How do I write a storyboard?

Question:While the marketing team at my company was brainstorming for a commercial idea...I (the receptionist) was eves dropping and came up with an idea. I told the head sales guy and he loved it and told me to make a storyboard for them. That's it , then he walked away. I am clueless. I know what a story board is (kinda) but do you think he expects me to draw out all the pictures and frames, etc? Or can I just write up an outline? He should know that i don't have experience in this! please , any opinions on what to do would be great.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: While the marketing team at my company was brainstorming for a commercial idea...I (the receptionist) was eves dropping and came up with an idea. I told the head sales guy and he loved it and told me to make a storyboard for them. That's it , then he walked away. I am clueless. I know what a story board is (kinda) but do you think he expects me to draw out all the pictures and frames, etc? Or can I just write up an outline? He should know that i don't have experience in this! please , any opinions on what to do would be great.

Ok ,storyboards are pictures of the commercial at various points. Like a script with pictures. How concrete is your view of the commercial? I assume he either thought you had a good idea and a firm view of what you were describing and wanted to see it in a form he could pitch. He may think you have a knack for this type of thing. Or maybe he was politely dismissing your idea thinking you wouldn't follow through. How much does he know about you? I would do it anyway, call his bluff. Are you artistically inclined? or are you friends with anyone on the art side. If you are uncomfortable with the art or writing side of the storyboard you might want to go to them for help. The illustrations in a storyboard don't need to be Mona Lisa's, just enough to show what's going on in that particular scene. Think of each picture as the camera's view. If you pan from on subject to another, zoom in or out or move to a different camera angle add a frame to the storyboard and explained what has changed and what's on screen. I don't know what the add is for or whether it will have live actors or animation but the theory holds true for all in a storyboard. I've done whole projects by myself from storyboards to script and animation, character design and voices, sound and video editing. A good storyboard basically outlines the whole project and makes the rest much easier to put together.

write one

Below are some links to look at for information.

BTW good luck

I am a student of architecture, in my studies storyboards are very important. Just made one today.

In my class all the instructor is looking for is anything that will get your point across. If that means a bunch of drawings or sketches then so be it. If that means you include write ups then thats good too. I hope this helps!

Good luck!

This is how you storyboard.

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You draw a picture (doesn't have to be the best quality of picture just something that defines a key point in what you are trying to get across. Then you write details on how it is going to work.

For example.
Say i am storyboarding for a tv commercial
1. I draw a picture of the opening scene
2. I describe why i drew this picture and how it relates to my idea
3. Then i describe the camera angles i want to use in the shot and the special effects that may be needed such as words on screen or sound effects and how they will make the scene work.

hope it helps

Put together an outline which shows idea progression - moving from frame to frame visually of the commercial.. Translate the text outline into a visual presentation on a big poster board - if you know a graphic artist fellow employee in your company, you might ask him/her to help you select the graphics and layout the poster board presentation.. You are presenting frame by frame the overarching concepts of the commercial or website/webpage flow or whatever marketing communication vehicle.

Storyboards are very very important in the business world - oftentimes an agency would have the client initial the storyboard concept as final approved so that if the client makes changes at the last minute, the client will know that extra work will cost the client more money.. Such "extra work/change means extra money" communication with a client would be spelled out in a contract ahead of time but the signed/dated storyboard is the "evidence" that the concept had been finalized and approved by the client before work begins. This is what I know..

Storyboards are very very important. What a great learning experience for you.