How to Plan and Storyboard a Video Before Filming

Define the purpose of the video Before you start with the storyboarding, you need to define the purpose of the video. A good video always has a purpose. The purpose of the video will define the message of your video, the style of your video, the pacing of your video and your visual style. Are you creating a documentary video? A how-to video? A sales video? A corporate video? A fiction video? What do you want to say in your video? Who do you want to say it to? Understanding the purpose of the video is very important. Once you have decided on the purpose of the video, write it down.

Define the core idea of the video Once you know what you want to achieve, it is time to define the core idea of your video. You can narrow down your video idea into a 2 sentence video description. A 2 sentence video description will clearly outline the video. What is your video about? What will the viewer take away from your video?

Script the video A script is a document that contains the text of what you want to say in the video. A script will also outline how the video will be shot. The script will outline the shots, the location and the lighting.

Create a storyboard A storyboard is a visual representation of your video. A storyboard contains a series of thumbnails that outline the video. It visually represents each scene in the video. You can draw a storyboard or you can create a storyboard using a storyboard software. A storyboard will help you visualise the video. A storyboard will also help you to plan the shots and the pacing of the video. Add shot details to your storyboard Once you have created a storyboard, you need to add shot details to each shot in your storyboard. You need to add details such as: What will be shown in the shot Where the shot will be taken What type of shot will it be What camera movements will be used in the shot What will be the lighting for the shot. Even if it’s a simple video, try to use a three-act structure.

Act 1 is the setup. This is where the story or situation is introduced. It grabs the viewer’s attention and sets up the rest of the video. Perhaps it asks a question, poses a problem, or shows a striking visual.

Act 2 is the body of the video. It’s where the action happens, the information is conveyed, or the story is told. Most of the content and visual elements will be here. This could be broken up into multiple scenes.

Act 3 is the conclusion. It wraps up the action, provides an answer, or shows what you’ve made. Having a clear structure in your script will ensure that every scene serves a purpose.

The storyboard is where the ideas in your script are visualised as individual shots.

This is typically a series of rectangles with a rough sketch of what will appear in each shot. There might be a few notes around camera position or movement, and perhaps some information about what’s happening in the shot.

You don’t need to be an artist to storyboard. Stick men and brief notes are fine, as long as you can get across what you’re planning to do. The whole point is to visualise your video.

Typically each rectangle on a storyboard represents a single shot or camera angle. Alongside the image, you might write down a few notes about camera movement, dialogue, or any sounds that will be heard. This helps to solidify the plan for your shoot.

At this stage, you can start to see if some of the shots won’t work together, or if there are some shots missing to help tell the story.

As you’re drawing shots on your storyboard, you’ll need to decide what type of shots you’ll use. Different shot sizes and camera angles can affect how your viewer will feel about a scene.

A wide shot establishes the scene and environment. It’s commonly used at the start of a scene to set the context. A medium shot frames the subject better, but still shows some of the environment. This is commonly used for interviews, or conversations between characters.

A close up focuses on a key aspect of the scene. Perhaps it’s a facial expression, or an object that’s important to the story. It’s often used to add drama, or emphasis to a scene.

The camera angle also plays a big part. A high angle makes the subject look smaller or more subservient. A low angle can make the subject look more powerful, or important. A straight-on shot is more neutral.

Thinking about shot type during the storyboarding process ensures that your final video will have a good mix of different shots.

You can also think about camera movement at this stage. Movement can add dynamism and interest to a scene. However, it should be used sparingly.

A pan is when the camera moves left and right. It’s often used to reveal more about a scene. A tilt is when the camera moves up and down. It might be used to draw the viewer’s eye to something above or below the subject. A track is when the camera physically moves. This can be used to make the viewer feel like they’re involved in the scene.

All of these movements should be considered at the storyboarding stage.