The Stages and Steps in the Storyboarding Process

Stage 1 - Development

Goal: to visualize all of the Elements BEFORE you start boarding. 

Step 1 - Script

GOAL: to create a script that clearly lays out all the action and Dial in a concise visual way. 

At this Point don’t get hung up with: too many details, research, shots or visuals. You don’t need to draw at this stage you are building the backbone of the sequence.

If you are starting out with a script you want to identify or even write down all the beats. 

The whole point of this stage is to get a CLEAR picture of the whole story and get the steps all down on paper and in your head before you even start to draw. Make sure everything works and flows and makes sense. Imagine someone picking it up and reading it who has NO idea about what the story is about or anything about the characters. Would they be able to see it play out in their mind step by step and would they not get lost or confused?

Step 2 - Visual Inspiration 

Goal: is to QUICKLY gather visual reference and inspiration material that you will be able to refer back to as you go. Of course you may have to do this as you go but this is so you have a good amount to start with.

At this Point don’t get hung up with: story, shots, boarding, details, too much researching.

This Stage is Vital because you cannot draw out of a void. "You are only as good as your reference" may not be entirely true but has a lot of truth in it. The wider your reference inventory the more options you have. Imagine Reference as being the material that you have to build with. If you find yourself stuck as far as creativity goes you need to "refresh" your visual innovatory. 

Now as vital as Reference is it is also vital to NOT GET LOST in the research stage. You don't want research to be an EXCUSE to NOT create anything. So the way to avoid that is to keep focused on what specifically you are researching. It’s best to write a list and STOP when that list is completed.

Step 3 - Design the Characters and Visual Elements

Goal: To create a SIMPLE visual vocabulary that you can use as you storyboard. This includes Character sheets, prop/vehicle/object designs. In short all of the story elements that will fill your world. ALL of these elements must end up on sheets for easy reference BEFORE you start boarding. 

At this Point don’t get hung up with: story, shots, boarding, research,

Now these designs are NOT as complicated and detailed as they would be for the final animation/film. These designs are more like pictography or hieroglyphs. They are simple ways to CLEARLY indicated props and characters without losing form and necessary elements (such as expressions). These designs are rather subjective but EACH design MUST be CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR. And discernible from each other even though they all be drawn say and inch high. 

Characters should all be iconic and clearly discernible from each other. If you are not sure if they are clear enough from each other draw them all side by side and either zoom out so the image is an inch high or look at the drawing from across the room. They should be all clearly different from each other. And don't fool yourself. Ask someone to look at it and see if they see what you see. 

IF your characters are unclear make them more so by making them more iconic. And for use creative types we may not like this but as story artists we are in the business of COMMUNICATION NOT ART (though it goes without saying that the better we are the more Art will show though.) SO ICONIC. If its a female give her hips and boobs or make her curvy or something. If a man wider shoulders etc. (this is of course subjective to the character but in general its best to just push it even to be cliché because cliché is easy to COMMUNICATE) The Character should be unique even in silhouette. 

As for props and all other objects (all that are listed in the script or are important) should be just as clear and treated the same way as the characters. 

Step 4 - Design the World

Goal: To create a scene schematics, and spatial layouts that visualize the SETS your characters will be acting in. These will take the form of drawings that you will be able to refer to as you board.

At this Point don’t get hung up with: character designs, reference, shots, boarding, too much detail or too much world

You wouldn't start filming without a set or place to shoot and so you should not start boarding until you have a CLEAR picture of the world that your story will be taking place in. 

Now this "world" is not the whole freakn' world but ONLY the Environment that your sequence appears in. SO to FIRST go through your script and make a list of all the scenes (scene headings), and background elements that are listed. 

From that list really picture and visualize the spatial relationships, how big the characters are in their environments, how far they have to go from here to there. What time period, where, when what feeling. Create floor plans and even building cross-sections  and floor plans for entire towns (Still only as they are called for by the list you made.)  

As it is with the previous step make sure that all of these locations are iconic. If you are unsure use a visual cliché. 

Storyboarding is

NOT about being pretty

It is about

CLEARLY COMMUNICATING the VISUAL STORY

SO

USE ICONIC VISUALS

and When in doubt

USE VISUAL CLICHE's because they are easy, iconic and most people understand them.

