Proposed Principles

Taken from my proposed list in my sketchbook brainstorms, these are the principles of Storyboard art that I have set out for myself, to compare, assess against, and to test in the coming micro-projects. Many of these have been born from my study of Disciplines and practices that surround film-making and visual narration; Cinematography and Photography especially lends itself, and Animation and Editing both have a symbiotic relationship that cannot be ignored when Storyboarding, so they have influenced this list also. They are:

Story-telling-(Borrowed from Aristotle's theories) The ability to communicate with an audience effectively, and resonate with themes, lies in the art of story-telling. A story invariably plays on known archetypes and stereotypes, and common base elements are a must to weave a narrative: A Protagonist, Antagonist, Conflict, Journey and Resolution, or as Aristotle catagorizes them: Complication and Dénouement. There is no story without these, though they do not necessarily need to be in a given order of chronology. Through storyboarding, the purpose must centre around serving the story, and the elements needed.

Communication- (Borrowed from Will Eisner's theory) The ability to communicate visually and tell a story therein is the basis for all drawing, especially when a story is crafted specifically around this method of narration. Each image must be able to do its job, which can be to evoke emotions, tell us something, or to ask and provoke questions in the recipient's mind.

Solid Drawing- (Borrowed from Animation's 12 principles) Beat boards, storyboards and animatics rely on strong solid drawing in order to communicate ideas and themes. Without clear economy of line, effectiveness of poses, gestures and body language, the performances cannot be readable, and the message may become lost in translation. Furthermore, your boards will remain incoherent and therefore fail to tell and serve the story.

Composition- (Influenced by Photography Principles) To carefully and meticulously position frame ‘clutter’, such as objects, architecture, lighting or people to be aesthetically pleasing, emotive and effective to the given moment in the story. Symmetry, or the rule of thirds lend themselves to pleasing composition. In storyboarding, this can also help with fore-shadowing an action, or build anticipation, with the interplay of what may be unfolding in the background, middle-ground and foreground.

Effective Framing-(Influenced by Cinematography Principles) To decisively frame your image and all of its components-composition and framing walk hand in hand- to further enhance the communication of the scene, and the final impact the finished product will have on the viewer. Particular thought should be given to the sequential geography of the scene, in that the framing of one moment out of context may 'work', but in the flow of a scene, it could break eye-movement, or disrupt the narrative. (I differentiate 'Effective Framing, and Composition' merely in concept as I feel there are contextual differences that can be applied, but still relate to both, depending on the medium, even though in practise they both cannot exist or happen without fulfilling the other and should be interchangeable.)

Pace and Rhythm- (Influenced by Animation Beat Boards, and Editing Principles) Understanding the flow of a sequence or story as played out in several frames is key to ensuring a smooth transition from one scenario to the next. Holding beats, building suspension, and releasing the tension with dramatic moments is crucial to engaging with, and manipulating, the viewer. Beat Boards' prime objective is to identify these 'moments' in the pace of a narrative. Editing in animatics, too, can emphasize and establish the rhythm of the sequence.

Colour and Tone-( Influenced by Comic book/Graphic Novel theories) The addition or deliberate omission of colour and tone of the images further aim to evoke an emotion or visual sensation from the viewer, aiding in the mood of the narrative. Furthermore, its potential as a story-telling tool is invaluable, as carefully placed lighting can create allusions to thematic undertones, or literally draw the viewer's attention into a particular area of the frame.

These will likely be subject to change and constant re-evaluation until I am satisfied each principle has proven its merit and need to be in the list.