UNDERDOGS
ANATOMY OF A STORYBOARD: TERMS &
TECHNIQUES
February 5, 2014 — Made by Devin Larson
Don’t look so confused.
Sure, an article about storyboarding may not be the first thing you’d expect on a site about
making comics. Art, writing, marketing — these clearly apply to comics as they do many other
creative pursuits. But storyboarding? That’s a movie-making technique.
While it’s true that storyboarding is an efficient process for visualizing a movie or television
show prior to filming, storyboards actually share many similarities with comic books. They both
tell stories through a sequence of drawings, using the same composition and framing techniques
to help the audience follow along. Another shared attribute, one few people realize, is that each
medium is transitory. Storyboards are meant to be tools that facilitate a film. They aren’t
intended for public consumption, and exist only to serve the final form of the project. Comics are
storytelling tools as well. No individual panel or drawing is meant to interfere with the story. The
action exists in the imagination of the reader.
There are also differences. Storyboards are constrained by the proportions of the
television/movie screen and maintain the same dimensions for every frame. Comic panels can be
a variety of shapes and sizes! Storyboards need to translate the movements of actors and the
camera to a static form, while comics can only suggest motion through panel layout and
composition.
My approach to this two-part article will be to focus on the broad similarities between comics
and storyboards, particularly the techniques that originated with film and were later adopted by
comic book storytelling. This article will cover aspect ratio, shot classification, and camera
techniques. Part two will cover the concept of continuity, specifically what it is and how it can be
achieved to help an audience follow a story without feeling lost (visually).
Aspect Ratio (Storyboard Frame Size)
The dimensions of storyboard frames are fixed. The reason for this lies with what the frame
represents: the movie or television screen. The standard ratio of a frame is 1.85:1 (more
commonly known as 16:9). Or to put it in different terms, for each inch of vertical height, a
frame gains 1.85 inches of horizontal length.
If you intend to draw a storyboard, either as practice or for whatever reason, use this ratio to set
up your frame template. Why a template? You will be creating a number of storyboard frames
and you will want to keep them consistent. Pick a height measurement and then multiply it by
1.85 for the width measurement. Photoshop, as with most graphics programs, has rulers within
the program that you can use to place your frame border. If you are working analog, try marking
off the frame with a physical ruler and cutting a template out of a piece of cardstock.
The Rule of Thirds
Composition is a vital, complex topic. I will be giving it only the most cursory of mentions here
(we will delve deeper into it in the future). The goal of proper composition is to structure an
image so that the viewer gets all of the necessary information out of it. That’s right — artists
manipulate the arrangement of visual elements to make the viewer look at whatever they want!
Principles like the balance of elements within a frame and use of focal points guide the viewer’s
attention. Symmetry tends to distract. A handy shortcut to avoiding symmetry is by following the
guidelines shown in the second example, above. Avoid the inclination to place a figure or pointof-interest in the center of the frame. Do this by dividing the frame into thirds both horizontally
and vertically, and place anything significant or focus-worthy near one of the intersecting points
in the grid. This is what’s known as the rule of thirds: dynamic compositions result from
asymmetry.
Shot Classification
A shot is what’s referred to as the precise recording made by a camera in a single take. All of the
frames in a storyboard correspond to a single shot (sometimes a complex action requires multiple
storyboard frames per shot). As such, they are essentially blueprints for where to place the
camera and what to point it at.
Now, that may sound incredibly movie-specific, but it’s not. Comic panels are framed in the
same way. Envision the panel as a camera lens, looking out upon a scene before you. The scene
exists regardless of the position you choose to view it from. Some viewpoints are more effective
than others at communicating the story taking place.
As a shorthand, many scripts use terminology to refer to specific shot framing. Primarily, these
are an indication of camera distance from the subject of the shot. Familiarize yourself with the
following classifications; these terms will continue to pop up in the future.
Wide Shot
This type of shot establishes the location and context for the scene. Such kinds of shots are called
“establishing shots.” The subject of the shot is visible from a distance, with the primary focus
being on the environment and lighting conditions.
