Video Storyboard Marketing Tips for Beginners

Yes, a Storyboard Is Necessary

Many people get so excited at the idea of making a video that they want to jump in head-first. We admire that, but it isn’t advisable.

In fact, a storyboard is every bit as important to the production process as a script.

Think of it as a visual extension of your brainstormed ideas. A storyboard is a way to get your ideas down on paper (or screen) and organize your ideas in a manner that illustrates the story.

Video storyboarding is intended to get everyone on the same page and communicate your ideas to the production team. When it comes time to shoot your video, everyone will have a clear idea of the shot list, how it’s getting shot and the flow of the narrative.

If you’re not sure where to begin, don’t worry. There are plenty of great storyboard examples you can check out online to better understand the process.

Brush Up On Basic Framing Techniques

In cinematography, there are three basic shots.

• The close-up.
• The medium shot
• The long shot.

It may seem hard to believe, but every video you’ve ever enjoyed comprised of variations of these three simple shots!

While that may not seem like a lot to work with, there’s a surprising amount you can convey using the basics.

Each shot serves a unique yet integral purpose.

The close-up is often used to convey a sense of intimacy. Since the camera (and thus the viewer) is closer to the subject, it’s easier to draw the viewer in.

The medium shot, while still a great way to familiarize a viewer with the subject, is best suited for scenes with multiple subjects. The Adorama Learning Center’s explanationsums it up best: It’s a way to convey information instead of emotion.

The long shot (also known as the wide shot) is a way to convey location and scale. This is what you and your team will use to establish a scene’s location, for example.

Don’t worry, there are still plenty of ways to use these three shot types to create eye-popping visuals. Shoot from different angles to keep things visually interesting.

Don’t Worry About Your Artistic Skills

In our experience, most people get nervous about the video storyboarding process. It isn’t because of the time it takes or the intensive creativity required.

It’s more often than not due to their own artistic ability. Many people think they can’t draw, and thus can’t storyboard.

Good news! You don’t need to be a world-class artist to create a compelling storyboard.

In fact, as long as you can draw stick figures, you’re good to go.

If you need to keep it simple, don’t feel bad. Keep it simple and draw what you can. If you’re worried people won’t be able to understand what you’re drawing, labels are a great way to clarify your ideas.

Detail Your Shots

While you don’t need extensive drawing skills to make a storyboard, there are some key details you’ll need to include.

Here’s a basic rundown of everything each storyboarded shot should include:

• The subjects involved.
• Background and foreground information.
• Lower-third, animation and graphics information.
• The camera angle used.

Make sure that you’re including camera movement as well as the subjects.

Otherwise, your crew will assume you’re only shooting static shots. Not only will that make for a boring shoot, but it’ll make for a boring final product, too.

Follow Your Creative Intuition

There’s a good chance that you’ll end up moving some shots around throughout the production process.

That’s fine! In fact, it’s encouraged.

If you have an idea to make your promotional video flow better, by all means, go for it! Your video should suit your company and its unique vision, and you know that vision better than anyone.

A storyboard is more or less an outline, not a hard and fast script.

Get Digital

A lot of production companies prefer to use index cards to storyboard. They’re easy to move around so you can experiment with your shot list.

That said, there are also some great tech-based solutions for your storyboarding needs, which making collaborating on ideas far easier.

It’s possible to create a complete storyboard using nothing more than Microsoft PowerPoint, even. Each slide serves as a single shot, and the nature of PowerPoint makes it easy to move shots around at will.

There’s also the free script writing program Celtx. While its storyboarding capabilities aren’t the most robust, it’s enough to convey basic information. It’s also cloud-based, so you can share ideas with team members easily.

Stay Organized

Finally, make sure you have an effective storyboard organization system in place.

Whether you’re going with a physical or digital storyboard, it’s important to keep your shot list clutter free, lest you risk some serious confusion and frustration.

Once you’re happy with your story frames, snag a corkboard or use your software of choice to number each shot. That way you’ll have a clear indication of which shot feeds into the next shot.

A Great Video Storyboard Starts With a Great Idea: Let Us Help

Storyboarding is an important and frankly underrated part of the video production process.

With a video storyboard, it’s possible to convey, clarify, and organize ideas in an easy to understand manner that makes shooting your company’s promo video easier and faster.

Need some assistance with your video? We’re here to help!

Whether you already have ideas in mind or you’re stuck on square one, Viva Media offers full-service video production to bring your company’s vision to life.

Reach out and get in touch for a free quote today.