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Any good examples of Screenwriting converted to Story board?
- Thread starter Graeme
- Start date
Typically the storyboard occurs on the production side, once a screenplay is being translated into movie shots. The only example I can think of where it would happen in reverse--and this is a stretch--is to take a graphic novel and convert it into a script to be made into a movie. In that case, another storyboard would like need to be made based on the newly created script.
As for going from script to storyboard, that's a discussion that often happens between the director, director of photography, and the art director. For indie films, that may be the same person. Now a nice feature of CeltX--a free screenplay editor--is that it lets you flip into a storyboard mode from your script mode. I've used that feature to sketch out my ideas. It is one of the bundled production tools.
Storyboards don't have to be elaborate. The idea is to take scenes from the script and sketch out how they should appear on the screen. These can be hand drawn. There are other tools, like Google Sketch Up (also free), that allow for some high end visualization. You can download 3D scenes and people, place them where the action would occur, move the scene as you would visualize it in the movie, and do some basic animated shots. Storyboards are visualizations of the story (script) which help in planning shots. Most books on filmmaking have examples. And, of course, there are many resources on the Internet.
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
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
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I could be wrong, but I thought that photographs were for actual locations and storyboards were a rough shooting guide.
I write rough because on location, shots may have to change... or simply others will be preferred. A lot of people go on about Pre-vis nowadays, because it allows the movement of cameras and actors, but to be honest: why bother?
It's expensive, time-consuming, takes months to learn and even then your stuff won't impress much.
So just pull out a scene and knock up some frames with stick men.
Scene: John confronts Anne about her and Steve
So now you draw up the exterior of the building with John moving towards it
John's finger on doorbell
Anne and John in shot as door opens
John's grim expression
Anne, knowing that he knows.
It all takes a hell of a lot of time, but if you're going to shoot, it's easier for your technical staff (namely your DoP) to set up each shot if they've a visual to go by... which ultimately saves time and MONEY.
If you're going solo or making a 5-minute film, you needn't have to bother with storyboards.
EDIT: In most competent scripts, all the information for choosing shots is there anyway... it simply has to be sifted out from among all the text.
I write rough because on location, shots may have to change... or simply others will be preferred. A lot of people go on about Pre-vis nowadays, because it allows the movement of cameras and actors, but to be honest: why bother?
It's expensive, time-consuming, takes months to learn and even then your stuff won't impress much.
So just pull out a scene and knock up some frames with stick men.
Scene: John confronts Anne about her and Steve
So now you draw up the exterior of the building with John moving towards it
John's finger on doorbell
Anne and John in shot as door opens
John's grim expression
Anne, knowing that he knows.
It all takes a hell of a lot of time, but if you're going to shoot, it's easier for your technical staff (namely your DoP) to set up each shot if they've a visual to go by... which ultimately saves time and MONEY.
If you're going solo or making a 5-minute film, you needn't have to bother with storyboards.
EDIT: In most competent scripts, all the information for choosing shots is there anyway... it simply has to be sifted out from among all the text.
Here some examples of the boards I created for my film (in no particular order). They were bases on locations that I had scouted in advance. In the end, I cut over 2000 boards into a 2hr story reel. It can be done.
Can't draw very well? The first scenes you draw may look like junk, but you will get better. Trust me on this, you may become discouraged but whatever you do, don't quit.
Thomas
Can't draw very well? The first scenes you draw may look like junk, but you will get better. Trust me on this, you may become discouraged but whatever you do, don't quit.
Thomas
Those are just great, Rok!
I think what would be an incredible learning tool, would be both script and storyboards of a highly-visual movie like Blade Runner, in order to see the director or storyboard artist's vision (I saw storyboards for an un-filmed Blade Runner scene in a how-to book on storyboarding-- very cool).
I've seen some try to replace their shot list with storyboards, didn't work very well.
Do love storyboarding, wish I was better at it!
I think what would be an incredible learning tool, would be both script and storyboards of a highly-visual movie like Blade Runner, in order to see the director or storyboard artist's vision (I saw storyboards for an un-filmed Blade Runner scene in a how-to book on storyboarding-- very cool).
I've seen some try to replace their shot list with storyboards, didn't work very well.
Do love storyboarding, wish I was better at it!
Only about a hundred zillion of them. They're called comic books.
Seriously though, it's called "narrative art," and there are more similarities with storyboarding than differences.
Frank Miller's a good place to start.