In our first lesson, I’ll provide a brief overview of my career and present case studies from some of the commercials, video games, animation, and live action film projects I’ve worked on while explaining some of the vital lessons I’ve learned along the way. We’ll then journey through the history of storyboarding, from its origins in animation to its critical role in live-action today. I’ll present different types of storyboards, show examples of thumbnails, ideation boards, keyframes, pitch boards and shooting boards, and explain their uses in each stage of production. I’ll also cover aspect ratios and the proper formatting of storyboards for different projects, along with the nuances between storyboarding for editing versus shooting.

When it comes to storyboarding, how do we determine what we want to show and what do we not want to show? In this lesson, I’ll go over how to edit your storyboards at every step of the way, including basic rules of thumb and when to break them. I will cover focal points, the rule of thirds, symmetry, contrast, depth of field, and standard shot list terminology. Finally, I will explain why every shot is really a “close-up” and will present and discuss standard shot choices and formulas that work for any scene.

Knowing how to work directly from a shot list or script is a crucial skill that all storyboard artists need to have so that the story translates well in your drawings. I will explain how to work from a director’s shot list as well as how to create your own shot list directly from the script, and we will look at the elements of a visual shot list and how it will save you time drawing by preplanning. Working with reference, going on location scouts, meeting with directors and cinematographers will be touched upon, as well as how to create overhead diagrams and initial thumbnail sketches. Basic use of scale, angle, camera moves, staging, mood, style, and character blocking to convey action and/or dialogue will be demonstrated, and I’ll share my tips for enhancing the script and getting to the emotional heart of the story.

Once you’ve finished the lesson, don't forget to check out the video I’ve shared for further insights: The Three Laws of Storyboarding.

Learn quick thumbnail shortcuts for drawing the human form, heads, hands and simplified facial expressions to convey the emotions of your characters! A brief overview of figure drawing, gesture and form, silhouettes, structure, foreshortening and dynamic posing will be given. Proportions, how to effectively use reference and breaking down an action into its 3 basic parts will be covered, as well as the use of arrows to convey figure movement in storyboards.

How do we enhance the script? What’s the story really about? How do we connect with our audience? Finding the answer to these questions might be the most difficult, most intangible aspect of any artist’s job. Something as simple as picking the right camera angle can change how we feel about a character in a scene, and motivated camera moves can be a powerful tool when used correctly. Tips and tools to get to the emotional heart of the story and your scene using mood, emotion, tone, and style will be taught in this lesson.

How can we use composition to enhance the story and our scene? Let’s start by looking at examples of good composition! Understanding “rules” like the 180 degree rule and when to break them, using eye lines to direct focus, effective lighting techniques, how to maintain screen direction and continuity in a sequence will be covered in this lesson, as well as storyboarding scenes with more than 2 people, using POV shots, insert shots and transitions.

How can we use perspective to create depth in the frame? In this lesson, I will cover one point, two point and three point perspective and curvilinear perspective for storyboarding interior and exterior scenes. I’ll provide demonstrations on one point, two point, and three point perspective, as well as drawing figures in perspective to show you my process. We will look at the importance of foreground, middle ground and background elements in a scene and I will cover some basic camera lenses and how they affect the final shot.

After a brief recap of the perspective basics we discussed in the previous lesson, I will explain how to storyboard complex camera moves, such as booms, tilts, pans and tracking shots with perspective in mind, and list some common mistakes you should avoid. I will cover how to use motivated camera moves and complex camera moves for maximum impact, show you how to use arrows to effectively convey camera movement in your storyboards, and explain the differences between arrows for character movement vs. camera movement.

In our final lesson, we’ll start by talking about what animatics are, their different uses, and look at several examples of good animatics before showing you my storyboarding process when I start working on a new project. I’ll go over how we integrate all the skills acquired so far when storyboarding an actual live-action action scene and present my approach to storyboarding complex action sequences and demonstrate storyboarding for animatics vs. traditional shooting boards. Finally, I will cover storyboarding for VFX and Previs, and the various working methods and production pipelines you may encounter.