Anything Goes : Storyboards by Scott Dokey

Use both

I agree with Jenni Gold, use both. The shot list may help you on what you need by the end of the day or in the edit suite, but the storyboard will help the crew visualize what you need.

I've worked on smaller productions where either I wind up being my own cinematographer because the crew is needed for lighting/fx/sound and other things, in which case I will use shot lists because what I want is already in my head. If I'm working on something larger when the cinematographer needs to understand what I want and I trust them, I'll storyboard. I've also been on film productions as a cinematographer when I had one or the other, and neither. And storyboards are the best from a cinematographer's perspective, but shot lists are INFINITELY better than having the director try and explain from just in their head every shot they want (those are directors I won't work with again).

Thank you all for your responses. It's great to hear thoughts from different perspectives. In the end I'll probably end up using both.

It's not a matter if using one is better than the other. Both are necessary. If one is missing you have a hole in your planning. I would not hire you as a director if you did not do both without a proven track record of successful films.

I agree. The two coexist. The script in combination with the shot list are the essential tools needed for successful boards.

many directors that I"ve spoken to have shared their storyboards stories... often things change last minute and the set up has to be redone so yes, they are needed but get ready to think fast on your feet knowing your shot lists and what you want.

i think they are both needed for organised preps , but one is more important than the other , i doubt if you can have a story board with out a shot list . hey this one last question you asked , i will go by each and every shot on list for completed story board . i think , there i should have turned all my pages into visual thread .

I've done storyboards that are shot by shot,angle by angle,with dialogues,sound indications and all camera movements,not forgetting lighting indications etc.A storyboard is the blueprint for a film,it allows the director to worry about other things when the whole crew can see what's going to happen.It saves time,money and irons out any communication problems on how a shot should look or feel. I've seen the films completed and they are exact replicas of the storyboards right down to the editing.It's a wonderful feeling to be able to be at the creation of an idea,and see the final result as it was at the beginning. I've also done 'High Definition' storyboards where all the details of the shot is included so that the props designer can refer to the boards,making a music video shoot take a day and a half,and the final result ended up with an award for 'Best Quality Video'. What I'm getting at is that a good chef gathers his ingredients,chops up and meticulously prepares each stage of the dish,then all that's left to do is assemble each stage,cook the ingredients and then allow the sauce to bring the taste.It's a matter of handcrafting,as films are made by men and women,so the initial touch creates magic when it's done by hand. Today there are many software products that don't require an artist,but it's the difference between a guitarist and electronically composed music. Storyboards and Roughs are like the plans an architect makes before building anything....'The more you prepare in training,the less you bleed in battle'....or something like that!

I've not used storyboards for either of my films. Just shot-lists. However, for some of my upcoming films that are more complex, I'd prefer to have both storyboards and shot-lists. That's my opinion.

Storyboards are essential for bigger budget movies. VFX shots are usually created in something called PreVis (Pre Visualization) which are low resolution renders, but are created from storyboards. Storyboards help set a scene and when you have 2nd unit or even a 3rd unit doing simultaneous shoots in different locations you need more than just a shot list.

Very True !!