Storyboard Artist

Description

Storyboard artists of film help the head of story create a visual representation of the animated cinematic narrative. Storyboard artists of film translate the film script and the film director's vision into motion pictures. They produce a series of panels of images to plan the film shots and ensure continuity between them. A storyboard artist creates the initial visual representations of a story’s narrative. In collaboration with the movie director, storyboard artists visualize the film from a script or treatment. They then make visual decisions that develop how the story looks on a storyboard panel.

Simply put, these movie artists create what can be considered the raw footage of the movie. The raw footage consists of sequential drawings or sketches that help visualize the beats of the story. These storyboards function as the foundation of the next phases of the film production process. Storyboard artists of film are involved throughout both the live-action films and animation processes of movie. In the beginning stages of the film production, these  film artists read and visualize the movie script along with the film director. These artists try to compose their boards in a way that best serves the story of the script. They take their ideas and develop rough sketches and drawings that help the team visualize the beats of the movie. This is called a thumbnail pass.

This is essentially the raw footage of the animated film. It lays down the foundation of the next phases of animation. A storyboard artist for a film needs to work with clients, film producers, movie directors to help them picture the final version of the cinematic project. In addition to story and character development, you will work on details such as backgrounds. You may also work with other staff on a film such as the director of photography of film, film production designer, movie art director, and even film script writers.

Duties of a storyboard artist may include creating images using paper or computer programs, reading and interpreting scripts, conducting research for film projects developing a story by working closely with other creative film professionals and animators, film editing, adding and eliminating scenes as the final product develops making changes to the storyboards based on feedback, meeting and discussing projects with film directors and movie professionals etc.

Sketching and visualization: Armed with insights from the cinema script and discussions, the storyboard artist begins sketching key scenes. They visualize different camera angles, character placements and overall composition.

Iteration and feedback: The film storyboard artist collaborates with the film director, receiving feedback and making necessary revisions. This iterative process continues until the visuals align with the director's vision.

Creating shot list: The storyboard artist helps create a shot list for the movie cinematographer, outlining essential shots, different camera movements and angles.

Storyboard artists work in a variety of environments, depending on their project and employer. When freelancing, storyboard artists might work from home studios where they have their art supplies and computers with preferred software. When beginning a new movie, storyboard artists might extensively travel to attend meetings with various members of a film production team. There are also several corporate settings where storyboard artists might work including film, television and video game studios or film advertising agencies.

A storyboard artist is a visual storyteller, helping to bridge the gap between the written script and the final cinematic experience. Their work is integral to the collaborative nature of filmmaking and their detailed illustrations contribute significantly to the seamless execution of a film director's vision on the big screen.