A story board is an important element to better videos. If you aren’t using one then it’s high time that you do. A story board is a written plan of what’s going to happen during the pre-production, shoot and sometimes even post-production of your video.
There are various ways to prepare and use a story board. There’s not too much to determining which one you use. What matters most is that you use one that fits your needs, personality and team dynamic most.
The importance of a story board
The more important question is this: “why use a story board?” A story board is to a video as a business plan is to a start-up. Does a story board always ensure a great video? Not necessarily. But a story board is what gives structure to what may potentially be a great idea. Why do we need to have story boards? Here are three important reasons why a story board can really help you out when making videos.
1. Be ready for unavoidable circumstances
Story boards give you an idea of what you’re going to shoot, who you’re going to shoot, where you’re going to shoot and so on. When we can visualize better what the process is going to look like, it gives you insight into what could go wrong.
Things like location problems, weather, unwanted people coming on the backdrop, and other unforeseen circumstances can be taken into consideration when you have a plan.
2. Have the right equipment and people
When you have a story board, you have a better idea of what kind of equipment you’re going to need to shoot the scenes that you want. Having no plan plus no experience almost assures that you’ll always miss out on important details like equipment to use.
Imagine not being able to plot out your schedule and ending up shooting a few scenes in the evening but you didn’t bring lights or low light lenses. That’s why plans are important.
3. Visualize the output better
Have you ever experienced getting into editing your videos but your shots didn’t turn up the way you wanted them to on screen? Storyboarding helps minimize or eliminate that. An important aspect to story boarding is visualizing what you’re shots will look like.
Having a plan makes visualizing your final output better. And other things come into play here like location checks, planning scripts and other planning practices. But the goal is to prepare ahead of time. A plan makes success in your shoots a whole lot more likely.
