The biggest question newcomers have is, do I need a shot list and storyboards? The short answer is yes. A shot list is a checklist of the coverage you need of a scene (a medium, a close-up, etc) and it’s a good place to start, but that’s all it is, a list.
It’s something your Assistant Director uses to create a schedule and it helps them keep track of the footage throughout the day. It also helps the editorial department keep track of footage. But creatively, you haven’t explained what’s in the shots.
So once you know what shots you need to cover a scene, you need to demonstrate how you, as the Director, visualize each shot. This is where the storyboards come in. They explain your vision, shot-by-shot and hopefully inspire your team.
John Badham, in his book On Directing1 reminds us, “Every shot must add to the overall story and can never be random. . . . it ought to convey the mood of the film and contribute to the story.” This is the time you hash out what you are trying to communicate with each shot.
It will help the Production Designer know how to decorate the set, it will help the Director of Photography know where to put the camera and how to light the shot, what lenses to use, and so it is with all departments.
How do you create a storyboard?
You don’t have to be a professional artist to create storyboards. Especially if you are leading a small-budget film, you may find yourself being your own Storyboard Artist!
What matters is having each storyboard frame convey enough information about who and what is in it, as well as the camera shot and movement used, to ensure that others working with you on a film can understand how it will look from shot to shot.
What is the storyboarding process?
Storyboarding is a process whereby the Director, Cinematographer, and other relevant professionals on a film draft shot by shot how they imagine a film will look once they move into production to actually shoot it.
Some Directors and Cinematographers prefer to draw their storyboards themselves, but many make use of the talent of a professional Storyboard Artist who will take feedback and collaborate with these other individuals to mock up the storyboards during the pre-production phase of filmmaking.