Create a Storyboard
Step 1: Getting the sketch down.
The first step in creating a storyboard is sketching the story. Draw the key poses of your sequence close enough to tie the images together but not too close where the information becomes the same image.
Step 2: Shading
In storyboards shading is used to represent the distance to the camera. Light shading represents further from the camera and darker shading means it’s closer. Shading isn’t always necessary for storyboards but can help in the more complicated panels!
Step 3: Mark it up!
It’s common to lose meaning in art if it’s purpose isn’t obvious, that’s why it’s useful to mark up your boards. Mark the movements of characters with arrows to indicate motion. You might also have cuts and transitions to put in your storyboard which might not be in your script. Lastly add some text below the panels, this could be used to indicate speech or action. Once that’s done congratulations, you’ve just finished your first storyboard!
Storyboard Symbols Cheat Sheet:
- Cut “¢”
- Drawn between panel padding like: ] ¢ [.
- Crossdisolve “X”
- Drawn in between panels, see image above.
- Fade from/to black “<”/ “>”
- Drawn usually at beginning or end of a sequence.
- Camera Pan “—>—”
- Simply expand the border of the panel you wish to pan on and then Mark direction of camera movement on the panel border.
- End “[_X_]”
- Mark the next available empty panel with a large “X” through it to indicate the end of the sequence or write end.
Submit Your Storyboard
Complete the form below to submit your storyboard.