Storyboarding is a vital component in the production of films, television, animation, and even in marketing and business presentations. It allows creators to visualize their story, break it down into manageable pieces, and communicate their vision to others effectively. Ashley Ann Tahigan, a renowned storyboard artist, has developed a distinctive approach to storyboarding that combines technical skill with creative storytelling. Her guide to creating storyboards is widely recognized in the industry for its practical insights and step-by-step instructions that help both beginners and professionals.
This comprehensive guide delves into Ashley Ann Tahigan’s storyboarding process, offering an in-depth exploration of the key principles and techniques she advocates for. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills or just starting in the world of storyboarding, this article will walk you through her methodologies, with clear examples and practical advice on how to apply them in various contexts.
The Importance of Storyboarding
Storyboarding is more than just drawing pictures—it’s about visual storytelling. It serves as a blueprint for the entire production, outlining every important scene, camera angle, and movement. Without an effective storyboard, projects can lose focus, leading to time and budget overruns.
Ashley Ann Tahigan’s approach emphasizes clarity, flow, and emotion in storyboarding. For her, a storyboard isn’t just a technical document but a means to communicate emotion and narrative beats effectively. Each panel should capture the essence of the story while providing the technical details necessary for production.
Key Elements of Ashley Ann Tahigan’s Storyboard Guide
1. Understanding the Story
Before you begin sketching, you must thoroughly understand the story you’re trying to tell. Ashley Ann Tahigan emphasizes the importance of delving into the script, understanding the characters, and knowing the arc of the story. This foundational work allows you to bring out the story’s essence through visuals.
When analyzing a script, Tahigan recommends looking for the following:
- Story beats: Identify key moments in the story, including emotional highs and lows.
- Character motivation: Understand what drives each character and how it will be reflected in their actions and expressions.
- Scene transitions: Pay close attention to how one scene leads into another and how the pacing affects the narrative flow.
2. Visualizing the Scene
Once you have a firm grasp of the story, it’s time to start visualizing each scene. Tahigan encourages storyboard artists to think like a director. Imagine where the camera is placed, how it moves, and what emotions it captures.
- Camera Angles: Different camera angles evoke different emotions. A low-angle shot can make a character appear powerful, while a high-angle shot may suggest vulnerability.
- Framing: Decide how characters and objects are placed within the frame. Are they in the center, or off to the side? Each choice impacts the audience’s focus.
- Lighting: Although storyboards are often in black and white, considering the lighting in each scene helps guide mood and tone.
Tahigan often uses cinematic examples to explain the power of composition, drawing inspiration from directors like Alfred Hitchcock, who used specific angles and shots to create tension and engagement.
3. Sketching the Storyboard
This step is where the magic begins. Ashley Ann Tahigan advocates starting with rough thumbnails—small, quick sketches that map out the entire story. Thumbnails help you quickly test different compositions and experiment with camera angles without committing to details.
- Thumbnailing: Tahigan stresses the importance of thumbnailing as it allows you to see the overall flow of the sequence. Each panel should move the story forward.
- Pacing and Rhythm: Focus on the pacing of the story. The number of panels you dedicate to a scene should reflect its importance and tempo. For instance, a fast-paced action sequence may require more panels to depict movement, while a slower, emotional moment may need fewer panels to emphasize stillness.
- Rough Sketches: Once you’ve finalized the thumbnails, start sketching each panel in more detail. At this stage, you don’t need to create polished artwork. The goal is to capture the essential movements, gestures, and camera positions.
4. Polishing the Storyboard
Once the rough sketches are done, the next step is refining them. Tahigan advises storyboard artists to pay attention to small details that can significantly impact the clarity and effectiveness of the storyboard.
- Character Expressions: Conveying emotion through character expressions is crucial. Even the smallest change in a character’s facial expression can alter the tone of the scene.
- Body Language: Ensure that each character’s body language aligns with the emotion or action you’re trying to convey. A slouched posture can suggest defeat, while an upright stance may imply confidence or resolve.
- Line Quality: Use clean, defined lines for final panels. The clarity of your drawings will help the production team interpret your ideas accurately.
5. Adding Directional Notes
Directional notes are an essential part of the storyboard. Tahigan emphasizes that your drawings alone may not always communicate everything about the scene, especially when it comes to camera movements and transitions. Directional notes help fill in the gaps.
- Camera Movements: Include notes on pans, zooms, or dolly shots. For example, if the camera zooms in on a character’s face to capture an emotional moment, indicate that in the notes.
- Character Actions: Specify key actions in the scene. If a character walks from one side of the frame to the other or performs a complex action, make sure to note it.
- Transitions: Don’t forget to mention how one scene transitions into another, whether it’s a fade, cut, or dissolve.
6. Collaboration and Feedback
Ashley Ann Tahigan strongly believes in the power of collaboration. Once your storyboard is complete, it’s essential to get feedback from the director, producer, and other key stakeholders. Storyboards are often revised multiple times before they’re finalized, and being open to feedback is a critical part of the process.
