STORYBOARD - QUESTIONS

‘P’ is for Psycho Storyboard

A) What is happening in the opening sequence of the film?

In the opening sequence of ‘P’ is for Psycho, a man is in a men’s toilet. At first all we see are his legs, next to a sink, then we are shown him holding his hand as if in pain. The camera cuts to show some objects – a photo, a watch and a wallet. Through a close-up shot, we are then shown blood being washed away in a sink, and the man wrapping his hand in a bandage. He moves is wrapped hand, just as he hears a door opening. He quickly turns his head. As another boy walks into the toilet, the man puts away a gun, and we get a close-up of his face in shadow. He say’s “Bad move, kid” and the screen fade to black. Gunshots sound loudly.

B) How is the narrative flow established?

Each shot is orders so that the right information is given in order for the audience to understand what is happening. The first shot is of the toilet door, establishing the setting. The next shots are mid-shots and low-angle shots, concealing parts of the man, in order to add mystery. The following close-ups of some objects and blood being washed away add even more mystery, the blood especially creating an eerie atmosphere. Unless for effect, such as in the extreme close-up in shot 11, mid-shots are used to show the audience what is happening in the scene. Although each shot cuts to the next one, suggesting a sudden change, each shot relates to the next one, so that the flow of the story is smooth and not too confusing. Camera movement is used to show where things are in relation to each other, such as showing the audience, by using tilt, that the legs in the last frame belong to the man now pictured.

C) If you were directing this sequence, what aspects of the storyboard would you like to change?

If I was directing this sequence, I would either remove shot 4, the close-up of objects, or add another shot in explanation. It is unclear at the moment what their relationship to the characters or events is. I also think that the close-up of the blood in the sink is slightly misleading or confusing; the audience are left unsure of where it has come from. However I also think that this adds a sense of mystery to the sequence, which is necessary for achieving the eerie atmosphere of a thriller.

STORYBOARDING TIPS

Here are a few helpful websites I found on storyboarding:

A Few Practical Tips on Storyboarding
How to Make a Storyboard
Creating a Storyboard


And a video:

Storyboarding Tips for Movies -- powered by expertvillage.com

STORYBOARDING

Why is a storyboard important?

•Storyboards enable directors to turn the script from written information to a visual source
• It enables the director to visualise the flow of camera shots, and exactly how the shot will look (mis-en-scene, framing, characters etc.)
• The director can see what sets or props are needed
• Storyboards help with deciding the sequence of shots and scenes
• The most effective lighting can be decided on
• The finished storyboard can then be used in discussions and in production briefings, before shooting
• Storyboards are essential for designers, such as the production or set designer, in planning the sets or costumes
• A visual representation of a shot means that there will be less misunderstandings during discussion– it is an important tool of communication
• Special-effects supervisors will be able to say if the director’s ideas are realisable
• Through story-boards, the director can show where the emphasis should be in the shot– what should be shot close-up, or what elements aren't that important to the development of the story, so therefore don't need to take up so much room in the frame
• Storyboards can be used like kit-lists, for the crew, so that everything that is needed can be prepared
• In post-production, storyboards are used as reminders for editors and special-effects teams

 

Example : Heroes Genesis Storyboard from Earl's Blog

ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

This is the opening scene of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a 2005 film adaptation of the famous children’s story, by C S Lewis, set in the magical world of Narnia, directed by Andrew Adamson. The film can be categorised as a children’s fantasy, action and adventure. The opening sequence clearly establishes the setting and time period of the movie: London during the Blitz.

The film starts with a dark, foggy scene, with the faint humming sound of planes in the background. The camera moves through the clouds, before arcing around a flying Luftwaffe bomber. As the fog clears, more planes appear and beams of light draw our attention to them. The camera reverses, to show the audience the pilots inside the cockpit of one of the bombers. We hear the voices of the pilots speaking German, and this helps to establish that these are German planes bombing London during the Blitz. This is extremely important to the story, as it tells the audience the setting and time period of the film. The camera cuts to an aerial view, showing a bomb being dropped onto London, with Tower Bridge visible below. This switch to a close-up provides variety to the shots and involves the audience in the action. Suddenly, we cut to a mid-shot of a boy, in typical 1940s English costume, looking out of a window to the bombing outside. This is much calmer in comparison to theprevious shots. A woman, his mother it is suggested by her angry yet worried actions, comes running to him, with an older boy. Through the use of dialogue, we are told that the boys are called Edmund and Peter. The characters rush to get to their air raid shelter, and the camera jolts and uses whip pan to convey this sense of panic. The camera cuts to a mid-long shot of a girl looking terrified in her bed, then shows an older girl rushing with a torch, grabbing her out of the house. Using a long shot to fit all characters in, we see them running out, across the garden to their shelter. A close up of their feet, in slippers, is a small detail which shows the audience that these characters were not prepared for what is happening and are in a hurry to get out of their house, hinting that they didn’t even have time to get shoes. Just as they are entering the shelter, Edmund runs back towards the house, shouting “Dad!” The camera shows a close up of Peter’s hand slipping off Edmund’s jumper, emphasising that he shouldn’t be going back. The camera continues to jolt and whip pan, following the boys back to their front room. With a loud explosion and the sound of breaking glass, the boys fall to the floor. Through a close-up, we are shown a cracked photo of a man in uniform, in Edmund’s hand. Another aerial shot shows the two boys running to the shelter, with the menacing shadows of the planes sweeping across them. A low angle from below the running characters shows us that the threat of bomber planes is right above them, and this makes the action very dramatic and tense. The scene is almost black and white to increase this sense of tension, and to give a negative atmosphere. The camera quickly cuts to a lighter scene inside the shelter, suggesting a safer environment. The scene ends abruptly with Peter slamming the shelter door shut after shouting at Edmund for almost getting them killed. The two parts of the opening sequence, the planes and the family are strongly linked. The family rushing to their air raid shelter is a consequence of the bombers arriving, and the two sequences could, in fact, be happening simultaneously.

