Pre-Production

The Plan

Storyboard This is where it all begins. The first step is to understand what you are trying to communicate and what your intended message is. If you don't understand your message, no one will. Creating a script or storyboard will help ensure that you and your audience understands your intent.

Think of your video as a story. All good stories contain certain elements. When creating your story keep in mind the 5 W's; Who, What, When, Where, and Why. This will help you fill in the main body of your story. Additionally, there are some general terms that you should be familiar with; protagonist, antagonist, plot, setting, turning point, dialog, introduction, conclusion, narration, and points of view.

There are two main styles for laying out your story - a storyboard or a script. They each have their pros and cons. Continue on to find which one best suits your needs.

 

Storyboard As seen in the accompanying picture, a storyboard contains a rough sketch representation of the video. A storyboard is essentially a timeline going from top to bottom, with the top occurring first. Using a storyboard allows you to see what the scene will look like. This is one of the major advantages a storyboard has over a script. The storyboard method is also generally thought to provide a better overview than the scripting method. Click here to view a blank storyboard form that can be printed for your use.

 

 

Script The script style is similar to reading a book. It is very useful for dialog intense pieces. If you do have a piece with a considerable amount of dialog, use the video side to indicate who is speaking, or what reaction the character should have. This is more in line with a traditional play script. Often your talent will benefit more from this method than the storyboard, as they are more interested in their lines than creating a story. Click here to view a blank script which can be printed out for your use.

 

The storyboard and script methods should be used in conjunction with one another. Creating a storyboard allows you to refine and examine the overall story-line. Once completed turn the storyboard in to a script. The final script will provide the detail required for the actual shooting. It will also allow the talent to view and rehearse their lines.

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Pre-Production		The Plan