My first movie-- handheld camera

[Mr Taylor]

I like your idea.
I think the big idea is to shoot in masters first, then go for the mid close ups ...and the closeups last.

Maybe a run through before you shoot each scene.

Do you have much action?
If you do then you might need to do a storyboard for those parts, it will save you lots of talking.

Maybe a clapper board so that you can keep track of the takes? this also stops the clipping out of footage while the camera gets the tape up to speed.

Also, don't pan too fast.. obey the 30 degree rule and the 180 degree rule.

Maybe take a white cloth or card with you, you can drop it below the camera to get light reflected up off the ground to make a face show up better.

Pick a day without clouds...otherwise the light will be all over the place.

Take bug spray, if you go into the wild.

Try and get the sun behind you, the colours will be nicer.

have fun, try and make the mistakes a feature rather than a failure.

 

[Kandiman]

Well, it's hard for me to answer this without knowing your script or storyboard, but the simple answer is very carefully. If you can avoid actually hanging the actor, or doing a long shot, that would be massively advisable. If it were me, I'd have the actor 'hung' but standing on something, shoot from the chest or naval up, and have him writhe around and act it out that way. DO NOT, under any circumstances, actually hang the actor, even for a short time. That sort of thing requires a stuntman, a stunt co-ordinator and a budget.

As for prop costs... You need a length of rope. If you know where to look (boatyards and farms are good, as are scouting groups) you can probably borrow/get one for free.

 

[Bababooey]

Well, it's hard for me to answer this without knowing your script or storyboard, but the simple answer is very carefully. If you can avoid actually hanging the actor, or doing a long shot, that would be massively advisable. If it were me, I'd have the actor 'hung' but standing on something, shoot from the chest or naval up, and have him writhe around and act it out that way. DO NOT, under any circumstances, actually hang the actor, even for a short time. That sort of thing requires a stuntman, a stunt co-ordinator and a budget.

As for prop costs... You need a length of rope. If you know where to look (boatyards and farms are good, as are scouting groups) you can probably borrow/get one for free.

Thanx for your response. That was very helpful!

 

[MartindeMadrid]

Hi, I'm storyboarding my first film. Any software out there used for storyboarding? I'm pretty good at drawing and was going to hand draw my shots, then scan them into my computer.
I thought there might be an easier way. I appreciate any suggestions or comments. Thanks greatly!

Check out Storyboard by Toon Boom. Not Storyboard Pro, but the less expensive one, unless you need animatics. They just permanently lowered the price on it. I use it and really like it.

 

[MartindeMadrid]

The best thing is to use a graphics tablet and draw, although you can import images into Storyboard.

BTW here is the link:
http://www.toonboom.com/products/storyboarding/?WT.mc_id=e_homepage_pdt_SBDPR

 

[propeace]

Re: what is a storyboard

Re: what is a storyboard

Here is a good article with tips on how to storyboard with non-photo blue pencils.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1004622/how_to_storyboard_your_next_big_idea.html?cat=24

Good Luck.

 

[drew123]

I tried to send you an email, can't seem to get it to work, I don't know if it's just my computer or what. Anyway, I'm not a storyboard artist but I am well versed in sequential art and understand how it works and as storyboards are basically 1st cousins to comics I'm condfident I could give you whatever it is that you need, and as just having the opportunity would be an emmense joy I would be willing to do it for free. Of course for any subsequent jobs I would have to charge. I haven't worked professional as a sequential artist but I have done freelance work for graphic design companies in the past. To see some samples of my work just go onto penciljack.com and look under sequential art threads posted by drudarque. Try me out, you've got nothing to lose, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied with my work.

 

[jodymichelle]

Toon Boom's Storyboard Pro is AWESOME

Toon Boom's Storyboard Pro is AWESOME

Are you kidding me? By you responding like that, I find it really hard to believe that you've actually tried the software and understand all the benefits of the software. Did you know that Toon Boom is an Emmy Award Winning company? Many award winning Animators, Illustrators, Cartoonists, Storyboard Artists, Directors, Producers, and Video Editors use Toon Boom's Storyboard Pro. Here's feedback from professionals who really do use the software:

"I was introduced to Storyboard Pro about a year ago and it really has been a revelation in the studio for two reasons. Firstly it cut out all the paper work, scanning, cropping and editing and rolled that all into one. Secondly it introduced a more structured pipeline going into production with being able to export individual shots with accurate frame counts. Storyboard Pro became the foundation for the edit, for shot naming and a whole lot more."~Brent Dawes, Writer and Director

