Hi Graeme,
I'm in the process of finalizing my boards right now. I'm boarding an entire feature and have learned a great deal along the way. I'm aware that a budgeted 'production' follows a slightly different protocol, but I'm just a guy at a kitchen table. Here's my process:
- Write script (and drafts).
- Scout locations & photograph.
- Diagram all the locations in
Omnigraffle.
- Thumbnail a scene in the script margin, creating additional visual ideas beyond the ones scripted.
- Draw storyboards (about 2000 keepers, and another 2000 in a shoe box)
- Scan boards.
- Record a scratch dialogue track with some friends in my kitchen (dinner included).
- Import boards and scratch track into FCP.
- Cut the movie together and add some sound FX & music.
- Import Boards into
OmniGraffle and sort them into groups representing each camera angle.
- Go back to
OmniGraffle and block actors and camera per the boards.
- After you are done laying out a scene, study your camera layouts and look for opportunities to extend each camera's usefulness though the end of each scene (if possible).
- Share my layouts and QTs from FCP with my DP for his ideas.
- Edit the script to reflect all the changes you have made as a result of boarding and editing.
I still haven't boarded the finale because I need to find a location first.
Ultimately, I've learned that some scripted ideas do not work well as boards (so I make revisions). I also come up with
many new visual ideas as I board (more changes). All of this has resulted in a net improvement in the film in a visual and narrative level.
I have found this process incredibly time consuming, but I've made so many discoveries along the way, I do not regret it for a second.
At some point, I'll create a page on my web site that outlines these steps with downloadable examples. I also created a custom Omnigraffle stencil that I will also post on my web site (at a later date) for those who are interested.
** I own the DVD set from
Hollywood Camera Works. IMO, an excellent introduction to planing scenes. They have a new application made specifically for scene layout. I was tempted to use it, but its brand new, and I know
Omnigraffle quite well; my scene layouts look very similar to theirs.
Regards,
Thomas