Stage 2 – Thumbnailing

Goal: To get the whole sequence down on paper so that is shows all you have in your mind. It can be rough but it cannot be incomplete. Any person looking at it should be able to follow the boards without you explaining anything to them. 

Step 1 – Find the Money Shots

GOAL: To find the KEY Shots in the sequence. 

At this Point don’t get hung up with: the order of the shots (though if they are its okay,) numbering the shots, figuring out how it all will work together. 

You are just trying to get the “Tent Poles” of your sequence up. IE: images you have clearly in your mind, the Money Shots, The shots that inspired this sequence, the shots that you cannot live without. 

You will later build the rest of the sequence with these shots in mind and if you have to cut things down you will know to keep these and sacrifice the shots that link them together. 

Get down on paper what is clearest in your mind and don’t get bogged down with the logistics yet. 

Step 2 – Rough Thumbnail Pass

GOAL: To conquer the white page. You want to do whatever is necessary to just blast through the whole sequence and get it down on paper from beginning to end. 

At this Point don’t get hung up with: pretty drawing (stick figures are okay,) logistics, thinking too much. 

At this point you want to think in order and you want to roughly number the shots. You also want to start indicating the camera work.

Step 3 – 1st Thumbnail Pass

GOAL: To get all the way through the sequence again only and this time really get at least a rough indication of all you have visualized for the sequence.

At this Point don’t get hung up with: pretty drawing (though now the stick figures should take on enough form so the characters are different from each other and they are at first glance spatially clear,) thinking, editing, visual arches or progression (at least let that simmer on the back burner)

This is a hard stage but a very necessary one. 

You start by looking over the rough pass and visualize what all is not yet drawn and what you want to see. 

At the end of this stage: 

1- ALL BGs should be indicated (at first glance they should communicate where the characters are in their environment and how big the environment is too the characters)

2 - ALL shots should be properly numbered 

3 - ALL shots should have the Horizon line and/or perspective/planes indicated 

4 - Basic character action should be indicated 

5 - All characters should be roughly the correct size in the frame and relative to each other. 

6 - All camera moves should be indicated  

7 - the characters don't need to be on model but they NEED to be visually discernible from each other in EVERY Panel. The same goes for important objects/props. 

8 – Action notes should be indicated (though the visuals should do most of the explaining) and all Dialogue and important sounds should be written out below the panels. 

The Key to getting through this stage is to not edit your self (you will edit later). JUST GET DOWN your ORIGINAL gut instincts, visuals, feeling etc from BEGINNING to END. At the end of this pass you should be able to have someone look over what you have done and it should stand for itself (with no explanation on your part).

Step 4 – Reexamine 1^st Thumbnail Pass

GOAL: To critically analyze 

At this Point don’t get hung up with: 

More to come

Step 5 – 2nd Thumbnail Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with: 

More to come

Step 6 – Reexamine 2nd Thumbnail Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 7 – Final Thumbnail Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Stage 3 – Boarding!!!

Goal: 

Step 1 – “Comping”

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 2 – Reexamine, re-thumb and recomp as needed

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 3 – Rough Acting Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 3 – Reexamine Acting Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 4 – 1^st Acting Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 5 – Reexamine Acting Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 7 – Final Acting Pass

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

Step 5 – Shading, light effects and polish

GOAL: 

At this Point don’t get hung up with:  

Yo

A Storyboarding Tutorial - Part 2 - Thumbnailing

Now I am at the phase where I just want to visualize the story.

I don't want to think too hard about the logistics yet.

Inspiration Stage

First I go look at images that inspire that I am going to draw. This of course can be dangerous as research can easily turn into another form of procrastination. So I try and only look at images a bit then get onto drawing. AND limit my researches to only what i need for this particular project.

A simple list of the elements I will limit myself to:

Farm, farmhouse, fox, crow, rural landscapes.

The two places I go to is google images, My Curiosities Site and Flickr Hive Mind

I will open a couple tabs with the different queries and keep them on hand to just look through while I am boarding.

So in the case of this boarding project these are all opened in tabs:

Mountain Barn , Foxes, Crows, Barn Tree, farmhouse

I Really like having these images sites open as it helps me visualize and keep inspired as I work.

Thumb-nailing

So Here I have put my first ROUGH thumb-nailing pass.

Now what I was trying to do with this is just getting something down. Even though I already thought of better shots and things I wanted to add I just wanted to finish this step so I don't get caught up in editing before I have a step finished.

