he was interested in magic and the theater. He worked as an illusionist and set designer, creating toys and theatrical costumes. But his main passion was cinema.

Méliès can be credited as one of the first to use storyboards to layout scenes. And he was also a popularizer of special effects – tricks based on freeze-frames, multiple exposures, fast and slow film advance. Of course, in the 21st century, this will not surprise anyone, but in those days it was revolutionary. Thanks to these technical discoveries, filmmaking has stepped forward in many ways. importance of storyboarding in film production

Types of storyboards

Storyboards, as we know them now, are not much different from the storyboards of the early 1930s, which were used, for example, at the Walt Disney Studios. It is believed that the storyboard standard took shape there. Since then, the approach to creating storyboards has not changed much – millions of creators around the world still use the same principle.

Storyboards can be used almost everywhere, but for a better understanding, we will divide the areas of its use into categories (but this is rather arbitrary).

Video production

In this industry, storyboards are needed to make it easier for the team to stick to the story and concept of the video.

Film and television

In this case, the storyboard serves as a visualization of the scenario with a detailed description of what will happen in each frame. The level of detail depends on the length of the film and the richness of the plot.

The more detailed the storyboard is, the fewer difficulties will arise in production. TV programs and films usually have huge storyboards, simply because literally everything is written in them: what the characters are wearing, what and how they do, what is happening in the background. If music plays, the weather changes or a new character appears in the frame, all this should be noted in the storyboard.

When preparing photo shoots and fashion shows, storyboards are also used. Shooting will be much easier if everything is planned out: what will the models wear, what will be the makeup and styling, scenery and props. Yes, preparing a storyboard will take some time, but if designers in the world’s major fashion houses use this approach, it’s definitely worth it.

Find out more useful information about the importance of storyboarding in film production.

Business

Storyboards are also used to create commercials, product demos, and presentations. Treat your storyboards as handy guides to pass on to a motion designer or voice actor.

In advertising, storyboards help to plan work on videos – by describing everything in detail, it is easier to notice “blind spots” that can interfere with the process. When everything is planned to the minute, there will be fewer unpleasant surprises during the filming.

Storyboards also help visualize demos and business presentations. When you understand what is coming, you feel more confident at every point – from the beginning of the event to its finale.

Content for social networks

Scripts for YouTube videos are usually created using storyboards. For example, travel vloggers can create content in two ways: write a storyboard before shooting (to plan the process) or build a storyboard based on material that is already there.

When traveling, you want to focus on the moment, and not just go according to the plan that was originally made, even if the context has changed a little. But making a plan before traveling is still useful, it will help you focus on the most important. So you won’t get lost and forget that it’s important to shoot specifically for this video.

When you start editing the video, you will understand: a storyboard is salvation. It will help you draft text for future voice acting, choose visual and sound effects, and also decide on the order of scenes or frames.

All the rest

Storyboard is actually a much broader term than we’re used to thinking. It would be wrong to limit its application only to the film industry. Storyboards are a great way to organize any information you need to organize.