Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding

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By Marco Schleicher, MA

I really like the process of storyboarding. It gives me a clear vision of what I want and what the film should look like. It also helps me to communicate my ideas to other people who are involved.

My way of storyboarding is influenced by my former professor Michael Haneke. Like him, I storyboard all shots in the order we see them in the film. I also try to edit the whole movie inside my head in pre-­production.

For me, the process of storyboarding is a highly important stage of filmmaking. In this article, I will describe my approach to visual storytelling and how I prepare for a shoot.

Storyboarding:

When I storyboard, I draw six shots per page. I sketch the shots quite small, since it gets more effort the bigger you sketch. Normally, the shots should cover the main actions and convey to the audience what is important in the scene. During the process of storyboarding, you have to decide for clear shot sizes. It’s also important that the shots really fit together, so that you can edit with them later on. When I’m drawing, I also think about which camera lenses I want to use.

Besides each shot, I draw a small floorplan. A floorplan is a map to clarify where the actors, the camera and the main light will be. Next to the floorplan, I write down the main actions which happen in the shot. If a shot is changing a lot, I draw two sketches and connect them with a small arrow. It looks like this:

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA

Shots with shot numbers (left) and small floorplans (right).

On top of each scene, I write the scene number and the amount of shots and camera setups. A setup describes the position of the camera. If you move the camera to another place in the room, it’s a new setup. Often, you can get more than one shot from the same setup if you work with different lenses. In my experience, you can get about 17 shots (not setups) per day; but obviously, it depends on the length and the complexity of the shots.

I also put a small legend for the floorplan on top of each scene. On the left side, I write a number for each shot (shot number). If we see the same shot again later in the scene, I give it a new number (but I write the initial shot number next to it).

The first shot of a scene also depends on how the last scene ended. If the scene before ended, e.g., with a close-­up of someone’s reaction, you can start the next scene with a wide shot. A wide shot also gives the audience orientation. However, my former professor Michael Haneke said, that you shouldn’t always start a new scene with a wide shot.

It can also be good to start a new scene on a building or an object. If you cut straight from a medium close‐up to another medium close-­up of the same person in a different location, it might feel that the person just jumped from A to B.

The Script:

When I’m done with storyboarding a scene, I write each shot number to the right moment in the script. On the left side, I make lines to illustrate which shot covers which parts of the scene. In general, it’s good to have a master shot which covers the whole scene; this is also important for safety in case you cannot get a shot due to time reasons.

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA

Floorplan:

Next, I draw a bigger floorplan for the entire scene. This floorplan provides an overview for the crew members how you want to shoot the scene and how many camera setups you plan. Furthermore, it helps to avoid problems with the axis.

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA

For the floorplan, you should have a specific location in mind. I put dots where they actors will stand and write the first letter of their characters next to it (A = Amber, J = Jeff). Then, I draw lines with arrows to clarify in which direction they will walk. Close to the small camera icons, I write down all shot numbers which belong to the same setup.

In this scene, the main light is placed in the right corner of the room. Where you put the main light also depends on the director of photography, how he/she wants to light the scene. It’s also good to know where the natural light is coming from. I mark the characters, the camera and the main light in different colors so that it’s easy for everyone to understand.

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA
Balance:

I try to make sure that my sketches are balanced. This helps me on set when I compose the shots. Normally, you place the characters slightly off center (“golden ratio”). If you put a character right in the middle of a shot, he/she might feel lost (“loser’s point”). It might also feel uncomfortable, if you put a character too close to the edge of frame. However, unbalanced shots can be good if, e.g., the world falls apart or if a character is confused or drunk.

Here are a few examples of unbalanced and balanced shots:

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA
Directions:

Directions are also important to me when I storyboard. If a character walks from left to right, the character might feel slightly more positive than if he/she is coming from the other side. This has to do with the direction we read in the western world. If you storyboard a journey, you have to decide in which direction the journey is going (except if it shall feel like a long and confusing one).

Even if a character is looking from left to right, he or she might feel more positive. The left side of a shot is also slightly more featured since we tend to scan an image from left to right.

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA

Placing the Actors & Depth:

Normally, when you place the actors and the camera you want to create depth. There are a few exceptions, e.g., when a character shall feel trapped or if the film has an unconventional style.

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA
In my opinion, it’s important to know which shots you will mainly use in the edit. Then you can place the actors and the camera particularly for these shots.

If you shoot a scene with a table and two actors, you can place both actors close to the corner of the table. This creates more connection between them and makes the framing easier. If you place both actors opposite to each other, you create distance between them, which can be good for a confrontation.

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA

I also like to give an actor a reason to lean in or to come closer to the camera at a specific point. Sometimes, this can be more elegant than just cutting to a close‐up. You can also create depth by placing another actor or an object in the foreground.

Background:

I also think about the background when I storyboard. In my opinion, it’s important to know what you want to put in the background. It tells a different story if you have, e.g., the same shot with or without a door in the background. This especially matters when a character is in danger.

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding by Marco Schleicher, MA

If you place objects in the background close to the edge of shot, you should decide if you want them clearly in or out. This also applies to other characters. In general, your backgrounds shouldn’t look too similar. If you have a shot-­reverse shot with very similar backgrounds, e.g.,  just white walls, it might jump when you cut from one actor to another. At the same time, the backgrounds shouldn’t look too different so that it doesn’t feel like the actors are in different locations.

Budget & Equipment

The circumstances of a production usually have an influence on the aesthetic of a film. You have to plan things differently depending on the budget, the time and the equipment you have. There is a big difference if you have to shoot 2.5 or 7 minutes per day. Normally, you can go for more complex shots the more time you have.

I remember an exercise in film school with the key grip from Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean. There, I learned that it’s very different if you are working with heavy equipment than shooting with a small and light camera. If you lay tracks for a dolly, it might take 45 minutes every time you want to change them. Therefore, you should get as many shots as possible from the same track (also by using different lenses).

Shooting in London, UK

Conclusion:

Besides writing on scripts and working with actors, drawing storyboards is one of my favorite things about filmmaking. It fascinates me to transform a story into pictures. I also like the collaboration with the director of photography. Together you create the look of the film.

In my opinion, proper planning and knowing what you want is crucial for a successful shoot. The process of storyboarding is a key stage of pre­‐production and it helps me to get a clear vision for the film. I hope this article was inspiring for your own storyboards. Happy drawing!Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding

Planning a Shoot: My Way of Storyboarding

Post-­Production: Tips & Tricks for a Director Written by Marco Schleicher

Marco Schleicher is an Austrian filmmaker and a former student from Michael Haneke. In London, he completed his MA in Directing. Besides writing and directing his own projects, Marco works in the Assistant Director and Casting department. He worked on Blockbuster movies -­ including “Terminator” and “Hellboy” -­ as well as on TV series for Netflix and Amazon. Further information can be found on his website:
www.marco-schleicher.at.

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