The only editing I've done to these thumbs is to put them in order as my first first pass was very random. I just start getting images down. Then after I put them in order I numbered the scenes and put the action and dial in.

So Now that I have something to work off of I will go through them again and start to flesh the thumbs out with a second pass.

So This is a second pass on the roughs but I only got through two shots before I had to go home. So I Uploaded just these changes with Notes.

A Storyboarding Tutorial - Part 1 - Starting out

Here I will detail my entire story boarding process from beginning to end with all of my though process and different revisions so you can get an idea of how to board through a sequence. 

To start 


I found a short story to board, an aesop's fable:

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. "That's for me, as I am a Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. "Good-day, Mistress Crow," he cried. "How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds." The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the

piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. "That will do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future.

"Do not trust flatterers"

I choose this story for a number of reasons:


Two characters, a simple setting, two levels (up in the tree and down on the ground, it will make for some nice angles), I like the animals, I like the ending, Its very short, it remains in one location, I can think of a cool location etc.

The most important part of the storyboarding process is the planning you do before you start drawing. 


So I will write up my thought process as follows:

Now first I will tweak the story:

A Fox turns over a trash-can next to a barn and looks inside for some food. The trash can is empty. 

Then the Fox sees a Crow fly over with a sandwich in its beak. The Crow settles on a branch of a tree nearby. 

The Fox smirks and walks up to the foot of the tree.

The Fox:

 "Good-day, Mistress Crow." 

The crow glances down at the fox then away uninterested and makes to fly away. 

The Fox (Con't)

"How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does"

The Crow looks down with more interest.

The Fox (Con't)

"let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds." 

The Crow lifts up her head proudly and begins to caw. Her sandwhich falls to the ground, at the foxes feet.

The Fox -

"Next time don't trust a flatterer."

With that the Fox picks up the sandwich in its mouth and skampers away. 

Notes on the changes:

First off Story boarding is a visual medium. 


"Show. Don't tell" 


So I had to rewrite so all of the beats can be seen.  




Below are each change and why I made it so you can see the beginning of how i start on a sequence: 

A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. "That's for me, as I am a Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree. 

TO

A Fox turns over a trash-can next to a barn and looks inside for some food. The trash can is empty. 

Then the Fox sees a Crow fly over with a sandwich in its beak. The Crow settles on a branch of a tree nearby. 

The Fox smirks and walks up to the foot of the tree.

So I wrote the revision of the story to be beat by beat. I described the action to be visual. 

For Visual storytelling we must always think in terms of small bits of information, one piece at a time. when I looked at the story I had to analyzed that information that was being presented and put it in order that it can be easily received. Ill explain that in detail. 

I started with "A Fox once saw a Crow fly off with a piece of cheese in its beak and settle on a branch of a tree. "That's for me, as I am a Fox," said Master Reynard, and he walked up to the foot of the tree."

I see first my main character is a Fox. I have to clearly introduce a fox which is one bit of information. I must show the location clearly. I must show the Crow. And that the crow has a desirable bit of food. and that the crow is flying. It is mundane but a story artist must think this way because the first rule of storyboarding is clarity. 

Then too one must think about the order that the elements are presented. In the original story it is in this order:

Fox, Crow, Flying, Food, Branch, Tree, The food is desirable to the fox, the fox goes up to the tree. 

That works in Prose but I wanted to make a clearer string of events:

Fox, Location = Rural/Barn, Fox is hungry, fox sees a crow with food (and of course wants it), this crow lands on tree nearby. the fox goes to the foot of the tree and looks up. 

I am writing this out to show my though process but this all goes through my head and I just react to it. 

And more notes:

I do not want the fox to start talking to himself "that's for me," so I devised a way of showing that he wants the food. 


Well the most simple way of showing that is to show him to be hungry. Well he is hungry because he does not have food. 


But how do you show a lack of food? An empty plate? Why would he have a plate he is a fox? Well an empty chicken pen? That would require a whole new location and a bit more set up than i want to deal with. So a trash can then because foxes scavenge and I can show the trash can upright at first and the fox knocks it over and looks inside and finds the trash has been picked up or something in any case it is empty. So because he was already desperate enough to look through a trash can he is probably already very hungry. This can all be shown by a simple action. 

