Understanding Storyboarding

Storyboards are a graphic organiser such as a series of illustrations or images displayed in an order in which they are intended to be seen in. The final outcome of a storyboard could be for the purpose of an animation, motion picture, motion graphic, or interactive media. Walt Disney Studios designed storyboarding in the 1930's. Essentially a storyboard is a large comic of the film, it is used to help film directors, camera operators, and the advertising clients to help them gain an understanding of the film and for them to visualise the final outcome and to prepare for it. It includes panels with arrows reflecting movement, and also text boxes underneath stating camera angles, editing techniques, sound influences, shot types, timing, lighting, and camera movement (e.g. pan). For film storyboards portray the film, as it would be seen through the camera lens. It’s essentially the script for the camera. Not all of the film is a storyboarded, key scene or scenes that require a lot of equipment or require the camera to do something complicated are often storyboarded before hand. Usually the script is written 1st and the afterwards somebody creates the storyboard, some people often like to take a storyboard with them to pitch their film so that it provides a visual aid to the ambition of the project.

I attempted to create a storyboard for the trailer of 'Saw 5'. I found it very difficult to include all the detail needed from the trailer and often found it hard to keep up. I had to watch it several times and go through and comment on each thing individually for example go through and cover all the lighting techniques and then go through and comment on all the camera angles. From my experience of storyboarding I can see the usefulness of storyboarding, you can include a lot of detail and make the technical side of what you want doing clear to staff, the more detail included the higher the quality of the trailer and the more smoothly it would run. I also feel that there obviously would need to be communication between the director and producer and camera operators to ensure that it all runs smoothly and that everyone understands.


I attempted to create a story board for the trailer of 'Saw 5'. I found it very difficult to include all the detail needed from the trailer and often found it hard to keep up. I had to watch it several times and go through and comment on each thing individully for example go through and cover all the ligjhting techniques and then go through and comment on all the camera angles. From my experience of storyboarding I can see the usefullness of storyboarding, you can include alot of detail and make the technical side of what you want doing clear to staff, the more detail included the higher the quality of the trailer and the more smoothly it would run. I also feel that their obviously would need to be communication between the director and producer and camera operators to ensure that it all runs smoothly and that everyone understands.