The Role Storyboarding Plays In the Production Process

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title (as applicable): Television Production

  Course Title: Television Production Technology 2

  Course Number: 8201520

  Career Cluster: Arts, A/V Technology and Communication

  CIP Number: 0610020217

  Course Type: Career Preparatory

  CTE Standard(s) or benchmarks

  10.01 - Plan and produce a storyboard

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Learning How to Work in a Production Team.” See CPALMS resource ID#209582.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will analyze how communication and collaboration can impact workflow and deadlines throughout the production process. Students will also discover the importance of storyboarding in the career field of Television and Film Production. This understanding of storyboarding will help students who are working to obtain industry certifications in the production field.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Evaluate how modes of communication (Verbal Meetings / Directions, Shot Sheets, and Storyboards) affect collaboration during the production process.
  • Create a single frame storyboard panel using gathered shot log information.
  • Explain how a storyboard panel is helpful throughout the 4 stages of the production process.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • The four stages of the production process: pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution.
  • A working understanding of key vocabulary including: frame, shot sheet, shot log, storyboard, remote shoot, hard deadline, photojournalist, editor, camera operator, videographer, director, and computer graphics artist.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What modes of communication do production teams utilize during the production process?
  • Why is it necessary to utilize different forms of communication during the production process?
  • How does a storyboard help a production team communicate during the production process?
  • How important is effective communication and collaboration when working with multiple teams?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. Students will be introduced to the contents of the case study, by playing “Storyboard BINGO.” Please see the attachments for the instructions and materials to facilitate this activity. You will need the following attachments:

  • Instructions for Storyboard BINGO
  • BINGO Card 1
  • BINGO Visual 1
  • BINGO Card 2
  • BINGO Visual 2

  2. At the conclusion of the game, the teacher will ask the students to reflect on the outcomes of the game by asking:

  • Why was the class more successful during the second round of Storyboard Bingo?
  • Why wasn’t the shot sheet as helpful as the picture?

  3. Next the teacher will have the students read the case study, “Learning How to Work in a Production Team.” See CPALMS resource ID#209582. At the conclusion of the reading the teacher will help to initiate the student discussion by asking guiding questions such as:

  • What made Sofia think the team did not need a storyboard?
  • What caused the team to fall behind schedule?
  • How can the production team complete the video by the deadline?

  4. After the students have discussed the case study, they will be broken into groups and asked to complete the “Different Modes of Communication in Production Excel Sheet.” Please see attachment. These groups will then work to determine how each team member contributes or is affected by the different modes of communication during each stage of the production process.

  • This tool is designed to get students’ thinking about what meetings must be had, and what communication must happen throughout the production process to create a more efficient workflow. For example, the director should meet with the computer graphics artist in pre-production to discuss what type of graphics he is envisioning as well as where he would like the graphics placed, so that the storyboard can be created.
  • Please see teacher notes below for ideas on how to use the “Different Modes of Communication in Production Excel Sheet.”

  5. As students finish their “Different Modes of Communication in Production Excel Sheet,” they can begin creating a “Single Frame Storyboard Panel” using one of the descriptions listed on the Day Three Shot Log from the Case Study: Learning How to Work in A Production Team. Please see the directions on the “Single Panel Storyboard Assignment” attachment.

  6. To conclude this lesson, have a few students share their storyboard panel and explain why they think their storyboard would have helped the production team complete the production process in a more efficient manner.

  • Make sure students turn in their storyboards and Modes of Communication Excel Sheet before they exit the class.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Ideas for how to facilitate the "Different Modes of Communication in Production Excel Sheet"
    • Students can work to fill out each cell.
    • Students can be grouped and each member assigned a different stage of production.
    • Groups can be assigned a specific stage of production and then present the information to the class.
  • Please note that if students complete the entire "Different Modes of Communication in Production Excel Sheet" on their own the lesson may require an additional class period.
  • The teacher should be able to project the BINGO Visual #2 for the students. The teacher will also be required to distribute the attachments required to facilitate this lesson. This can be done several ways including but not limited to:
    • Printing and making copies to distribute.
    • Allowing students to use classroom computers or devises.

• Optional

  
  

  Extension Ideas:

  • Teachers can use this lesson as an introduction to a unit on storyboarding in preparation for industry certification exams.