The storyboarder is the person who will lay the first stone in the making of a film
The role of the storyboarder
The storyboarder is the person who draws up the plans for a film before it is shot. Known in French as “scénarimage”, his work is the first essential step in putting a film into images.
Like a comic strip artist, he creates a collection of sketches in which the different shots of the film are represented. The framing, the camera angles, the place of the actors in the set or the tracking rails – all these details find their place in the storyboard.
By specifying the number and complexity of shots, the storyboard enables producers to avoid superfluity, reduce costs and budget as closely as possible to reality. This technique is not new: Disney Studios began using it as early as the early 1930s.
Storyboarders can work in a wide variety of sectors, including film, animation, comics, advertising and video games.
Skills and qualities
Depending on their clients and the project to be carried out, storyboarders have to work with traditional and/or digital tools.
By definition, they have a keen sense of layout, framing and shot management. They need to know how to listen before drawing, be prepared to be challenged and communicate well with the director or art director.
A solid grounding in the sectors in which they work is essential, as is knowledge of cinematographic techniques and the ‘grammar of editing’.
You have to be able to draw everything, quickly and well, in a realistic style that can be understood by everyone. Efficiency is one of the storyboarder’s most important virtues. With the growing popularity of animated films, mastery of tools such as the graphics palette is essential, not to mention 2D and 3D software such as Photoshop or Maya.
Career and development opportunities
There are several training courses that can lead to this profession. ESMA offers an Illustration Concept Art course, accessible after the Prépa Design year.) There is also a professional course in graphic design.
As part of their career development, storyboarders are not obliged to confine themselves to this specific profession. Their skills and experience may lead them to move into other creative arts professions specific to the audiovisual industry(author-illustrator, director, production).
Storyboarders generally work on a freelance basis. They are paid by the board, by the image or on a flat-rate basis (by the page, by the episode, by the day, by the week, by the month).
How much does a storyboarder earn?
Salaries vary widely depending on the resources of the production and the reputation of the storyboarder.
However, figures in the region of €1,362.18/week or €30 per drawing have been quoted.
