Probably a director's most important tools on set are a shot list and the storyboard. They serve as a blueprint and a ‘to-do’ list that he continually references as things inevitably become complex. Directors often neglect to get this handy and ultimately pay the price when they get to post production. Which means he either cuts around it (that never solves the problem), or reshoot — both scenarios won’t be an easy conversation to have with the producer.
For the record, there are always exceptions to the rule in filmmaking. Through observations and countless mistakes I've come to agree that storyboarding is one of the previsualisation techniques in filmmaking that helps you translate your story from that imaginary creative space to a plain relate-able visual element, its the step that helps you see your film before actually shooting your film. Not having one is like travelling without a map or a sense of direction to your destination. I've seen many filmmakers wing their way through production without drafting any form of storyboard only to ask for takes and retakes thereby belaboring talent and crew members, wasting time, disrupting schedules even cancelling a shoot.
As a visionary, your pictures lives in your head, one of the ways you are able to convey your vision is through a storyboard for real world interpretation.
Production challenges you could have tackled and figured a solution to right from pre-production might cost you dearly if you don't take them seriously. As a junior art director I never got used to the habit of drawing scamps before designing on the computer, that translated with me into production. There's no such thing as figuring it out and fixing it in post because in production, anything that can possibly go wrong will go wrong. You not only save yourself and your crew some headache but you work smarter by providing your crew that sense of visual direction.
A storyboard need not be elaborate like a comic or textbook illustration, if you're on a big budget and it allows you get the services of a professional illustrator or graphic artist, all well and good, otherwise good ol stick figures will do the job just fine.
Why you need a storyboard.
It serves as a morale booster -seeing a frame by frame sequence just gives you that boost to trudge on, you see the possibilities in a shot and can't wait to capture that moment on camera.
Your shots are more dynamic -to a large extent you're able to determine perspective, camera angle, composition, movement and framing, even overal tonality of your film which to a large extent helps you create dynamic shots.
Saves you from trying out multiple iterations -there's always that temptation to capture multiple takes, a clearly defined storyboard just helps you nail your shots cutting through the BS.
Ridley Scott on Storyboarding
Pixar on Storyboarding
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