What is a storyboard?

A storyboard is a visual representation of an idea, often used in the film, animation, and advertising industries. It is essentially a series of illustrations or images that depict the major plot points and key scenes of a story in a chronological order.

The purpose of a storyboard is to help the creator visualize the story and to plan out the sequence of events. It can also be used as a communication tool between the writer, director, and other members of the production team to ensure everyone is on the same page and to identify any potential issues or areas that may need further development.

Creating a storyboard will help you organize your vision and bring clarity to the story you want to share. It is a breakdown of each element in your visual story. 

To create a storyboard, you can do anything from simple sketches, to online tools, to more elaborate drawings showing the different elements of your story. It can also be more abstract with samples of your colour palette and symbols or shots you will use, or it can be a practice of a more detailed representation of your story.

Creating a storyboard for your visual story helps to give the creator (and production team) a more complete understanding of how the story will be visualized.

Storyboard Tools

Why storyboards are valuable

  1. It allows you to visualize more concretely if your concept will work and have the impact you want.
  2. Helps you figure out a plan of action and individual steps you need to take in order to produce your vision.
  3. It can help you plan your materials and budget needed to complete the visual story.
  4. You can determine if there will be any large errors or elements that won’t work before you try to create your story.
  5. It speeds up your creation process and ensures you don’t miss an element in your story.
  6. Assists in creating colour palettes, elements, moods, shot lists, etc.
  7. It’s easier to share your idea with others and get feedback (or funding!)

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