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Storyboard Software Buyer's Guide

You've just come out of a meeting with a client. You've been working this deal for a while and now that you've landed it you bravely think "now what?" You promised quite a bit in that meeting and you better deliver! A few minutes into your drive back to the office you decide to pull into a parking lot. Panic? Well, maybe not panic, but the sweat on your brow isn't from the heat - it's 60-degrees outside. "This is a big project," you think. "Lots of moving parts: scripts, static shots, testimonials, pans of the buildings; the list goes on." Yep, that's panic you're feeling. You lean over and grab your notes thinking "OK, I can do this... I can slay this beast!" and with a quick glance at the time you realize you've been sitting there for 30 minutes reviewing your notes and it's all pretty clear so you drive home instead of to the office.

Henry Ford had a saying that went something like this: no project is too big if you break it down into many smaller projects. So how do you break this job down into many small projects? With storyboard software. Think of it as software that helps you create a roadmap for a long trip that will include many stops, changes in plans and, perhaps even a few breakdowns along the way.

Creating powerful videos is pretty complicated but integrating scripting or storyboarding software into your workflow can make it much easier. So lets get crackin' and tame the beast!

There are dozens of storyboard packages available ranging from shareware solutions for twenty bucks all the way to uber-professional software with all the bells and whistles for several hundred dollars. It's up to you to decide which one is appropriate for you, but we can help sort through the features so you can make an informed decision.

The least expensive solution is pen and paper. Yep, old-school drawings on parchment with bubble scripting added on each scene. Not bad; for a few bucks in supplies and a few hundred hours, you too can storyboard just about any project from 15-second clips to feature length films. It's a little ridiculous nowadays, but just imagine back in the day before computers, how many artists were employed in the film industry doing just that. Ah, but times have changed and so have attitudes; everyone needs it right away.

So you need software that has everything already in place just waiting for you to take advantage of. That would be something like FrameForge 3D Studio, $399. Sounds pretty impressive doesn't it? That's because it is. It has just about everything you could want in a package and it's easy to integrate into your current workflow. With an extensive library of rendered objects and a friendly user interface, you can plan each and every sequence with accuracy and confidence. The application renders every frame with your particular camera and situation in mind, thereby eliminating any chance of providing you with a view that is not possible to achieve. You can build room-sets populated with realistic actors and props in this application with speed and accuracy, integrate those sets into a multiple camera "virtual studio" and manipulate lighting, camera angles and actor placement, and even change their facial expressions. Once you are satisfied with the storyboard, the application can provide you with a printout of accurate renderings and even make separate prints of camera angles and lighting positions. What a time saver! Software like this can also include sunlight, window lighting and terrain in your printouts, you just show up on location with a note of where you need to place the gear.

Movie Magic Screenwriter (Write Brothers, Inc) is used by some of the major Hollywood writers. Movie Magic Screenwriter uses easy "tab," "return" and "enter" keys for formatting, keeping you focused on your train of thought rather than trying to change direction every time you need to format a segment. At $250.00, you also get free technical support that includes phone, web and email. Very reassuring.