Why lighting conditions? Good hypothetical question. The reason is that the way a scene is lit is
one of the first impressions you get of its tone. High-contrast lighting, which is to say a stark
contrast between light and dark, instantly establishes a dramatic tone. The scene I have presented
in these examples is the opposite — low contrast. As a result, the first impression the viewer gets
is of a relaxed, possibly cheerful tone.
Full Shot
The camera appears to be much closer to the subject(s) of the shot, resulting in a narrowing of
focus. This is aided by the fact that much of the surrounding environment is cut out of the frame.
Full shots, by virtue of the name, allow the entire subject to be seen, head-to-toe.
Medium Shot
The distance from the subjects is further reduced. Everything is cropped out of frame except for
the upper torso of the character(s) involved (waist and up). The viewer is drawn further into the
situation, not merely an observer, but a participant in the conversation.
This specific example is also referred to as a “two shot”, indicating the number of people in
frame. It is also a conversation sequence, meaning it can follow a principle of continuity called
“shot/reverse shot.” I will be addressing continuity issues in the second part of this article.
Close-Up
You’ve heard of these before, right? We all have. Close-ups frame a single subject from a short
distance. Because only the head, neck, and shoulders are seen, we are invited to focus on the
facial expression of the subject. How are they reacting to the situation at hand? The close-up
offers answers.
Extreme Close-Up
Pass the Doritos and Mountain Dew! It’s time to get extreme.
This type of shot is the closest you will get to the subject. Usually focused on the eye area of the
face, extreme close-ups put you, the viewer, into the place of the character. You are meant to
understand the thoughts the character is thinking. Weird? Absolutely.
I say “usually focused” because it’s possible to have an extreme close-up feature something other
than eyeballs. Maybe you want to focus on the car keys that were left behind when the character
exited the house. The car keys! Look! He’s going to need those! Point the camera at them.
Camera Notations
This leads us to the subject of camera notations. Put simply, these are the notations that indicate
how the camera is moving between frames.
I’m going to be straight with you: these don’t translate directly to comic panels. Some refer less
to camera movement than they do frame order. Those principles do tie back to comics though,
since you can arrange panels on the page however you like.
So why talk about these notations? Cross-pollination of technique has allowed comic artists to
benefit from filmmaking. You may not be able to replicate the zoom of a camera or the way in
which a shot pans, but as a comic artist you can control eye-movement on the page. The shape
and arrangement of panels helps to direct the viewer’s focus in a related way.
Dolly and Zoom
These are terms that refer to increasing or decreasing the apparent distance to the camera from
the subject of the shot. This can be achieved by physically moving the camera, in which case the
technique is called “dolly (-in or -out).” If the physical distance to the camera remains unchanged
and the effect is achieved through focusing the lens it is called “zoom.”
There are various parallels in comics. In a sequence of otherwise identical panels with the same
subject, this can be virtually simulated by decreasing the distance to the subject with every panel.
A less literal parallel could involve the composite effect of perspective and implied motion
within an image to direct the eye.
In this frame, I chose a high vantage point from which to view the street café. The arrow
indicates that I intend for the camera to physically move closer to the scene. I already know how
the following shot will be framed, so I use a combination of the dolly-in and the movement of
the approaching figure as a bridge between Frames 1 and 2.
Pan
After the cut to Frame 2, I continue to follow the right-to-left movement of the approaching
figure with a right-to-left pan. The camera — distance unchanged — moves in the direction
indicated until the frame marked “B.”
This type of movement is all about transitioning to focus on the desired subject. In a comic page,
an unusual panel or large composition might be impossible to comprehend as a whole. The
viewer does the work of the camera pan with their eyes.
Side note for artists: make sure that the composition of elements within the frame is strong at
every point during the pan.
Cut-In and Cut-Away
Jumping ahead in the frame sequence, let’s talk about the cut-in/away. Visually, the notation is
simple. Draw a smaller, inset frame (within the frame) to indicate the position of the extreme
close-up to follow. Connect the corners of the inset frame to the corners of the full frame.
