Careers in art: storyboarding

What is storyboarding?

Storyboard artists map out the scenes of a film, show, or other video media before it is actually produced. This allows a better idea of what the camera angles, movement, and composition of each scene is supposed to look like. They work with the director and writers of the film in order to achieve this. Storyboards are most commonly done for animation, but can also be for live action.

Responsibilities

• Can translate a script into a sequence of drawings

• Able to communicate with other production members to better achieve their vision for the film

• Can plan a variety of angles/composition, and be creative

• Good at conveying motion through still sketches

• Revise storyboards with director’s feedback
  

  

  Required credentials

• Like many production art-related careers, storyboard artists must have a strong portfolio of work that shows their skills

• Many employers prefer at least a bachelor’s degree in an art-related field

• Storyboards are typically not done on paper anymore, so they must be able to use digital softwares such of Adobe or Toon Boom

College majors

• Animation

• Illustration

• Graphic design

• Fine arts

An individual’s talent is always more important than the college they went to, but schools that are particularly proficient in teaching the majors listed above include the California Institute of Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Savannah College of Art and Design.