Chapter 1Visual Storytelling and

Storyboards

Objectives

• Learn how visual stories are told.

• Understand the elements of a story.

•  Explore industries that use storyboards.

Visual Storytelling

• Visuals establish the setting in which a narrative story takes place.

• Camera framing, angles, and movement allow the audience to become active viewers as they watch the action unfold.

Show Me• “Showing” allows

you to mold a message into visual imagery.

• Show the actions of the characters, aesthetics of the locations, and how the characters feel.

Elements of a Story• Beginning—establishes the location and introduces

the main character and conflict of the story• Middle—where the hero faces complications and

obstacles within the story• End—where the climax and resolution of the

problem occurs

Storyboards

• A series of sketches that are used as a planning tool to visually show how the action of a story unfolds

Purpose of the Storyboard

• Clearly conveys the narrative flow of a story by defining the challenges and problems of a project

• Assists in the timing of a scene

• Assists crewmembers during production for framing the action

Industries That Use Storyboards

• Advertising

• Film

• Animation

• Television

• Multimedia

• Web design

• Government

Summary• The principals of visual storytelling have been

taken to new heights with the emergence of film, television, computers, and animation.

• Stories with structure have a beginning, middle, and end.

• When creating a visual story, you need to show the elements rather than tell it.– Read screenplays to further your understanding of

visual storytelling.• Storyboards are sketches that visually show how

the action of a story unfolds.