- Modules
- Storyboard Concepts
- What is a Panel?
What is a Panel?
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A panel is one specific action or moment in a storyboard. One drawing is one panel. You will find all sorts of information in a single panel. A panel is part of a shot or scene.
The Action
The action is what is going on at the moment in the storyboard. The character or character poses should be clear and to-the-point. Arrows can be used to help explain what is going with the action. For example, if a character is walking in a certain direction, you might want to use an arrow to show the path.
Action Notes
Action notes are extra information to explain what is taking place in the storyboard. Not every panel requires notes, but there should be enough so no one is confused by what is going on in the board. Here are some basic terms you can use in your notes to describe each panel.
| Term | Definition |
| close-up (CU) |
A close range of distance between the camera and the subject. |
| dissolve |
A transition between two shots, where one shot fades away and simultaneously another shot fades in. |
| fade in/out |
A transition from black to a shot, where the image gradually becomes brighter is a fade in. A fade out is the opposite. The image gradually becomes darker until it is black. |
|
pan |
A steady, sweeping movement from one point in a scene to another. |
|
zoom |
Use of the camera lens to move closely towards the subject. |
Dialogue
If there is dialogue, it should be included in the specified box. You can simply copy the dialogue from the script and paste it, or type the dialogue directly in the appropriate box.
Arrows
Arrows are a clear way to indicate to the viewer what is going on. They can be drawn in all sizes and directions to show perspective in movement. Use them whenever you need to make your storyboard clearer.
Annotations
Panel annotations as shown in this example are important. Sometimes, they are put inside arrows, sometimes like here, inside a circle. This is up to the storyboard artist. Characters entering or exiting a panel should be clearly indicated as this will make a big difference in a scene.
Time Estimated 5 mins
Difficulty Level Beginner