T-SBCON-002-001
A picture tells more than a thousand words. Storyboards have been used to plan productions since Disney used them in the 1930s (some say even earlier). Below we'll go over some of the reasons why using storyboards to plan a production is so important.
First Look
Every production starts with a concept. Storyboarding is the first visual representation (story-wise) of what eventually will be a finished production, and therefore it's a good place to start to identify whether things like the concept is going to work. A lot of productions change in the storyboarding stage because of this.
Proof of Concept
The first look can be something that is shown to potential investors and existing clients, giving them a better idea of where their money is going and also what they can expect from the project. A storyboard can be an exciting first step for those involved.
Direction
The storyboard is crucial to the director's role in the production. Here the director can see the framing, pacing and direction of each shot. They can then make any important changes before production starts. This ensures that the final intended vision will be what's recognized during production and that the production crew knows exactly what is expected of them.
Identifying errors early
Expanding on the previous point, a storyboard can help identify any errors before production starts. This could be anything from continuity and staging errors, to pacing and storytelling errors. These issues are all minimized during the storyboarding stage.
Budget
The storyboard can help the producer budget for the production, as the storyboard will show how much animation is needed, as well as any character designs and backgrounds that will be required.