This short action sequence is essential in setting up the rest of the story. It confirms the era and setting of the film, and the character’s names as well as their relationships. We are shown that although Peter cares for his brother Edmund, who misses his dad who has gone away to war, they do not have a good relationship. It is also conveyed that Susan and Lucy, the girls, do have a close relationship, as they are seen hugging each other whilst in the shelter. These four characters are suggested to be the main characters in the rest of the story, as we are told a lot about them in the first few minutes of the film. A lot of information is revealed in the short sequence, and I think it has been shown quite clearly so that the younger target audience can understand what is happening. We are not told, however, what else has been happening in their lives, as this scene is purely to establish the setting, time period and characters in the following story.

The tone of the opening sequence is important to establish the tone of the rest of the film. In this scene, the lighting is dark, as it is night-time. The cool tones suggest a sinister development in the story; and element of risk or danger in the future. The camera framing also has connotations of an adventure-filled future. Firstly, the framing is not very tight, and mostly mid-shots are used. This suggests a laid-back atmosphere, not a tense, panicked one. This suggests that the story will end happily, and that the rest of the story isn’t too serious. The movement of the camera, particularly the use of whip pan and a handheld effect during the bombing scene show that there will be an element of action within the story. The use of an action scene as the opening sequence is also important. It adds emphasis on the action/adventure nature of the forthcoming story. A very important part of this sequence is the music it is set to, which has a very strong drumbeat from the beginning. It is very tense, but the drums also add a military aspect, which reflects the story being set during World War Two.

When I make my short film, the opening will need to tell the audience who the characters, or at least the main ones of my film are and where the story is set. It is also useful to show their relationships with each other, but it is not necessary to give their whole back-stories within the opening sequence.

REFLECTIONS ON MY OWN FILM STILL

1. Describe your shot andidentify in what way it could be described as representing your chosen genre.

My shot is a portrait shot. The bottom half of the frame is relatively dark, as it is filled with the grey of the stone stairs. On the stairs you can somebody’s legs, positioned to suggest that they belong to a body lying down the stairs. On the top half of the frame is a frightened looking girl, cowering in the corner, at the top of the flight of stairs. She is also wearing dark clothing, but her red jumper brings some colour to the image. The lighting in the top frame put the girl in more light, and brings the viewers attention to her. This shot represents a thriller genre well. The characters in the shot are typical of a tense scene in a thriller: a frightened female victim, and a dead body. The expression on the girl’s face also gives a tense atmosphere to the shot. We framed the shot in order to leave mystery; we did not give away the identity of the legs in the shot and used a tight mid-shot frame to leave the audience asking questions. The frame is also slightly tilted to make the scene disconcerting. We did not include any bright or light colours in or shot, to preserve the spooky nature of the scene. We used cool tones to reflect the thriller genre as these connote an unhappy and uncomfortable situation.

2. What did you actually do to achieve the effect?

Firstly, we took the camera off the tripod in order to allow us more freedom with angle and framing. We took the shot from very low down on the stair itself to portray the sense of a tight, trapped space at the top of a thin flight of stairs. In terms of lighting, we chose quite a dark place to shoot. We turned off the flash on the camera to get rid of any unwanted harsh light, and to achieve the cool blue tones that represented the eerie atmosphere of our shot.

3. Identify what is successful about your shot.

I feel that our shot is successful in representing the genre of thriller. I think that I use of framing and low angle evokes a strong sense of enclosure and adds mystery to the shot, which is necessary in representing a tense thriller story. I especially think that the tones of our shot are successful, as they connote many aspects of a thriller or horror story – darkness and a cold, spooky, uncomfortable environment.

4. What would you do differently in hindsight?

If we were to take the shot again, I would use a more professional model/actor as I think that the girl’s expression is the main problem in the still: it is unclear whether she is very scared or just nervous. Also, I think the shot would work well in an even darker setting.