Alongside the graphic novel, I always keep a copy of my storyboards with me on set. Storyboards are without a doubt, the most efficient way to communicate what’s in my head to all the departments throughout the project.
Storyboards play a vital part in my process long before I start sharing them with my team. I’ve always storyboarded my commercials and movies. It is a key part of my process for envisioning the entire film from beginning to end. In addition to using that drawing time to figure out blocking and action, it is also when I can begin to get a sense of whether the dialog and pacing are working. As you can see from these frames, my storyboards aren’t necessarily super-finished art pieces on their own. I often find that the frames that get the most detail are the ones where I’m stalling - thinking of the next shots. In contrast, if I already have a sequence sorted out in my head, the boards tend to be much sketchier. In the past, once I had completed my sketches, I would have a clean up pass done by an artist.
Lately, I have foregone that step. Instead, I opt to distribute my original boards. This speeds up the information dissemination process and also ensures that the boards going out to each of the various departments are 100% accurate and that no details are lost during an illustration polish pass.
Once completed, the boards play a key role throughout pre-production, mapping out every frame that I intend to shoot. Visually presenting the what, where, why, who, when, etc. of every frame. This gives us a starting point for discussions. As we break down each frame, department by department, they help clarify everyone’s responsibilities, needs and expectations. The boards often spur discussions that raise important questions. Many times the answers to these questions are crucial to a successful shoot. Once we finish pre-production and start shooting, mini storyboard sides are distributed to the crew at the beginning of each day. Many of us refer back to them countless times on any given day.
The bottom line is that, although it takes me a tremendous amount of time during pre-production to draw each and every frame (2,581 in the case of Watchmen), in the end, the shooting boards become one of my most useful tools.
-Zack
