Storyboard scripts and scenes
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Learning Objectives
- 1Plan a short film as a storyboard frame with setting, characters, action, and dialogue
- 2Choose the right shot type for each moment in the story
- 3Match scene elements to the purpose they serve in a script
- 4Use camera angles and transitions to move the story forward
Mini Lesson
A storyboard is a hand-drawn map of every shot in a film, made before the camera is ever switched on. Each square (a frame) shows what the audience will see, who is in the shot, what is happening, and what is being said. A clear storyboard turns a written script into a plan a whole crew can follow.
The Storyboard Frame
- Scene number — which scene this shot belongs to (Scene 1, 2, 3...).
- Setting — where and when the shot takes place (park, morning).
- Characters — who is in the frame (Maya, Sam, the dog).
- Action — what the characters do, written in present-tense verbs.
- Dialogue — what the characters say, in quotation marks.
- Camera angle — wide, medium, close-up, low, or high angle.
Shot Types and Their Purpose
- Wide shot — shows the whole location and where the characters fit in.
- Medium shot — shows half the body and the action a character is doing.
- Close-up — fills the frame with a face or object to show emotion or detail.
- Low angle — camera looks up at the subject, making them feel powerful or large.
- High angle — camera looks down at the subject, making them feel small or alone.
- Over-the-shoulder — looks past one character at another, used for conversations.
How a Scene Comes Together
How do you turn a single scripted line into a storyboard scene?
A scripted line is just words. The storyboard turns those words into a shot list a director can film. Wide first to set place, then medium for action, then close-up for emotion — this rhythm is how most short scenes are cut.
Transitions Between Scenes
- Cut — instant change from one shot to the next (most common).
- Fade — picture slowly turns black or white between scenes (signals time passing).
- Dissolve — one shot melts into the next (links memories or dreams).
- Wipe — new shot pushes the old one off the screen (playful, energetic).
Tip: number every frame and write the action line in present tense (Maya opens the door, not Maya opened the door). Numbered frames let the editor cut shots in the right order even when you film them out of order.
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