TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRO / What are Storyboards?
PART ONE / The Business of Storyboarding
Getting Started
Resumes
Portfolios
Education and Skills
Materials
How I Got Started
Benefits to Production
Who Hires Storyboard Artists
How Productions Work
What Producers Look For
Pricing
Licensing
Trade Practices
Format
Agents & Artist Reps
Business Aspects

PART TWO / The Art of Storyboarding
Presentation Boards vs. Production Boards
Animation Boards
Laser Show Boards
Comps
Animatics
Styles
Directing
Working With Directors
Visual Design
References & Research
Illustrated Camera Techniques
Numbering
Contrast and Mood
Special Effects
Conceptual Illustration
Frame Design
Computers and Software
Tricks o' the Trade
Presentation and Delivery

PART THREE / Interviews
Storyboard Artists
Mark Moore
Chris Allard
Joseph Scott
Willie Castro
Directors/ Producers
Jesus Trevino
David Nixon
Nina Elias Bamberger

PART FOUR / Exercises
Exercise 1
Exercise 2
Exercise 3
Exercise 4
Exercise 5

PART FIVE / Storyboard Experiment
Experiment

PART SIX / Appendices
Resources
Recommended Books
Periodicals
Resource Guides
Forms
TV Storyboard Form
Animation Storyboard Form
Feature Film Storyboard Form
Sample Storyboard Invoice, Page 1
Sample Storyboard Invoice, Page 2
Schools Offering Storyboarding

PART SEVEN / Storyboard Samples

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Chapter 8
Benefits to Production

Time. Money. Communication. These are powerful words in the entertainment industry. Far too often a production will opt not to pay for storyboards. This is being penny wise and pound foolish. Developing and using storyboards solve production problems, save time and money and can be used for testing an idea early on.

In animation, the benefits are not only plentiful, they’re unavoidable. Nina Elias Bamberger, executive producer for CTW animation, says “Storyboards are the blue print for the series, they convey the emotions, they convey the creative direction of the series. Since often times, like in Dragon Tales, we ship to several studios in order to get the work done on time. The storyboards are what will guarantee uniformity throughout the series and it’s quality control . And it also gives the producers the opportunity to fine tune what they want the series to look like before it’s out of their hands for a while.” Storyboards also help break down the language barrier between countries.

One major benefactor of live action storyboards is the director. Developing storyboards with an artist forces the director to fully visualize the script. When the artist is doing breakdowns, it also presents the director with options he may not have considered. The storyboards become a visual shot list. The director may actually mark off each drawing as he is shooting to make sure he gets every shot.

Storyboards also help with continuity. Screen direction, the direction a character or object is... Continued in Storyboarding: Motion in Art, Chapter 8 - Benefits to Production.

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Chapter 25
Working with Directors

Every director has a different method of working with artists. Some have lists written out describing each shot, some prefer to tell you what they want to see and others have no idea in advance what the shots are going to be. In any case, it’s up to you to get all the pertinent information in such a way that you'll be able to accurately translate it when you're sitting back at your drawing table.

Storyboarding is seldom a one way street. One of your roles as a storyboard artist is to offer ideas. Help the director make the best of each scene with your insight. Jesus Trevino, episodic director of seaQuest DSV and Star Trek fame, agrees but cautions artists about directors egos, “I think that a storyboard artist needs to be sensitive interpersonally to making the director feel comfortable about their participation. I think the worse thing a storyboard artist can do is to come in and start telling him how to shoot the sequence. I do think at the same time that a storyboard artist needs to be courageous enough to says, “You know you might want to consider what would happen if we did this angle or that angle or if you have an insert shot of this. And I think if you convey that in a collaborative spirit I think it would be helpful to the director.”

Another of your roles is to understand what the director wants and illustrate it in the form of storyboards. It is important that you are able to communicate your ideas and understand a director’s ideas. You can do this in a number of different ways. The most important is... Continued in Storyboarding: Motion in Art, Chapter 25 - Working with Directors.

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Chapter 26
Visual Design

Drawing boards does not just mean sketching the characters going through their paces. You need to be able to work visually with the director, producer, production designer, stunt coordinator, effects coordinator or whomever, and give the project a visual dynamic. The viewer, director or other crew member, needs to be drawn into the action and their interest in the visual story must be carried throughout the scene.

