STORYBOARD TIPS
These are simply tricks and fundamental techniques I've picked up along the way that I've found to be successful in my own work.
Please absorb these pointers to improve upon your own boards.

1. Maintaining Screen Side

Note: there would obviously be more panels if this was
flushed out, to play up the acting and also hook up theaction. And on the last panel, I would probably frame it
more centered while the female is farther away andthen adjust right as she walks towards camera.
This is a simple theory of cutting that can easily help
create a sense of continuity within a sequence and orexchange. The idea is not exclusive to 1 characterinteracting with another. The same principle can beused between 2 different groups of characters, or evena character and an object (Ie. A telephone. A man
waits anxiously for a very important phone call).
The example above is a bit rudimentary for the sake ofdemonstrating the concept. More realistically, you will
have characters moving around as they interact. In thiscase what we can do is create multiple patterns totrack the exchange. The important thing to focus onwhen trying to handle multiple staging set ups ismaking sure the audience clearly sees our newstaging occur. The simplest way to achieve that is byhaving characters physically cross paths on screen >>As long as you continue to establish any new screen
spacing, the sequence should maintain a certain levelof continuity that will allow the audience to follow alongquite easily.

2. Maintaining Screen Direction
This is a similar to te previous theory however involves morecharacters and objects moving in and out of frame.
I think the most important thing to remember with storyboarding isthat; anything and everything we can do visually will invoke a specificresponse from the audience. The key is to determine what exactly you
want the audience to feel and then find the best way visually toachieve that reaction.
Refer to images on next page.
I hear a lot of people say "You can't do that cut" or "You are breaking
the 180 line, you can't do that".... well obviously you can do it,
because if you can board it, you can shoot it. It's not that you "Can't"
do something, it's that that "something" is confusing the audience, orisn't visually pleasing, or isn't achieving what is necessary of thescene. All of which are appropriate critiques of a jump-cut or breaking
the line, however not so much if that is the desired effect you hope tohave on your audience.
Please note, there are no "right" or "wrongs" in storyboarding (andmost art forms for that matter), only ways that work better than others.
These are simply tips, tricks and principles I have picked up along theway that I've been able to apply directly to my own work and found tobe very successful.

This is all referring to the 180 Rule – which is the principle to never flip the screen side ordirection. The 180 degrees is based upon the invisible line that runs through the shot tomaintain screen direction and continuity. Most times this line is the line of sight between two
characters and is part of a semi-circular area where the camera can be placed to maintaincontinuity.
Always keep the characters on their own sides and you will never cross the line. I know itsounds stupidly simple. But people screw it up all the time. When they start using different
shots and angles, it can slip away from them for a shot or two (or seven).
It doesn’t just work with people in a shot.
It can be the guy and his TV.

The dog and a tree.

The child and the moon.

Just keep asking yourself the questions.
Which side did you establish the TV, the tree, the moon on?
Then which side of the frame must the guy, the dog, the child face to see it?
Then face them that way and keep the person/object on their own side. Now things can get a lot more complicated. Add in a few morepeople. Have them all sitting at the dinner table. Have them enter and exit. You can change the line and establish new ones. Then you
follow the same rules. But I think this is enough for one post. I hope it made some sense. I just wanted to give you the simplest
examples so you grasp the basic concept.
Remember you have to learn these rules and learn them well, before you can break them.
How to ‘Cross The Line’
With some directors, this is a hard and fast rule that is not broken; with others, it is broken liberally. Most directors fall somewhere in themiddle. The most important thing (at least to me) is knowing HOW and WHY one crosses the line. To me the 180 is not really a rule; itis a suggestion. Most of the time we are within the comfortable confines of the 180 semi-circle, but every now and then, to break up
what can turn into monotony and also to generate interest, we go over.
It's up to you to use all the tools available to make your scenes and shots interesting. Just because a character is on the left side of thescreen doesn't mean they have to be there for the whole sequence; or because a car is moving from left to right doesn't mean it has tobe moving left to right in every shot for the rest of the episode, especially in action sequences.
Some suggestions on how to go over the line:
1. Lead the viewer's eye to the part of the screen where you want them to look when you cut over the 180.
2. Create a big enough change in the shot that the characters don't jump or pop.
3. Cut away to a third character or object or action.
4. Cut to a neutral angle - an ON AXIS shot, where the camera is ON the line of action (a POV or eyeline shot).
5. Move the camera over the line, creating a new line.
6. Just do it - to elicit a reaction from the viewer, good examples are the opening of The Insider by Michael Mann.