"My clients flip out when they see how fast we can sketch on location with our tablet computers. Plus when they can see a rough edit at any point, they never want to work any other way."
~Mark Simon, Animation Director/ Storyboard artist/ Development Consultant

"Toon Boom Storyboard Pro's structure allows me to work free and make fast changes in the plot or story."
~Stefan Mueller, Director, Animator

"It's definitely a great tool. Even today, some people overlook the importance of creating a storyboard, and also an animatic. Toon Boom Storyboard Pro can prove to be a real timesaver during the whole production if you take advantage of the toolset it offers."
~Sergio Aristides Rosa, Animator

"Storyboard has unquestionably made my storyboarding workflow more efficient, perhaps by an order of magnitude. Back Quote: Having specialized tools and functions all in one application has rescued me from the laborious process of integrating art, script and timing from three separate apps."
~J.D. Frazer, Cartoonist/Publisher

"Toon Boom Storyboard Pro is cost-efficient and time efficient, it takes us less than half the time compared to our old system and it's easy to use."
~Osvaldo Sequiera, Animator, Estudio Flex Animation Director

"I had a 3 minute short I had to board in 2 days. Without reading any documentation or training materials I dove in with Storyboard Pro and LOVED it! I couldn't believe how intuitive it was. I finished the boards and animatic in record time and have been using it ever since. "
~Todd Hampson, Founder / Producer

"Storyboard is a dream come true for Storyboard Artists. It offers an intuitive interface that is fun to use and also streamlines the process so that we can focus on what's most important: the story."
~ Andrew Marshel, Storyboard Artist

"We have already seen tremendous effi ciency by doing the animatic in this way. We used to outsource that bit and we have saved time and money using the software. Approvals are also running much smoother since everything is online and shared between our team members in the three cities."
~ Big Bad Boo, http://www.bigbadboo.ca/

"(Toon Boom Professional Products) are by far the best Animation software on the market. Ease of use and quality outputs, nothing compares. Customer and Tech support are second to no-one."
~Gregory Hargis, Sr. Video Editor/Animator

"(Storyboard)'s basic feature of importing your sketches/3D images and organizing it, makes us more efficient. Adjustments of the first version of the storyboard are easily made."
~Martijn Rijnberg, Director of Cortical Studios



-

 

[kaseykolak]

We no longer have the storyboard competition. I apologize you never got a response sooner.

 

[PT]

Camera placement

Camera placement

Thanks for this topic. Here are some alternatives for comparison:

I've always thought that it made sense for filmmakers to think of themselves as similar to comic-book, or graphic-novel artists. You present a series of pictorial panels with whatever you want the reader to see at each stage. If you storyboard like that, then you can place the camera wherever it gives the desired next panel view.
One thing that is achieved by the storyboarding is the element of cheating. That next panel may need some prop or person shifted from a strictly realistic positioning to one that isn't really in the right place for the new perspective, but the viewer expects it to be there, or the filmmaker wants to include it anyway, such as a wall clock giving a needed time reference.

Some filmmakers might prefer the first method because they like to look over the available views, and not be limited to what they had pre-imagined while storyboarding. But then if you do that you should exploit that method fully by trying many different viewpoints, meaning footwork. Visual cheating can still be done as needed.

So it may be a choice of at least two methods.

And a third might be collaboration, if there is more than yourself visually concerned, such as a DP, cameraperson(s), art director, etc. That would automatically achieve more searching around, and a greater wealth of techniques.

 

[Jimmy]

Thanks for this topic. Here are some alternatives for comparison:

I've always thought that it made sense for filmmakers to think of themselves as similar to comic-book, or graphic-novel artists. You present a series of pictorial panels with whatever you want the reader to see at each stage. If you storyboard like that, then you can place the camera wherever it gives the desired next panel view.

Hi, PT. Funny you should compare graphic novel artists to film directors. Film directors were using various techniques to guide camera-placement long before graphic novels were on the scene, so to speak.

And even plain old old-fashioned comics were very obviously using Hollywood movie camera-placement techniques to guide the drawing of panels. It's always been about showing your audience what you want them to see.

There still remains the question, however, of how you decide that.

It's the same with any form of story-telling. If you're telling a joke about a traveling salesman, you don't digress and start describing the cows in the farmer's field...

One thing that is achieved by the storyboarding is the element of cheating. That next panel may need some prop or person shifted from a strictly realistic positioning to one that isn't really in the right place for the new perspective, but the viewer expects it to be there, or the filmmaker wants to include it anyway, such as a wall clock giving a needed time reference.