- Feedback Loops: Create a process for receiving and incorporating feedback. This might mean sitting down with the director and discussing the flow of the storyboard or making revisions based on input from the animation team.
- Revisions: Don’t be afraid to go back and rework certain sections. The goal is to ensure that the storyboard effectively communicates the story and meets the production team’s needs.
7. Digital vs. Traditional Storyboarding
In today’s digital world, many storyboard artists use software like Storyboard Pro or Adobe Photoshop to create their work. Ashley Ann Tahigan, however, is an advocate for both digital and traditional methods, as each has its unique benefits.
- Traditional Storyboarding: Drawing by hand allows for a more organic flow and can sometimes lead to more creative and spontaneous ideas. Tahigan often starts her storyboards on paper before transferring them to digital formats.
- Digital Storyboarding: The benefit of digital storyboarding lies in its efficiency. It’s easier to make revisions, share with the team, and maintain clean, professional lines.
8. Storyboarding for Different Mediums
Ashley Ann Tahigan’s storyboard guide isn’t limited to just one type of production. Whether you’re working in film, animation, or even game development, her principles can be adapted to fit the needs of different mediums.
- Film: Storyboards in film need to be extremely detailed, as they often serve as a shot-by-shot guide for the director of photography. Attention to camera angles, lighting, and blocking is crucial.
- Animation: In animation, storyboards are used to guide the entire animation process. Timing is critical, as each panel needs to convey the duration of actions and scenes.
- Game Development: Game developers use storyboards to map out key gameplay moments, cutscenes, and player interactions. Storyboards help visualize the flow of the game and the emotional beats of the narrative.
Applying Ashley Ann Tahigan’s Storyboard Techniques in Real Life
To truly appreciate the power of Ashley Ann Tahigan’s storyboard guide, let’s look at a few practical applications.
Case Study 1: Storyboarding for a Short Film
Imagine you’re tasked with creating a storyboard for a short drama about a character grappling with loss. Using Tahigan’s techniques, you would start by identifying the emotional beats of the story, such as the character’s initial denial, followed by anger, and ultimately acceptance.
For each key scene, you would use camera angles to emphasize the emotional state. In scenes of denial, the character might be framed in wide shots, disconnected from their surroundings. As they come to terms with their grief, the camera might move closer, with tighter framing, to capture the raw emotion on their face.
Case Study 2: Storyboarding for an Animated Commercial
If you were storyboarding an animated commercial for a new product, you’d need to focus on the product’s features while telling a story. Following Tahigan’s storyboard guide, you would use pacing to build excitement—starting with a few slow panels to introduce the product, then speeding up the action to showcase its features in dynamic, engaging ways.
Each panel would not only focus on the product but also the reaction of characters using it. Expression and body language would be critical here to communicate satisfaction, excitement, and joy.
Case Study 3: Storyboarding for Game Development
In game development, storyboards are often used to create cutscenes that connect the gameplay with the larger narrative. Let’s say you’re creating a storyboard for a fantasy game. You’d start by identifying the key moments in the scene, such as the protagonist’s discovery of a powerful artifact.
Using Tahigan’s principles, you would experiment with camera angles to emphasize the size and importance of the artifact. A low-angle shot as the protagonist reaches for it would make the moment feel epic and significant. Directional notes would guide the animators on how the camera should move to heighten the sense of discovery.
Conclusion
Ashley Ann Tahigan’s storyboard guide offers a structured yet creative approach to storytelling. Her emphasis on understanding the story, visualizing scenes, and refining each panel ensures that your storyboards not only communicate effectively but also engage the viewer emotionally. Whether you’re creating storyboards for film, animation, or game development, her techniques provide a solid foundation to bring your ideas to life.
By breaking down the story into manageable parts and focusing on the emotional core of each scene, Tahigan’s approach helps you craft a cohesive, compelling visual narrative. With a focus on collaboration, revision, and clarity, her storyboard guide serves as an invaluable tool for both aspiring and experienced storyboard artists.
FAQs
1. What is the purpose of storyboarding?
Storyboarding helps visualize a story or project before it is filmed or animated. It serves as a blueprint, outlining each scene’s key moments, camera angles, and movements.
2. How does Ashley Ann Tahigan approach storyboarding?
Ashley Ann Tahigan emphasizes the importance of understanding the story, visualizing each scene, and refining each panel. Her approach combines technical skill with emotional storytelling.
3. What are thumbnails in storyboarding?
Thumbnails are small, rough sketches that help storyboard artists map out the entire story or sequence before creating more detailed panels.
4. How important are camera angles in storyboarding?
Camera angles are crucial in storyboarding, as they guide the viewer’s focus and evoke specific emotions. Different angles can make characters appear more powerful, vulnerable, or connected to the scene.
5. Can storyboarding be done digitally?
Yes, many artists use digital tools like Storyboard Pro or Photoshop for storyboarding. However, Ashley Ann Tahigan values both traditional and digital methods, as each has its benefits.
6. What mediums can storyboards be used for?
Storyboards are used in a variety of mediums, including film, animation, commercials, and game development. Each medium may require different levels of detail or emphasis on specific aspects of the storyboard.