3. Motivating the Camera
Motivating the camera is a simple technique of using visual cues to set up a cut or camera-move and in doing so, ease the audience
into a new shot or new information. Below is a simple example of how utilizing the above theory can have a huge influence on theoverall feel/continuity of a sequence.

Hopefully this isn’t over-complicated.
Essentially you should be able to lookthrough each of the examples and feel thedifference.
Basically: Use a character's eye line tomotivate a cut. It helps ease the audiencethrough the cut and into new information.
(While also putting us directly in thecharacter's shoes)
There are many other ways to motivate thecamera. To the right here is a shortsequence I've boarded out with various
examples all strung together. The idea is tocreate as much continuity within thesequence as possible, making everything
clear and easy to follow.
Always draw a map for yourself to keep
track of the characters positions within theenvironment and in relation to the camera.
On the next page I have pointed out the
specific methods used to motivate thecamera.

So as you can see in this sequence –ways to motivate the camera;- Using a Character's eyeline/P.O.V.
- Having a character move on screen andadjusting the camera accordingly.
- Having a character exit frame.
There are other ways not represented in theabove example, for instance;- Having a character enter frame. (illustrated
in a tip sheet below.)
I think ultimately what it comes down to,
specifically for 'cutting', is the fact that a 'cut'
is not natural, it doesn't happen in real life
(unless you take really long blinks).
Obviously we have all seen enoughfilm/television to accept a 'cut', nevertheless,anything you can do to smooth out thetransition will only help create and maintainthe continuity of your sequence.
These next examples revolve too aroundmotivating the camera, however explores
more "what they are saying visually".

The next three examples are all slight variations of the same scene, each exploring a different approach in regards to the progression of
information that is revealed to the audience, and consequently the effect it has on them.

Please note that none of these examples are any more"right" than any other. They are merely different takes on thesame scene. Their purpose is to show how slight variations
in storyboards (and ultimately film) can produce vastlydiffering ideas/moods/responses. Ultimately, it would all
depend on what the script calls for or what is necessary of
the scene to determine which of the following (if any) would
be suitable.
I think the most important thing to take away from thisconcept of 'motivating the camera', is just to try and be
conscious of the decisions you are making in yourstoryboards. Try to understand what you are actually saying
visually, what information you are revealing to the audience(and when) and what effect it will have on them. Thinking
about these things as you board can significantly enhance asequence and really help 'sell' an idea in the storyboard
stage.

4. Incorporating Design Principles
These next few tip sheets examine the elements of design;line, shape, space and value, and how to incorporate theminto your storyboards to help direct the eye and clarify
information. The focus here is not the cinematics ofstoryboarding but the execution of idea to paper andultimately how to utilize design principles to achieve desired
results in an efficient way within a given panel or shot.
Storyboarding is not necessarily about drawing 'good' butdrawing effective.
NOTE: There are two other elements of design, texture andcolor. However they would only be used in rare cases withstoryboards and when employed probably wouldn't be fordesign purposes but most likely for clarification(I.e. using colors in digital boards to keep track of specific objects of similar size and shape in a given sequence, such as small prop orgems, that each have varying story-specific trajectories).

To the right are a few examples of how incorporatingvarying line thickness into a panel can help clarify not only
the information presented, but the depth of the shot.
There are many things you can do within a given panel tohelp focus or direct the eye to the important information. Asimple way to achieve this is through contrast. Contrast
can exist in many forms, and below we look at how
contrast within a specific design element (shape, space,value) can create a focal point.
Now we can take these principles and incorporate theminto storyboard panels.
I think the most important thing to take away from thesewer-rat example (on the next page) is realizing that eventhough panel 1 and 3 are the exact same compositions, theshading can either greatly enhance (1) or greatly distract(3) from the important information. This holds true of theother design principles as well. Thinking about theseprinciples while you are boarding can help in creating clear
and easy to read compositions.
Storyboards, by nature, are disposable. They are notfinished pieces of artwork. The main goal is to present
ideas on paper quickly and clearly. Design principles canhelp sell ideas very effectively in storyboards. Below are afew more examples;

There is no single 'right' way to present an idea visually. The 'blimp' idea, for instance, could easily be boarded successfully in a variety
of different ways. Ways that would vary in stylistic choices based on the artist, but that could all achieve the same goal of focusing theattention on the blimp. In fact there are probably compositions that could be more successful than the one presented.
So start experimenting with design principles and find ways to incorporate them into your boards that work for you. Figure out what you
want to convey in a scene, and find the best way to present those ideas to your audience. If you follow all these basic principles closely,
it will make your boards look better.