Jefferson High Gym, Tonight.” We truck back to an establishing shot of the gym’s interior
already decorated for the party. Three guys are playing ball. Jason dribbles the ball down
the court to the basket. Angle on Steve as he grabs a jack-o’-lantern from a courtside table
and continues after Jason. Angle on Jason, still dribbling. Mike enters the shot and smoothly
steals Jason’s ball on a dribble. Instantly, Steve enters the shot and just as smoothly places
the pumpkin in Jason’s hands. Closer on Jason. Unaware of the switch, Jason turns to the
basket and shoots the pumpkin. We pan with the pumpkin as it arcs into the hoop, a perfect
shot. SPLAT! We cut to a close shot of Mike, the jack-o’-lantern apparently still in one piece
for an instant as it drops over his head. The pumpkin splinters and runs down Mike’s face.
Cut to Jason doing a take. Cut to Steve doubled over in laughter. No dialogue. The narra-
tive was told entirely with visual action.
Gags and action must read visually because internationally the joke may be lost in trans-
lation. We must understand what’s happening from what we see.
Good storyboards open in an exciting way, and they keep moving throughout. They have
a variety of shots, and the lengths of scenes vary. Tension is built with mood and atmosphere,
with composition, or with shots that show what the characters don’t see (the villain lurking
in the shadows, the waterfall dead ahead). The board looks and feels exciting. Cuts are moti-
vated by the action. For CG animation, where more camera movement is not only possible
but also expected, watch video games to get a feel of that movement.
166 Animation Writing and Development
Figure 10.8 Camera Shots-Cheat Sheet brought to you by storyboard artists Llyn Hunter and Jill
Colbert. Llyn and Jill encourage you to photocopy this Cheat Sheet and use it as you work.