T-SBCON-002-005

This is a helpful step in the process as it can speed up the storyboarding process greatly, and help you start to visualize the story.

Scene Evaluation

Determine the important elements of each scene, including:

  • Camera angles and movements
  • The direction of movement of objects within a scene
  • The mood you want to create

Now that you have broken down your script into separate scenes and have laid out the sequence of scenes in separate storyboard panels, you are ready to determine the most effective scene to use in each panel to convey the type of story you are trying to tell. Your storyboard panel should convey the most important aspects of the scene and you should create each scene to maximize its intended impact. You will need to make a number of decisions, independently or with a partner or team.

Some of the issues to determine are:

  • Which characters are in the scene and their position
  • Which props are in the scene and their position
  • Whether or not you need to include certain elements to maintain continuity between other scenes
  • How objects and characters move during the scene
  • Where the camera is positioned and expected changes in camera movement during the scene
  • What type of lighting is required for the scene
  • What type of special effects may be required for the scene
  • How accompanying dialogue or narration will be integrated into the scene

Creating Scene Lists

Create an itemized list of each scene used in key sequences or your entire story. With a clearer idea of the sequence and composition of your scenes, you can plan how much you want to storyboard. You can storyboard your entire production, or you can just storyboard scenes that are pivotal to the emotional impact of the story or that may require a more complex setup.

Create a scene list for your production. For each scene, detail the important elements you worked out during your evaluation of the scenes. You should include the scene's type and angle, camera effects, lighting, and accompanying dialogue. Entries in the scene list can then be used to complete storyboard panels. These provide you with a guideline to create an informative visual narrative for your production.