Mastering Visual Storytelling: Techniques & Applications

1. Chapter 1Visual Storytelling and Storyboards

2. Objectives • Learn how visual stories are told. • Understand the elements of a story. •  Explore industries that use storyboards.

3. Visual Storytelling • Visuals establish the setting in which a narrative story takes place. • Camera framing, angles, and movement allow the audience to become active viewers as they watch the action unfold.

4. Show Me • “Showing” allows you to mold a message into visual imagery. • Show the actions of the characters, aesthetics of the locations, and how the characters feel.

5. Elements of a Story • Beginning—establishes the location and introduces the main character and conflict of the story • Middle—where the hero faces complications and obstacles within the story • End—where the climax and resolution of the problem occurs

6. Storyboards • A series of sketches that are used as a planning tool to visually show how the action of a story unfolds

7. Purpose of the Storyboard • Clearly conveys the narrative flow of a story by defining the challenges and problems of a project • Assists in the timing of a scene • Assists crewmembers during production for framing the action

8. Industries That Use Storyboards • Advertising • Film • Animation • Television • Multimedia • Web design • Government

9. Summary • The principals of visual storytelling have been taken to new heights with the emergence of film, television, computers, and animation. • Stories with structure have a beginning, middle, and end. • When creating a visual story, you need to show the elements rather than tell it. • Read screenplays to further your understanding of visual storytelling. • Storyboards are sketches that visually show how the action of a story unfolds.