Workshops
3
PRODUCE THUMBNAILS
Next I start thumbnailing, just thinking on paper in a
quick shorthand. This stage is all about action and angles: how
to compose shots while telling the story in a way the audience
can understand. This becomes my blueprint for the sequence,
and is when you have the most creative input, trying various
permutations to see which angles and setups are the most
effective. It’s not about the limitations of the script, but more
about maximising opportunities and pushing the boundaries.
1
START WITH A SCRIPT... MAYBE
Reading the script might seem an obvious place
to start, but it’s not always that simple. Storyboards are
part of the pre-production stage, which means they
happen relatively early in the development process
of a film (ideally). So there might not be a completed
script when you start your labours. Sometimes there’ll
be a synopsis or story outline, or you might be working
from a verbal brief after a meeting with the director.2
IDENTIFY THE BEATS
My favourite part of the process is breaking
down the script or brief, picking out the important
story points, developing the beats and working them
into a coherent visual storyline. Where does our hero
need to be, and why? What happens at a particular
moment? What motivates certain characters’ actions
and responses and are there any alternatives? I’ll often
just write things down first, to get the chain of events
straight in my own mind. Then I can start to relate the
action to a set or location, and it’s at this point that
images or angles start to suggest themselves: the
dramatic highs and lows start to move to the fore.PRO SECRETS
NO TIME FOR
GUESSWORK
When storyboarding,
keep your images
clear – their primary
function is to impart
information. If they
don’t do that but
instead leave people
guessing, then they’re
simply useless.