What Is a Storyboard Artist

What Is a Storyboard Artist: Creatives Behind The Scenes

Films can be many things for us: a journey, an experience, a lesson, or an escape from reality. However, before the cameras roll and actors bring characters to life, there's an invisible force pushing the story forward. That force— a storyboard artist’s force.

Have you ever wondered how a movie’s explosive action sequences or emotionally driven scenes come together? That’s where the storyboard artist comes in. They're the architects of the visual narrative, translating scripts into images that directors, producers, and production teams use to bring a story to life. Storyboard artists shape how an audience experiences a story, frame by frame, emotion by emotion. It’s a duty where creativity meets technical skill. Therefore, most of the movies we see behind the screen are meticulously made in the storyboard before they are even brought into the editing process.

So, let’s jump in and discover what is a storyboard artist and what are their main duties within the industry!

What Is a Storyboard Artist?

Storyboard artists are professionals who visually interpret the script of a film into a series of sequential drawings, illustrating scenes and transitions. These visuals, called "storyboards," act as a roadmap for directors and cinematographers, showcasing the film’s structure, pacing, and mood shot by shot. Therefore, a storyboard artist is the first visualizer of a script, converting words into images that communicate a director’s vision long before production begins.

Storyboard artists are important in many creative industries, including film, animation, advertising, and video game design. Their role requires a keen understanding of storytelling, composition, camera angles, and pacing, all combined with strong artistic skills. They help teams visualize the final product and make crucial decisions about how each scene will unfold depicting the camera angles, overall mood, and many other factors within the scenes.

Responsibilities of a Storyboard Artist

Storyboard artists have a range of duties that vary depending on the project, but the main responsibilities remain similar across industries. One of the important duties includes interpreting the script to understand the tone, mood, and rhythm of the story and making accurate illustrations on the board.

After breaking down the script into clear understanding, storyboard artists draw sequential images that represent each scene of the film. During this stage, they work closely with directors and writers making sure that the visuals align with the vision of the project such as the depiction of the camera angles, zooms, transitions between scenes and movements.

In a nutshell, storyboard artists tend to be considered translators of a director's vision, making it clear how the scenes will be shot. The rest? Don't worry, the light leaks, and other film effects like LUTs that should be applied are decided by the team. You can also suggest your team to use the best Colorist advanced tool set PowertGrades or the Colorist starter pack PowerGrades for better visual experience!

Skills Required for a Storyboard Artist

It’s not just about being able to draw well— although that's certainly part of it. Successful storyboard artist combines a range of skills like being able to draw quickly and effectively convey the emotions, actions, and scenes on the board. It is also important to keep in mind that storyboard artists use various industry-related terminologies such as the type of camera shots(eg. Wide-Angle, close-up) and movement names like tilting or panning. Therefore, understanding the film language plays a significant role in the craft of storyboards.

Similar to other industries, problem-solving skills are also considered a fundamental part of the storyboard process. Storyboard artists must find creative solutions to script or production challenges. Whether it’s adapting scenes to fit a budget or finding a visually compelling way to communicate complex ideas, quick thinking is key.

The Process of Storyboarding

The process of storyboarding requires close attention to detail. To simplify, let’s put ourselves in the artist’s perspective!

The first step for any storyboard artist is to meticulously read and understand the script. You must get a feel for the story’s pacing, and characters and make emphasis for the moment. Start with small, rough sketches that can quickly lay out the composition and flow of each scene without getting bogged down in details. Sounds easy and exciting! Let’s dive in more…

Just like in every industry, during the film production process, initial thumbnails should be approved and carried on to create more detailed panels. These panels include more detailed visuals and explanations about the characters, background, and camera movements. Lastly, the revision process arrives. During this phase, directors and producers may request additional changes based on the initial panels, and you must be flexible and adapt their work accordingly. As the storyboard finalizes, it serves as the primary reference for the production!

That’s how the storyboard artist's journey goes along.

Tools and Equipment

Traditionally, storyboard artists used pencil and paper to create their sequences. It’s quite fun to start with the traditional way, which most storyboard artists pass through the initial phases of their career, However, modern technology has expanded their toolbox.

Today, many storyboard artists use digital tools such as storyboarding softwares accompanied by graphic tablets where the artist draws directly into digital softwares, making it easier to create and edit their work. In some cases, particularly with complex action scenes, artists use 3D modeling softwares to create storyboards that provide more detailed camera angles and movements.

Storyboard Artists in Different Industries

Although the role of a storyboard artist is often associated with film and television, they also play crucial roles in various industries such as animation, where every frame is carefully planned before animators bring it to the screen.

Animation studios often employ dedicated storyboard artists to plan every single shot. In other cases, storyboard artists help visualize cutscenes, character movements, and overall game flow within the video gaming industry. Lastly, commercials often demand storyboard artists in advertising to create these boards planning every shot, making sure the message is communicated effectively within the short timeframes.

Conclusion

Storyboard artists are good storytellers in their own right. By combining artistic skill with an understanding of cinematic techniques, they turn written scripts into the visual design that guides the entire production process.

If you have a passion for storytelling and a knack for drawing, the world of storyboarding may just be the creative career path you've been looking for.

Have you thought about how to produce your own movie? — Perhaps this could be another exciting journey awaiting you!