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Job Description
- A storyboard artist provides visual illustrations to map out an effective production blueprint for TV shows, film and commercials.
- The storyboard artist’s job is to provide a visual representation prior to the filming of a feature film or television production.
- Taking the script or teleplay, the storyboard artist will interpret the objective, whether it is to tell an effective story or represent a product for sale, and deliver a storyboard: a collection of visual scenes which will show the director how he/she may be able to shoot the project.
- The storyboard can represent angles for shooting, lighting themes, color, clothing and motion/blocking set-ups. While the director will probably have their own ideas about how a production should look, a storyboard provides an easy-to-interpret breakdown of all included scenes, and may give the production staff further ideas on how to develop the production. Often in advertising, the storyboard can take precedent as key production source ahead of the original screenplay for highly visual projects.
- The storyboard artist must be able to produce hand-drawn or computer-generated storyboards quickly, and must often be prepared to adapt them “on spec” with very short notice.
Responsibilities
- Understand and interpret requirements from the film/advertising concept
- Study the script to understand required mood and overall theme
- Consider camera angles and lighting to be used in the storyboard presentation
- Compose wire-frame drawings from which the more detailed illustrations will be developed
- Complete color or monochrome storyboards in full for use by production staff
- Edit storyboards and make changes as per the request of director or production team
Job Requirements
- There are no formal qualifications required to be a storyboard artist, although an academic background in Art and Design (for example, A-level) can be beneficial.
- Most artists who develop the love for visual representation or artistic expression tend to do so at a young age, and so intrinsically they are drawn to the more artistic areas of study at school.
- This could be art, design, drama or media production.
- Art remains a popular study area at university also, but the demand is for storyboard artists who can convey themes, concept and “blocking” (practical pre-planning of producible scenes) in an easy-to-understand way; this means that a four-year study period at Art College or university is not required.
- Some candidates choose to enter this career as an alternative to graphic design, which some artists find quite limited in terms of creative freedom.
- Storyboard artists who will be rendering storyboards on computer will need an appropriate collegiate background.
- An ability to understand complex or ambiguous production instructions given to the artist in the initial meeting
- A creative mind which can conjure new perspectives
- A sympathetic approach to the time constraints of media production
- Strong artistic ability, and knowledge of how to present visuals in a convincing way
- Willingness to consider and learn different/new artistic styles outside the “comfort zone”
- Strong understanding of computer design software suites