Where is this story? Reading through the story I see it only requires a tree but that tree can be anywhere. Also a fox and a crow are limited to their surroundings. Unless I want to make it a comedy then I might place them underwater or in a jungle but as I wanted to focus on the fable and not on my revision of it I decided a rural setting. A chose a barn because I could see a tree standing by a barn and a trash-can also being set beside it. It says "humans are near by but not swarming the place." 


When you start boarding anything it is vital that you have the location and setup clearly in mind. You must also have clearly in mind a setup that will allow for all the actions that you want to have in that location.


For this reason I may not go with my first idea. which in this case was to have him in a chicken pen. Perhaps someone else might be able to make it clear and simple but I foresaw that for me I would have to first introduce a clear place where the chicken pen is then have show the fox walking in then show a wide interior to show that there is no chickens...altogehter doable but for the sake of time I found a simpler and more iconic way of setting up that the fox is hungry. As you can see: "A Fox turns over a trash-can next to a barn and looks inside for some food. The trash can is empty." Is only one line. 

What food? So cheese may be tasty but it does not make for a clear shape and it does instantly say "meal" so i thought "should it be a chicken? A fox would like a chicken. But it would be a weird crow that wants to eat a chicken. Grapes maybe...Maybe... But I go for sandwich because it is a whole meal and something a fox might not be able to get all of the time. This is another simpler choice. 


While I am thinking through all of this I am starting to Visualize how these elements with look. 


And the Next Part:

"Good-day, Mistress Crow," he cried. "How well you are looking to-day: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does; let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds."

TO

The Fox:

 "Good-day, Mistress Crow." 

The crow glances down at the fox then away uninterested and makes to fly away. 

The Fox (Con't)

"How well you are looking today: how glossy your feathers; how bright your eye. I feel sure your voice must surpass that of other birds, just as your figure does"

The Crow looks down with more interest.

The Fox (Con't)

"let me hear but one song from you that I may greet you as the Queen of Birds."

This part of the story is the fight as it where. In the original story it doesn't feel like that. 


The fox is like like " yo you beautiful" and the crow is like okay, drops food.


I don't want to draw it out, though I could, because i want it to stay short. 


So I just add some more beats: 


I have the fox address the crow.


The crow passively resists by ignoring the fox and making to fly away to another tree to eat in peace.


the fox continues with his flattery to keep her from leaving.


The crow being, in spite of herself, rather narcissistic can't help but pause a minute to listen. 


The fox has her and finishes his line with a bit of flattery that she cannot resist. 


This story is really just a character moment so I think of who these two characters are.


I don't want it to just be a dumb crow and a malicious fox (which is more like the original story.) 


I want the crow to be a good crow but she is beautiful and has a wonderful voice and she can't help but know it and she is not surprised when others do. 


The fox is an honest hungry fox and can't help but know that the bird is narcissistic and can't help but use this to the advantage of his hungry stomach. Besides it would do her good as every other animal either ignores her obnoxious cawing or flatters her outright. 


Most likely I will not show all of this but creating this backstory in my mind helps me make the characters more unique and believable. And it will be vital in coming up with acting beats in the boards.


If you are having trouble drawing or writing just pause and clearly imagine the characters and the situation. 




The Crow lifted up her head and began to caw her best, but the moment she opened her mouth the

piece of cheese fell to the ground, only to be snapped up by Master Fox. "That will do," said he. "That was all I wanted. In exchange for your cheese I will give you a piece of advice for the future.

"Do not trust flatterers"


TO 

The Crow lifts up her head proudly and begins to caw. Her sandwich falls to the ground, at the foxes feet.

The Fox -

"Next time don't trust a flatterer."

With that the Fox picks up the sandwhich in its mouth and skampers away. 

Notes:


Again I made is clear beats instead of a bunch of dialogue and explanation. 


The Crow lifts up her head proudly and begins to caw. Her sandwhich falls to the ground, at the foxes feet:


The audience can't know she is singing her best but they can see when a character is proud (which implies that it must be their best) So I just wrote that she cawed proudly. 


Then I had the food fall at the foxes feet which iconicity says the fox has it now. I know I can easily show that is one shot.


I didn't like the sermon he gives at the end so I let him just say one clever thing then drive it home by running off with her food. 




Actions Speak louder than words.