Preliminary Exercises 6: Storyboarding Camerawork: Shot Sizes, Camera angles, Framing and Camera Composition Post 1: Day 1

Introduction

So, what exactly is storyboarding and what does it do?

 Storyboarding is an essential part of the film's production process; it is a creative strategy that assists the director plus the cast in visualizing the end product and effectively communicating their vision. The process of storyboarding is producing a sequence of sketches or pictures that symbolize the major scenes of a movie from beginning to end. These visual aids assist the director and collaborators in organizing every shot, creating a schedule for filming, and making necessary adjustments prior to beginning production. This benefits the director in visualizing the finished result and helps the director to establish goals with the lighting, set design, costume design, and special effects. It also enables the director and crew to build a mutual comprehension about the scene while making modifications as needed before moving forward with production.

Storyboarding also enables the director, the cinematographer, and various other department managers to establish a strategy for each shot and create a schedule for filming, which saves time and money. Because fewer mistakes and retakes are required during filming, this can help save time and money.

Camerawork is vital for students learning to direct films since it entails positioning and navigating a camera in regard to the actors, settings, and props. It is an important component in filmmaking since it can be utilized to communicate emotion, develop mood, and enhance storytelling. Students are able to make informed decisions regarding how to capture each scene to get the intended effect and effectively deliver their message if they grasp camerawork techniques. Camerawork methods that students should be aware of are shot sizes, camera angles, framing, and composition. Shot sizes correspond to the distance in between a camera and its subject that can be employed to produce a range of visual effects. Camera angles are the exact position and orientation of the camera in relation to the topic and are used to provide multiple points of view. Framing is the composition of the subject within the frame that is used to affect the emotional effect of the photograph. Composition is utilized to create visual appeal and convey meaning by referring to visual elements within a frame and in which it's organized.

Cite

Maio, A., Alyssa Maio                                                                                                                                                                            Alyssa Maio is a screenwriter from New Jersey, A. and Alyssa Maio is a screenwriter from New Jersey, A. (2023) The Complete Guide to Storyboarding, StudioBinder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-storyboard/ (Accessed: 20 December 2023). 

StudioBinder, S., StudioBinder                                                                                                                                                                            StudioBinder is a film production software built out of Santa Monica, S. and StudioBinder is a film production software built out of Santa Monica, S. (2023) 50+ types of camera shots & angles, StudioBinder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-camera-shots/ (Accessed: 20 December 2023).