Absolutely. There's nothing to stop you including an element in the shot, even in an incongruous position, if it tells the audience something.

And a third might be collaboration, if there is more than yourself visually concerned, such as a DP, cameraperson(s), art director, etc. That would automatically achieve more searching around, and a greater wealth of techniques.

Again, agreed. Trick is to get a DP who thinks the same way as you do.

 

[garychencool]

I've been watching several movies and shows like a lot of us here. What you should always do is understand the shots and why the editor used it, or why the DOP filmed the shot, at this angle, with this movement, with this amount of focus, with this much camera shake, stuff like that.

When the DOP plans a shot, it has to tell something. If it's a useless shot or unnessesary, the shot will probably still be shot, to be one of the several shots the editor has at it's disposal. Also, it must create the mood or setting for the location. For an example, an action scene where a sniper is on a bell tower and soldiers are on the ground shooting at each other. I'd plan our wide shots down to the close ups of guns, faces, fingers on the trigger, etc. with camera shake to create the feel that the warzone is unbalanced, chaotic, and loud.

It would not really work if the scene was shot without any camera shake at all. It's unnatureal because it's a war scene, people are getting shot, grenades are being thrown, it would feel plain and boring it there was no fast cuts or camera shake.

Then there are the useless shots, yet again if it doesn't fit, then it doesn't fit. When was the last time you saw a peaceful flower shot right in the middle of a war scene? Never, unless it's some sort of peace and war montage of some sort. If the shot is irrelevant, then it's irrelevant. Unless it's or a cut away but even those are mostly relevant.

When planning shots, it's always on paper. If the DOP would clone themselves and do all of the camera work they wanted, then other camera operators wouldn't be there. Since they can't, a really good way of communicating with the camera crew is with a storyboard planned with movements, shots, sketches, etc. From there, after being finalized and checked over with the director, the camera operators (often the DOP operates a camera but sometimes the DOP looks at a bunch of monitors of the cameras and oversees all of the cinematography) executes the shots, etc.

As everyone should know, the DOP works closely with the Director and Editor. The DOP often follows the Director around, understanding what the story is about and what is going on in pre-production. Sometimes, the camera shots are not planned the way it should be because the location is different or something like that. A good DOP should be able to overcome those problems and plan camera shots on the spot.

The point is, as the DOP you plan the shots but make sure to follow the story, emotion, directing and the cast, director as it will help you draw the picture the Director has. If you don't know what the audience wants, ask the director. Or you may not have been listenning to what the director has said about the story, or you havent read any of the scripts and screenplays. Remember, you are an audience member too. If you don't know what you want to see, then there's a problem.

 

[Kim Welch]

Hi Wilbo,

I have only been an observer during production on sets in Hollywood and the East Coast. With that in mind and a little research I put this together. I hope it helps. To me the most important thing is to keep in mind that your job is full on assisting the Director and doing things that need to be done so that the Director can direct. You need to be positive, authoritative and a team-leader and motivator. Have exceptional organizational and time-management skills. Be an excellent communicator and a problem solver. Be able to prioritize tasks and in my opinion you need to have a passion for the work.

Firsts are coordinating all production activity, supervising the cast and crew, and they are in charge of a department of other Assistant Directors and Runners. During production, you must ensure that everyone is on standby and ready for the Director's cue for action. You are working with the cast and crew, the production office, and providing regular progress reports about the shoot. Firsts are also responsible for health and safety on set or location, and eliminate or minimize safety hazards.

The job as most in filmmaking requires freaking excellent planning skills. You will be breaking down the script into a shot-by-shot storyboard, shoot order, and how long each scene will take to shoot. Before the shoot, the Firsts' main task is to create the shooting schedule, working with the Director and you must be aware of budget, cast availability and script coverage. You should be overseeing the hiring, locations, props and equipment and checking weather reports.

You need to keep shooting on schedule and moving forward, you need to make announcements and give directions to co-ordinate the cast and crew. All the first I have watched are LOUD AND CLEAR with a positive attitude. They also control discipline on the set, supervise the other Assistant Directors and oversee the preparation of the daily 'call sheet'

 

[Lindayeager]

@Maura B.​

How do you know about storyboard? does it belong to something like explainer video storyboarding or otherwise?

 

[Bstern]

Hi, I am Alexa but I go by Lensmatical and I follow a master degree in Photography and Video.

This is my first quarantine homework.View attachment 51978

This is wonderful! Keep up the great work and free flowing creativity!