Preliminary Task - Storyboard

Our preliminary task was loosely based on this storyboard. We designed the storyboard to show off what we had learned so far - Match on Action, Shot-Reverse Shot, and the 180° Rule.

We planned to have a man walk through a door, and show him coming through it and closing it. He then walks over to a table, where a woman is sitting. They talk, before the man walks out.

Unfortunately, on the day we had some difficulties filming, so we adapted our storyboard slightly, and decided to allow the two people to start a conversation, and we would move round them taking different shots. For this reason, the filming has continuity, whereas the sound and audio doesn't. We attempted to change this on the Mac, but unfortunately, we could not dub the sound over and keep the film the way we want it.

Scratch - Storyboard Update

We changed the stgoryboard for 'Scratch' while shooting the film, as we came up with ideas that added to the film.

After the initial tally scratching, we have the man walking into the building. He then walks down a flight of stairs, and down a corridor, turning left. He enters a room, and slams the door. Sitting down at his desk, he finds a small piece of paper saying 'YOU ARE NEXT', and he throws the contents of his desk to the floor. He hears a large bang, and stands up, only to find a woman walking in at the same time. She states it is his turn, and shoots him.

After each scene, we will insert a credit, and have selected the credits we wish to use.

Scratch - Storyboard

Full Board, originally uploaded by Adam9309.

Key

Black is the action and description of the shot

Red is the choice of shot selected for the frame 
Green are the effects and lighting used in the frame 
Blue are the props needed for each frame

Pink are both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds for each frame 

Frame 1 
A man scratches a number 4 (via a tally chart) into a wall. His arm is already in shot, and exits the shot via the bottom-left hand corner. 
A close-up has been selected for this frame, as this best shows the action in the shot while keeping the mystery on who it is. 
There will be a sudden (non-effect) transition into the frame, and a fade out into the next set of credits. The lighting will be very low, creating a dim atmosphere. 
A wall is needed for this frame, and also a sharp implement to scratch the numbers into the wall. 
A gunshot in the darkness between the first credit, and this frame. This is then followed by the scratching noise of the wall. 

Frame 2
The man walks down the corridor, and turns right. 
The shot is of a moving subject, so we have chosen a medium close-up of the man's feet. 
Again, like all the frames, there will be no transition into the shot, but a fade out into a black screen at the end. The lighting will be very dark, and there will only be natural light. 
No major props are needed. 
Along with the soundtrack, there will be the man's footsteps walking up the corridor. 

Frame 3
The man walks through a door, and walks to his desk on the other side of the room. 
The shot is a long establishing shot, as we want to get all of the door in the shot as well. It will also set the scene. 
The lighting will be very dim, until the man flicks a light on on his desk. 
No major props are needed. 
Door swings open, followed by the light switch flicking on and the squeak of a large chair. 

Frame 4
The man enters shot from the left, and sits down at his desk. He then looks at a photo of him and a woman, throws it to the ground. Loads up laptop, and types. 
The shot is a long establishing shot, as we want to get the whole desk, and all the action in. 
Still very dim, but brighter around the laptop. 
A laptop, a photo, a large desk and a light. 
Chair squeak. A grunt, and a photo smashing. Laptop typing. 

Frame 5
A relatively quick shot of an email on his screen, statin what he has done. He sends it. 
A close-up of the screen better frames it for the audience. 
Very bright, as it is a shot of the screen. 
A laptop. 
A sigh and a puff of air being blown as he clicks send. 

Frame 6
A large bang occurs otuside the door. Man talks curiously to himself, stands up, and walks to the front of his desk. 
A long shot, to contain all the action and curiosity. 
Back down to the earlier dim lighting of the room. 
Laptop, smashed photo, and a large desk. 
Massive bang outside the door. Chair squeak, with muffled speech. 

Frame 7
A shot of a shadow in the light at the door. Short conversation. Shot goes black. 
Very long shot, to contain the door and shadow. 
The light has to be strong enough to create a long shadow. 
No major props are needed. 
Very short conversation, followed by darkness, and a gunshot. 

Frame 8 
A man scratches a number 5 (via a tally chart) into a wall. His arm is already in shot, and exits the shot via the bottom-left hand corner. 
A close-up has been selected for this frame, as this best shows the action in the shot while keeping the mystery on who it is. 
There will be a sudden (non-effect) transition into the frame, and a fade out into the next set of credits. The lighting will be very low, creating a dim atmosphere. 
A wall is needed for this frame, and also a sharp implement to scratch the numbers into the wall. 
A gunshot in the darkness between the last frame, the next credit, and this frame. This is then followed by the scratching noise of the wall, and the main title of the film. 

Since deciding on our storyboard, we have decided that this part of the opening should be an aging piece of film, so we are reconsidering the laptop, and redesigning the storyboard to fit around it.

Preliminary Task - Storyboarding Terminology

CLOSE-UP SHOT - a close rangle of distance between the camera and the subject
DISSOLVE - a transition between two shots, where one shot fades away and simultaneously another shot fades in
FADE - a transition from a shot to black where the image gradually becomes darker is a fade out; from black where the image gradually becomes brighter is a fade in
HIGH CAMERA ANGLE - a camera angle which looks down on its subject making it look small, weak or unimportant
JUMP CUT - a rapid, jerky transition from one frame to the next, either disrupting the flow of time or movement within a scene or making an abrupt transition from one scene to another
LEVEL CAMERA ANGLE - a camera angle which is even with the subject; it may be used as a neutral shot
LONG SHOT - a long range of distance between the camera and the subject, often providing a broader range of the setting
LOW CAMERA ANGLE - a camera angle which looks up at its subject; it makes the subject seem important and powerful
PAN - a steady, sweeping movement from one point in a scene to another
POINT-OF-VIEW SHOT - a shot which is understood to be seen from the point of view of a character within the scene
REACTION SHOT - either a shot of someone looking off screen or as a shot of someone in a conversation where they are not given a line of dialogue but are just listening to the other person speak
TILT - using a camera on a tripod, the camera moves up or down to follow the action
ZOOM - use of the camera lens to move closely towards the subject

Preliminary Task - Storyboarding

What is a storyboard?
Once a concept/script is written, a storyboard is then made. It visually tells the story of a specific scene shot by shot, like a comic book.

What goes into a storyboard?
A storyboard should contain:

• What characters are in the frame, and how are they moving?
• What are the characters saying to each other?
• How much time has passed between the last frame of the storyboard and the current one?
• Where is the camera in the scene?
• What sounds can be heard in the frame?

Why make a storyboard?
Creating a storyboard will help you plan your footage shot by shot. Changes can be made to your storyboard prior to filming, and this helps stop your mind from changing later on. You can also talk about your film, and get feedback on your ideas.

How do I make a storyboard?
Storyboards tend to be drawn in pen and pencil. It isn't necessary, however, as you can also take photos, cut out pictures from magazines, or use a computer program to make and develop your storyboards. Your drawings can be simple, as long as they contain enough infomation about the shot. Use basic images, stick figures, and simple backgrounds. You can cut out your shot cards, and rearrange them to create different sections of film.