October 17th: Storyboarding Intro and Project Criteria

Storyboarding Part 1

Shape of the Day

Step 1: What is Storyboarding? 

• Storyboarding is a tool to help visually layout the scenes for stories that we want to tell. This could be for a film, book, play, etc… like a comic strip!
• Storyboarding is great for planning and communicating.
• Also…. a great way to begin bigger projects in animation for example ;)

Step 2: How do I storyboard?

• Brainstorm Ideas
• Pick out the key moments of the story.
• Use a template.
• Write out what is happening in each scene (in the space provided).
• Sketch out the scene. Include the background, characters, objects, etc.

Step 3: Activity I

Research

• Search on your computer and compile inspiration images of illustration styles that you like.
• Make a blog post containing the illustration styles that you are inspired by.
• These images are not meant to reference your story in any way, we haven’t gotten there yet! This search is about finding STYLES that you like.

Step 4: What will my story be about?

Your theme is "Explain the Unexplainable!"

• Be creative! 
• Be silly!
• Think outside of the box!

Step 5: Activity II 

Now let’s brainstorm!

• What are some of my ideas? Just start listing them….
• What style do I like?
• What story will I share? 
• What do I want to explain in my story?

YOU MUST HAVE A BRAINSTORM. 

You will be pitching your storyboards to a friend next class. 

This is intended to help you with feedback.

Step 6: Blog Post your Progress

• Post Brainstorm work in progress to your blog. If you did a paper sketches, that is fine, but take a photo of it or scan it and send it to your computer so that you can post it.

Project Criteria

• Must contain 6 frames that are different enough from each other.
• Must tell a story: attempt to explain something unexplainable. Be creative! Be silly! Think outside the box!
• You can choose your style: sketch, cartoon, illustration, traditional comic, line, detailed, anime, etc.
• Text (like in a comic) is optional.
• Think about your composition, scale, and design elements.
• Consider story elements: Characters, setting, plot, problem/conflict, theme.
• Is there a beginning, middle, and end?
  
  

NEXT CLASS: 

• We will be learning how to navigate Illustrator to begin making our storyboards digitally.
• You will be pitching your ideas to a friend for feedback BEFORE you begin translating your ideas into Illustrator.