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This is one that so many people shortcut - just grab a camera and shoot some footage. To be honest, that will get you in trouble fast. You will end up reshooting so much, most likely due to the fact that you do not have an overview and something was either forgotten, or you did not get a proper angle.

 

I use the left side of my page to sketch a rough image of the shot I envision. I do have a rough idea of how the transitions are to work and those are also marked.

 

Knowing how long the audio track is will determine how many shots I require, plus the length of the pieces. I have not noted that on my storyboard, but it sure would have been better to do so.

A production assistant lines up talent and indicates to them when to arrive, how long they will need and how to dress.

Leaning heavily on the storyboard, I can indicate to the talent what to expect, how it will appear and how long the shoot will be. I try to provide the amount of shots that we will be shooting, just so that their curiosity is quenched.

 

By the way, as a rule of thumb, shooting about 7:1 is the general format - for every second on screen, we need seven seconds of footage. For one minute on screen we will require a minimum of seven minutes of footage.

Returning with the footage to the edit bay, footage will be color balanced and prepared for usage.

In the footage provided I used stills and footage from a visit to New York for the transitions, and shot the talent in about three hours on a Saturday. I also scouted out scenes for an hour in advance, so that I was prepared for their arrival.

Dropping that footage into place then allowed me to make minor adjustments to the overall flow of the piece and then drop in a few special effects.

 

 

Tomorrow: Task breakdown, overlays and final render