One of the most important parts of the video planning stage is storyboarding—creating a series of visual representations for how you’ll shoot your video. Here’s why you need a storyboard for every video project and how you can develop a great one.
What is a storyboard?
A storyboard is a convenient way to present visual information. It’s typically a series of images that help you plan a narrative.
In the case of video production, each image on a storyboard represents a different shot or frame, showing how the narrative progresses from start to finish. Many storyboards have descriptive text to accompany each shot, describing dialogue that’s said during the shot or other information you’d need to know about each scene.
Why do you need a storyboard?
While you may think you have a perfect understanding of how your video will come together, storyboarding is a critical step in the
pre-production process. Here’s why taking the time to storyboard improves the quality of your video marketing:
• It’s a handy visual aid:
If you’re working as a group to create a video, a storyboard is an invaluable piece of visual information. It helps you show your idea and overall vision to actors, photographers, editors and anyone else who will work on the production.
• It informs the rest of your pre-production planning:
Outlining each shot you’ll need in your video helps you determine what types of locations you’ll need to shoot in, how many actors you need to hire and what kind of
graphics
or effects you’ll need to add in post-production.
• It saves time:
Making revisions and edits to a video takes much longer than planning it ahead on paper. A storyboard helps you visualize and adjust ideas quickly, so you can have a more efficient shoot.
How do you make a storyboard?
You don’t need to be a talented artist to create a useful storyboard, but it definitely helps! Start by drawing the specific frames you need on pieces of paper. Each image should be a different shot or scene. Paste them to a larger paper or board in order to create the full story. Then, align the frames with your
script
and add any explanatory text detailing camera angles, props and more. Leave some room to make adjustments as necessary.
It’s usually helpful to get the input of a professional production company. They’ll be able to suggest changes to scenes, dialogue and other elements to make sure your video communicates everything you need it to in the most compelling way possible. Taking the time to create a great storyboard with plenty of useful information makes the entire filming and editing process easier, providing you with a high-quality video in a shorter amount of time.
Remember, giving your video a professional, polished look is much more involved than pointing and shooting a camera and doing some simple edits. There’s plenty of planning to do if you want to make dynamic videos that drive brand engagement, produce conversions and create brand loyalty.
Say hello
to Spin Creative—we’re here to help you with your video marketing efforts and develop marketing strategies that get results!
About Us
Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.
