Module Evaluation

With specialist study 1, my aim was to become better acquainted with the theories and philosophy of Storyboarding and its practices. Whilst I found that there were no strict 'principles' to adhere too, my initial step was to generate my own version of a guideline to counter this, so that I could then tailor my work to prove these principles in theoretical terms.

With specialist study 2 my first and only main objective became pretty clear; Put my principles into the working environment that the industry demands, no matter how benign the project. And so, this entire body of work has been the culmination of my baptism of fire into Storyboarding under industry conditions.

Along the way I've discovered how wildly different each storyboard and conception/idea that fuels them can really be, and I learned to figure out many ways to make my principles work when logistical, design and collaborative obstacles came in the way- and almost always to positive effect. Some projects required me to be technically skilled in theory and practice, adhering to somebody else's preset vision, and being able to sophisticatedly communicate that vision. This lead to the interesting challenge of convincingly placing my principles into their tastes and demands for a certain commission. Likewise, other projects were wholly vague in conception and offered the opportunity for me to step in and to collaborate and generate many ideas that would later contribute to the final vision. This lead to more free room to allow my principles to breath within my drawing and planning.

Through this I've also had to become well versed in the use of industry standard, or similar level programs to streamline my work into a much faster production. Adobe after effects and photoshop are now, more than ever, invaluable tools. Further more, my branching out somewhat into the creation of Animatics has helped to reaffirm my principles in storyboarding, and ultimately prove whether they work or not. The principles that I created for myself are listed;

Communication- The ability to communicate visually is the basis for all drawing, especially when a story is crafted specifically around this method of narration. Each image must be able to do its job, which can be creating emotions, visual eye-candy or keeping the pace and flow of a story arc fluid and intact.

Solid Drawing- beat boards, storyboards and animatics rely on strong solid drawing. Without clear economy of line, effectiveness of poses and readable performances, your boards will remain incoherent and therefore fail to tell the story.

Colour and Tone- The addition or deliberate omission of colour and tone of the images further aim to evoke an emotion or visual sensation from the viewer, aiding in the mood of the narrative.

Composition- To carefully and meticulously position frame ‘clutter’, such as objects, architecture, lighting or people to be aesthetically pleasing, emotive and effective to the given moment in the story.

Effective Framing- To decisively frame your image and all of its components-composition and framing walk hand in hand- to further enhance the composition to aid in the communication of the scene, and the final impact the finished product will have on the viewer.

Pace- Understanding the flow of a sequence or story as played out in several frames is key to ensuring a smooth transition from one scenario to the next.

I feel that in one, or many ways or another, each of my commissions and personal works go some way to identify- and more importantly- to prove their benefits and relevance within industry condition practices.

Now that I've got a building portfolio ever growing, a CV with commissions to show, and some experience with industry conditions, I feel that I've finally addressed beyond the theoretical approach to storyboarding, and have furthered my sell-ability as a functioning storyboard artist, and in general the pre-production process.