Story boarding and trailers with Simon

Storyboarding Workshop with Simon

I found the story boarding workshop to be really interesting. We took a look at all the different types of story board techniques that is used within the industry. There were a few which I found really impressive since I had never seen them before. 

We went through all the different elements that can be included within the story board, we also discussed why a story board is important and thats because it provides a visual reference to the significant points within a planned scene etc. This is good because it helps everyone visualise, therefore creating more room for improvement.

It was really interesting having a look at all the varieties because there were some which didn't require much detail and there were some that were super detailed.One of the ones I found interesting was the animated story board that was used for Indiana Jones. You can tell that the amount of budget you have can really affect the quality of the pre production. Its clear that something like that takes such a long time to create. I won't have any budget or as much time (or skills) to even create something like that so I think I'll keep it simple.

Here is an example of a storyboard I used back in year 12. I liked using this type of story board template because I found the balance between the visual element and the amount of stage directions to be most helpful. You can even note down the duration of the shot which helped me stay on track with the time limit on the video. I found it really helpful using a story board because when you're shooting it really helps you remember what shot comes next and what you need to do. 

Trailers

We then had a look at trailers and what makes them effective. Trailers are condensed key moments of the entire story. It seems to me that trailers are difficult as you want to only show an insight into the film without giving away the whole storyline. You want to create suspense, make the viewer want to watch it but not spoil it. Thats why I think trailers can be seen as an art form in itself. There are many trailers out there that I have watched and afterwards felt like I'd seen the whole film. which then made me not want to watch the film. This is why I need to have a good think about whether I want to do the trailer or just 2 minutes as I want to execute it well. 

We also had a look at the different shot types that can be used. Its important for us to familiarise with these shot types since different ones can be used to create different effects. The more variations we know, the more variety we can create, which in turn will create a better production.

After being given the task of creating a trailer for 'Soft' using the original film itself, this is the trailer I created.

I wanted to carefully select dramatic parts without giving away the full story or plot and I thought I did an alright job at it.