For example, it has no place in a documentary style of program, other than for graphics and animation, as every shot has to be evolved depending on what is there to shoot.

However, for a project where the director has control of the environment and every aspect of the content it provides a way of signing off imagery before it has been shot, letting the Director Photography see what has to be framed and what motion is needed, allowing the acting talent to see what the camera will capture, giving the editor and animator specific instructions to follow, and even letting the music composer start work on a project before it is in the can.  The savings in all of these can easily compensate for the time and cost of the work involved, particularly on short pieces like commercials.

A storyboard can take a number of forms, from a shot list with visual and composition notes, to a fully illustrated step by step, shot by shot analysis of every frame in a video or film. Each has a place depending on the type of program being made and the size of the budget/production schedule – and we advise on what is the best use of your funds as far as pre-visualization is concerned.