This is less about camera movement and more about indicating shot order. Despite the
appearance of the notation, the camera doesn’t zoom or dolly.
So why do this? Think of this technique as the visual equivalent of an “aside” in writing. If you
want to draw specific attention to something for the sake of clarity without derailing the flow of
the scene, use a cut-in/away. The difference between the two hinges on whether the extreme
close-up is of an element within the frame, or outside of it. Same frame? Cut-in. somewhere
else? Cut-away.
Not everything about storyboarding translates perfectly to making comics. All movement is
implied in comics. Although storyboards are technically just as static, film literally captures
movement.
Actually, scratch that. Comic panels may not observably move, but in the mind’s eye, they do.
Think about it. Through the composition of the panel, the viewer is forced to move their eye in
the direction the artist wants. This may or may not coincide with the implied path that the
character will follow out of frame. The size, shape, and sequence of panels determines the pacing
of the story for the reader. You can control movement, of a sort.
Since all of that movement only happens in the mind’s eye, it is critical that you avoid doing
anything to confuse the reader. There are ways to structure the elements of a panel, as with a
sequence of shots in a film, so that the action remains clear and consistent.
Let me tell you about a little something called continuity.
Continuity
By maintaining a consistent direction of character movement and orientation within a scene, the
director of a film helps the audience to follow the story without getting lost. This principle of
maintaining consistency within shots is called continuity. Even in a small environment, it’s
possible to put a camera in dozens of places. Assuming that you point it at the focal character,
this still leaves a number of options. Do you film the subject from the front or the back? Is she to
the left or right of frame? Which way is she moving? Choices abound.
A continuous scene is comprised of a variety of cuts and angles, so any inconsistency of
movement or placement threatens to break the illusion within the mind of the viewer. For
instance, the character may travel in the same direction across multiple shots, yet if the camera
jumps back-and-forth across her path it will render the sequence visually disorienting.
Continuity of Movement
It’s very important that you remain aware of the direction of character movement when planning
the sequence of shots that comprise a scene. Movement on screen comes down to a choice: leftto-right movement or right-to-left movement. Whichever direction the character appears to move
at first that is the direction he should continue throughout the sequence, provided that he does not
turn around. The camera can be placed at a variety of distances and angles from the subject so
long as the apparent direction of character movement is the same across all shots in that scene.
Let’s examine the following sequence of a character exploring an abandoned house to see this
concept demonstrated.
It begins with an interior establishing shot from a high vantage point. Chris, the character, swings
open the front door and steps forward. His movement appears right-to-left which immediately
establishes screen direction — how movement is oriented relative to the screen — for all
successive shots in the scene. For the remainder of the sequence, forward progress equals rightto-left movement.
The second frame features a very different angle. Instead of being positioned in front/above, the
camera is behind/below Chris. Fortunately, as he occupies the same area of the screen (i.e. to the
right), the audience will already be looking at the correct location when the transition occurs. His
movement remains right-to-left, although we may not see a significant change of position for the
character. As Chris swings the flashlight to the left our eyes continue in that direction.
This seems like the perfect time to mention a related technique. Notice how Chris always has a
buffer of space between himself and the frame border in the direction that he’s moving? That’s
referred to as “lead room.” Make sure that you allow for lead room when composing a frame so
that the audience can see where the character is going. If you don’t include that space before the
character, it’s the equivalent of asking someone to walk through a room without looking in front
of them. It’s disconcerting, and the audience will be uncomfortable.
Of course, that may be exactly the reaction you want. Frequently, horror and suspense films will
eliminate lead room in their shots so that the audience nervously anticipates all of the things that
can’t be seen.
I included frame 3 as an example of “what not to do.” On its own, it’s a perfectly serviceable
shot. In sequence with the rest of the scene however, it doesn’t work.
