Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
If, on the other hand, the squirrel is simply walking across the counter, the boards may want
only to show the path he takes. In this case a beginning and end drawing with arrows con-
necting them in one storyboard panel may suffi ce. Arrows pointing left and right, up, down,
forward, backward, and following arcs can “stand in” for movements in the still images of
a storyboard and can be very helpful to the direction and clarity of actions.
Camera Moves
Camera operators can hold a camera in their hand, put it on a car or an airplane, or push
it around on a dolly. Cranes and trucks that ride on tracks have been used to move the
audience's vantage point to wherever the fi lmmaker wants it to be. Digital technology allows
cameras to follow bullets into the bodies of victims, be plunged into molten lava, and see
through the eyes of an erratically moving dragonfl y. Advancements in lenses and internal
camera technology also create many options. A storyboard artist should know when and
what kind of camera moves to use.
Trucks and Zooms
Trucks and zooms will produce similar results, but they are not the same. A zoom on a face
in a crowd of characters will cause the size of the face to be “blown up” on the screen
along with everything else in the frame. In the truck, the rest of the crowd will not grow but
the foreground people will be seen passing by as the camera moves toward the face. A
truck on that character's face will be closer to the experience of walking through the crowd
until you are physically close to her and her face is close to you. This is because the zoom
is done with the camera lens and magnifi es the light coming through, whereas the truck
actually moves the camera through the crowd toward the main character. This difference
will make a difference in the way you are allowing the audience to experience the action.
This physical difference evokes a different emotional response and represents a signifi cantly
different way of telling your story.
