Scripting
- Most scripts begin as a rough outline – write out the sequence of events that will happen in the film
- Flesh out the outline with additional details as necessary
- Add individual character beats and actions
- Add dialog, but don’t get too attached to it
- Show, don’t tell – remove dialog that serves as exposition and use visual storytelling instead
- Edit, edit, edit – strip the script down to its essential elements and remove sequences that aren’t absolutely essential
- Things may change significantly between the original idea and the finished script and they may change further between the script, production
A film is written three times: in the screenplay, during production, and in the edit.
Storyboarding
- Storyboarding is your opportunity to edit your film before you film it
- Your storyboard serves as a guide for what footage you need to capture, although you can still improvise during production
- Storyboards do not need to be detailed or well-drawn – they only need to make sense to you
- Don’t worry too much about the backgrounds, unless they are important to the shot; draw the characters and important elements
- Generally, each panel in a storyboard is a shot, although shots with complex actions or movement may require multiple panels
- Camera movement and onscreen actions can be indicated using arrows
- Explanatory notes can be written below each panel
Optional – Animatic
- Load your storyboard images into editing software and edit them into a simple version of the movie
- Add a temporary soundtrack, with sound effects, voice tracks, and music
- Watch the movie and see where the issues are – there may be sections that are too long or too short, areas that can be cut entirely, or places that need additional context
- This is sometimes called pre-visualization (pre-vis) and is especially helpful for visual effects shots
- Pixar follows this process religiously and generally goes through several iterations of animatics (which they call “story reels”) before they actually start producing animation
- This step is completely optional, but it can really help you iron out any issues with your film before you begin production
Production Challenge: Alien Abduction
Storyboard the following scenario. It may be helpful to write out the events in more detail before you begin drawing.
On their way to get the mail, someone is abducted by a flying saucer.
