Storyboards

A storyboard is employed by a film maker to essentially allow them to visualise how their media production (programme/movie/documentary) will be presented on screen to the audience. It is composed in a shot by shot style, explaining editing throughout the filming and allowing us moreover to anticipate where and how the characters should be visualised in the footage such as how they compose themselves (body language/facial expression), how they interact with their environment (action shots) and most importantly the relationships displayed between the individual actors in the film.

Location/Setting

Before a storyboard can even be considered producing it must be decided where the location and filming will commence. This is required so the crew can acknowledge they can afford to set up the equipment there and most importantly if that environment is easily accessible to production schedules.

Actor

Additional cast members must be liased with and included as the authenticity of the filming is a key element to the construction of the shot. To allow the production to be as 'realistic' as possible it is sometimes worthwhile to employ extra's in the surrounings to make a setting slightly more believable and true to 'current real life' so the audience can connect more readily.

Prop

Before filming it is critical the team are able to obtain the essential props to include in the shots - it would be pointless in allowing a character to have a flash sports car if it was physically impossible to obtain one. It should always be took into consideration the budget of the production to enable all props identified as important in the content to be assessed and determined so they can be included on location.

Movement

All characters/objects should be able to be tracked on screen - this is vital especially if they are a main element to the filming and derive more primary focus. A storyboard allows the director to plan what or who is moving in which direction or what they are doing within the shot. For instances like these it can be deemed approrpiate to incoporate a direction for the actor to move in the storyboard itself (an arrow could be used to represent this)

Camera Movements

This is a primary foundation as camera movements allow you to follow the character throughout the composition of the framework. It needs to be took into consideration what is the approprite method to focus on them (e.g. a gradual extreme close up of their facial expressions or perhaps an long shot etc.)

Shot type/angle

During the making of a storyboard it is of major importance to relate to the editing principle - most importantly the type of shot that is to be constructed. This is created to ensure it looks authentic but also to allow the audience to understand the action that is commencing on screen whether this is an extreme close up, panning shot, establishing etc. Often it is overlooked but the angle of the camera must be took into consideration also - for example if it was in your intersts to make a chaacter look weak and powerless the euipment should be positioned low to the ground to display a low angle shot

Hand-held/tripod

Whilst going through the planning stages a director takes into account how they would like the camera technology to be presented, this gives deciveness on how the equipment is to be operated. If you desire to empoly a tripod it connotates traditional steadiness and equilibrium in the frame - a more professional look. espite this you may consider a hand held video styled camera as this gives the impression of realism as if we are immersed in the world we live in on a regular basis or can connotate that theequilibirium established preiviously has been discouraged (maybe in a violent scene or a heated conflict)

Lighting

Using innappropriate lighting can ultimately convey the incoorect connotations/messages to the viewer. Essentially lighting itself creates a mood or feel in the production (for instance dark eery tones can signal danger/death/fear as if something is stalking an individual)

Special Effects

Occasionally a direcotr may employ special effects into the mainframe of their filming (for example computer generated imagery instead of animatornics for increased realism). In a written piece like newspaper reports or television broadcasts it may be in your interests to establish a 'catchy' tone to represent the show or a quick cut from a programmes logo to the presenter of the show. Sometimes professionals incorporate audio into their shot to be included over the characters diagloue on screen (normally this comes in the form of a soundtrack)