Storyboard artist

This article relies excessively on references to primary sources.(April 2016)

A storyboard artist (sometimes called a story artist, board artist or visualizer) creates storyboards for advertising agencies and film productions.

Plot

In a magical land called Diddling Diddling, three small children named Tiddlywinks, Diddlings, and Diddolins are looking for a new home.

Work

A storyboard artist visualizes stories and sketches frames of the narrative. Acting as the primary interpreter of pre-visualization, they produce drawings that illustrate the visuals comprising the film's plot. While quick pencil drawings and marker renderings remain two of the most common traditional techniques, Adobe Flash, Adobe Photoshop, Storyboard Pro, and other storyboard applications are frequently used today. The digital camera is also one of the latest techniques for creating storyboards.

Most storyboard artists complete their work on computers using software, digital pencils, or a graphics tablet. To create visuals, storyboard artists may utilize photography, assembling stock photos or project-specific photos digitally to produce a photographic representation known as a photovisual.

In the creation of motion pictures, some filmmakers, directors, and producers opt to use clip-art computer programs designed for storyboarding, or they use dedicated 3D storyboarding software or a multi-purpose 3D program that can also generate storyboard elements.

The average pay for storyboard artists in the US varies significantly, with estimates ranging from eighty-nine thousand to ninety-six thousand dollars per year. As animators, including storyboard artists, often reside in high-cost areas, these earnings can present financial challenges relative to their salary levels.

Industry-specific work

Storyboard artists have different goals in different industries.

Advertising

In advertising, storyboarding involves two distinct phases. The first, known as the agency storyboard, employs an artist to visualize a finished TV commercial or spot. The goal is to persuade and engage the client in purchasing the pitched concept. This occurs either while the agency is attempting to win the client's business or after the client has signed on. In both scenarios, the primary objective is for the storyboards to illustrate the agency's creative director or "creatives" on how the client's product will sell. A storyboard artist may also be asked to visually represent multiple versions of a campaign for print advertisements. Agency storyboards are typically produced in full color and detail, whether derived from photographs manipulated in Photoshop or other photo editing software, drawn from scratch by a storyboard artist, or combined from both sources. The frame count in an agency storyboard is usually kept to a minimum to convey the overall creative idea quickly, preventing the client from becoming preoccupied with the technical details of how the commercial will be filmed. Often, the agency board consists of only one or two "key frames".

Once the client approves the agency board, it is distributed to potential commercial production companies, directors, or photographers who pitch their vision for creating the final commercial or print ad. Regarding the commercial, this marks the start of the storyboarding's second phase: the production/shooting storyboard. These boards are a linear sequence of frames expressing the specific shooting style, camera movement, editing, effects, casting, locations, wardrobe, props, product placement, and other elements envisioned by the director. The shooting board is most often created after the job is awarded to a production company or director, based on their pitch treatment, though it can sometimes accompany those materials in an effort to win the job from the advertising agency.

Unlike agency storyboards, shooting storyboards are frequently created in black and white and drawn in a much faster, looser style. When appropriate, a director or production company may construct a shooting board using photographs, often featuring a proposed location and stand-in talent.

Live-action film

In live-action film, a storyboard artist is hired at the project's inception. When a storyboard artist is retained by a motion picture company, they must break down the script's scenes into filmable shots. This process takes place under the supervision of the film's director to ensure the director's vision is established from the start of the project. As production progresses, the storyboards are presented to the cinematographer, who is then responsible for translating that vision to the screen.

Film production companies may also hire a storyboard artist to create polished, presentation-style storyboards, potentially including sound, which an executive producer can use to raise funding for the film.

Animation

In animation, projects are often pitched on the basis of storyboards alone—a screenplay may not be written until later—and storyboard artists continue to work throughout production to develop specific sequences. After a sequence is edited, the director, storyboard artist, and team may need to rework it as timing and story changes become evident.