The 34 design elements detailed below are used to create effective and exciting storyboards. These elements are common not only to storyboard production, but to directing and editing as well.

Create visual interest by varying shots:

1. Use extreme close_ups to heighten emotion _ if a character is crying, bring the camera in to see the tears.
2. Give the viewer a sense of place by using an establishing shot. This is a wide shot showing the layout of the location of the action.
3. Use over the shoulder (OTS) shots during conversations and confrontations to give the viewer a sense of being part of the action.
4. Introduce interesting camera angles to disorient the viewer or make them feel uncomfortable when justified by the script. The POV of a drunk character may be tilted to the side and sway around. (Angles which are off the horizontal axis are called canted frames, or Dutch or Chinese angles.)
5. Use point of view (POV) shots to allow the viewer... Continued in Storyboarding: Motion in Art, Chapter 26 - Visual Design.

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Customer Reviews

Guynemer Giguere, March 8, 2000
I think your book is truly unique and invaluable for anyone interested in storyboards...

Luc Robert, May 3, 2000
Well done! A very good resource for students and instructors. The section you included with practical exercises really makes it stand out from many other "storyboard" texts.

Aniceris Cancel, October 31, 2000
I have to say that enjoyed reading your book. Very Inspiring.

Joe Staudenbaur, October 30, 2000
Thanks it is an excellent book

Dennis R. Short, April 10, 2000
Just wanted to let you know that I have adopted your 2nd Ed. for my intermediate animation course and I am recommending it to others.

Steve Shortridge, March 15, 2000
I really enjoyed the book a lot. It's more in depth than The Art of Storyboard: Storyboarding for Film, TV, and Animation by John Hart. Unlike his book, your book covers the aesthetics of this artform more in depth and the potential avenues to become employed in this field.

Jeff Scheetz, July 2, 2001
The experience and practical wisdom that Mark Simon shares with his reader is what makes this book special. He offers an exceptional understanding of what is needed to start a career in animation and storyboarding. He then continues by presenting an overview of his own patterns for entertainment industry success that are relevant in nearly any career field.

In addition to his own ideas, I especially enjoy the sharp contrasts he draws by comparing how his colleagues would handle similar projects. This is an amazing chapter that I often re-read to keep my own thought process open.

I do teach a program in animation, and we do use Mark's book in our classroom. It has been a valuable part of our curriculum. On occasion we have even invited Mark to present chapters to our classes and are never disappointed.

Dan Antkowiak , July 2, 2001
This book addresses several subjects that are all relevant to individuals who want to make a living from, or involving, storyboards. It is fully illustrated by a variety of artists, a feature that is important for up-and-coming artists to have exposure to. There are many diverse styles of illustration out there, but
successful storyboard artists all share an awareness of certain principles of filmmaking, that this book also covers. By virtue of its many explanations and illustrations, it presents a broad and clear description of the business of storyboarding. People who want to pursue this field need to know that
being able to draw is not the exclusive interest of a production artist, but also cinematic conventions and marketing of their product. I recommend this book to my students who express interest in the field, and for further exploration of specific concentrations I suggest "Directing: Shot by Shot" by Katz, and "How
to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" by Stan Lee.

Steve Lawton, March 27, 2001
... I'm an illustrator myself with 23 years of storyboarding experience. This book is an excellent tool for both the novice and the seasoned, old grizzled vet like me. For the novice it explains the process, offers guides to how to approach a board, what's important, staging, mood, the different types of boards markets, billing, promotion... the whole gammut. For the vets, it jogs our memory. We tend to fall into patterns of how we do things and it gets comfortable and perhaps a bit common place... or even sloppy.

The book reminded me that there's more than one right way or any single solution and maybe the 1st and easiest way isn't the best. There are some great samples of different styles of boards from different artists and a good focus on thinking before drawing. It's a good, usefull addition to my ever expanding library and anyone in the field or wanting to be in the field should consider getting a copy. Make sure it's the 2nd edition... a far more extensive and complete book than the earlier edition. (I now have both)...

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