STORYBOARDING
This is a window into my storytelling process! Showing your work is an effective way to demonstrate understanding. I have 3 modes of storyboarding. The first is the most general, and they get more specific as you go. This is really all one big process, but I find that breaking it up into three sections is extremely important because it lets me think about my porojects from three seperate points of referance.
In real life, change can be scary, but we sure love to read about it! Change is what storytelling is all about. Showing that change in the right way is what turns a good story into a GREAT one. I have three approaches to storyboarding a story, and each tackles change on a seperate scale.
1) Now, Then, How
Show change in characters over the course of a chapter or episode.
This is my broadest, most general storyboarding technique. It is also the most necessary. "Now" is where the character is at the beginning of the chapter. "Then" is where they end up. "How" is the significant action they take that causes their shift in cognition. I start each sentance in the "Now" and "Then" columns with a feeling word to keep me focused on emotional states. You should always be able to say that someone goes from "worried" to "hopeful", without providing proper context. This method may also be used to map out the unfolding mystery in the plot. In these circumstances, it's not an emotional change, but a plot change that occurs, and emotional language will be absent.
2) Beat for Beat
Show change over the course of a sequence by going beat by beat.
A beat is the smallest measurement of time in dramatic productions. Others include the "scene", and the much bigger "sequence". Even farther above that is the "Act", then the "book/season", then the entire "story". Every sequence contains scenes, and every scene contains beats. Each beat is when one character goes from a worse place to a better place, or a better to a worse one. This is the beat's emotional arc. I took notes from the book "Save the Cat" here, which encoraged me to write out my beats on notecards and write down how the conflict within each one goes down (+ to - or - to +). I call it the emotional change. This is usually something as small and simple as a disagreement, fight, or heartfelt conversation between two characters. Anything that causes a change within the mind of a character. It can also be "man vs. self" and only invole one character either failing or succeeding at, say, training to become stronger. The conflict there would be the character vs. him/herself, or their past self who was too scared to try. What ever the beat contains , I write down the appropriate emotional change to show how my character's condition worsens, or gets better. Beat by beat, scenes start to emerge. And scene by scene come the sequences.
3) Shot by Shot
The tools utilized to bring about beats in film and animation.
Unnecessary for books since cameras aren't involved, the shot by shot method is the most specific method of them all. Within each beat lies a series of shots that are used to show the beat. In film and animation, cinematography work is used creatively in each shot to bring about the feelings within the characters. The expansive explorative wide shot, the tight intimate close up, each type of shot is used to highlight every passing second within the narrative. Shot by shot, the story is stiched together.
ABOUT ME
I believe we all desire in one way or another to be loved and understood. Storytelling in media has the power to help us all understand who we are and what we need. It's done that for me, so I want to make media based on real experiences that can reach out to others. That way we can love and understand ourselves and one another.
Also chocolate milk slaps.
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