Filling the empty space

At first, it's pretty tough to fill in a storyboard; you already have a sense of the things you want to say, and maybe a few pictures to show, but then you've got to figure out everything else to add in between.

It's not uncommon for first drafts of storyboards to just look like sketches of the people or things discussed in each shot. The key to improving the storyboard is to imagine how the audience should want to look at the scene. Anticipate the questions, actions, and reactions to what's on-screen, and illustrate storyboard panels to show the audience what it wants or needs to see next.

Storyboard credit: Ricardo Delgado

 

Generally, storyboards are divided into shots, and each shot tries to accomplish one of the following:

 

Example: Alice In Wonderland
Have a look at the scene storyboard below.

6 shots from Alice in WOnderland

 

Analysis:

Establish the scene. An interaction with a new character is coming up later in the scene, and for now, we only can see something moving in the distance. We're looking over the character's shoulder because we share the same perspective; neither the viewer or the character knows what is up ahead. Alice_1.jpg
Show how the new part of the scene affects something we're already familiar with. In other words, how does the main character react to the mystery in the distance. Giving the audience time to reflect upon their own reaction to seeing something new (in this case, by showing Alice's reaction) helps establish the feeling of the scene. Alice_2-3.png
Resume the earlier over-the-shoulder perspective to encourage the viewer to follow Alice into the scene until we finally can see what we've been seeking more clearly. Alice_4.jpg
Just as before, give the viewer time to consider and to compare their own reactions by showing Alice's reaction to what she sees. Alice_5.jpg
The cycle repeats. We're going to have a scene with this new character, so he's given his own establishing shot, where we can have a good look at the character and setting before the dialog begins.

Alice_6.jpg