If the reason why isn’t apparent, consider frames 2, 3, and 4 in sequence. On the screen they will
replace one another rather than be arranged like this. As the viewer, you would start by looking
at Chris in frame-right moving left. Abruptly, in frame three he would jump to frame-left and be
moving right. And finally, back to frame-right moving left with the fourth frame. Even though
Chris is walking through the environment in the same way with every shot, this sequence is
disruptive and confusing.
Which brings us to frame 4. In part one of this article, I mentioned that close-ups and extreme
close-ups don’t always have to focus on the face. I composed the shot like this for the following
reasons:

I wanted to increase the sensation of claustrophobia and foreboding, so I framed Chris
extremely close to the camera.

To maintain continuity of movement, Chris is on screen-right moving left.

This close-up focuses attention on the door at the end of the hallway. Because of the
composition, Chris is literally pointing towards it with the flashlight.
Things just got real! A dramatic turn occurs as a ghost chases Chris from the house.
When something significant like this happens, it’s perfectly fine to reverse the direction of
movement on-screen. We’ve established that forward progress in this environment means rightto-left movement. Now that a dramatic development has happened, the corollary to that is
backwards progress (retreat) means moving left-to-right. As long as you keep the visual logic
consistent, it’s fine to change movement direction when the plot calls for it.
In frame 5, the character is seen from a high-angle, canted viewpoint. This reduces the power
and control of the subject (why? because we’re looking down on him). The canted, or skewed,
orientation of the frame further destabilizes the situation.
Frame 6 shows Chris fleeing the house. It’s another two shot, but this time the camera is much
closer to Chris allowing the viewer to see his terror. His movement remains left-to-right.
Dialogue Continuity and Shot/Reverse Shot
Movement continuity is a major concern when composing a frame, but it is not the only
continuity concern. Certain scenes have very little on-screen character movement in terms of
people changing location. One example would be dialogue scenes where the characters remain
seated.
In situations like this, continuity is still very important. I liken it to watching a tennis match.
Imagine yourself seated in the bleachers, swiveling your head back and forth to follow a volley
— right, left, right, and back again. It’s easy to tell who is who because the position of the
athletes remains the same.
Now imagine the same tennis match, except every time you turn your head left or right the player
positions are randomized. You wouldn’t be able to follow who was doing what.
That’s what dialogue continuity establishes: consistent character positions. In the examples
below, imagine the invisible line connecting the two seated characters. This line splits the room
into two halves. After choosing what side of the line you want the camera on, it needs to remain
on that side for the duration of that sequence (cut-aways are an exception). The camera can move
freely within one side of that invisible line, but if the camera jumps to the opposite side? That
would throw the screen position of the characters into disarray.
This sequence is called “shot/reverse shot”, and it’s extremely effective. After establishing the
scene, the shots ping-pong back and forth. The camera frames both participants of the
conversation, alternating who is the focal character depending on what reaction is the most
relevant.
Frame one is a standard establishing shot that sets up the positional relationship and context for
the characters in the environment. Note the high-contrast lighting, indicating dramatic stakes in
this conversation.
Frame two is the first part of this sequence, the “shot.” Both characters are framed in a medium
shot so that nothing distracts from the conversation. Whichever character has the focus — in this
case the younger man — that is the character facing the camera. Note: the focal character does
not always have to be the one speaking.
Frame three depicts the “reverse shot” in this sequence. The camera flips positions to show the
reaction of the other character, who now becomes the focus. This alternating focus would
continue throughout the conversation as the characters react to one another.
Further Study
If it’s not already apparent, storyboarding technique informs a lot of the approach to how comic
artists compose and arrange panels. I tried to cover all of the salient points in this two-part
article, but there is so much more to discuss and learn. I would highly recommend that you locate
a copy of Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers by Marcos MateuMestre (available through Design Press). I read multiple books to research this article, and that
was, by far, the best resource I could find.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to watch films by critically-acclaimed directors in order to
deconstruct how they tell a story visually. The medium may differ from comics, but you should
steal techniques from it anyway.