Extreme Close-Up
(ECU or XCU)To better understand the usefulness of the storyboard, here is additional information on basic camera shots, examples of transitions, and explanations of different graphic insert methods.
As part of your shot description, you might want to use the following terms (or abbreviations): extreme close-up (ECU), close-up (CU), medium shot (MS), long shot (LS), and extreme long shot (ELS). Below are some examples of each of these. Keep in mind that people do have different scales that they follow in defining these camera shots. It is up to the director of your production to ensure that the camera operators are capturing the proper footage.
Extreme Close-Up
(ECU or XCU)Close-Up (CU)
Medium Shot (MS)Long Shot (LS)
Extreme Long Shot
(ELS or XLS)You might also describe specific camera movement techniques in your shot description. A couple of examples might be a pan or a zoom. Sometimes you might want the camera operator to pan across a scene, or zoom in on a subject. There are many other techniques, and the idea is to clearly state what kind of shot you are going for. Be careful in your shot selections because different combinations can convey different messages to the viewers.
When you edit your segments together, how you switch from one segment to the next is called a transition. You do not need special editing equipment to incorporate transitions between your shots. You can create many of your own transitions using well planned techniques using the features of the video camera.
As part of your storyboard, you may want to plan for specific transitions into or out of a segment. Here is a list of some of the transitions that you can consider for your video production.
Simple Cut
This will be your most common transition since all it requires during editing is to stop or start the scene where it is convenient. This is effective for quickly changing settings or perspectives.
Black
Editing in a second or two of "black" can help to provide a distinct break between scenes. When you watch television, you may notice that many times when a program goes to commercial, there is a moment of black just before a commercial starts. This helps the audience to know that the commercial is not part of the program.
Fade-in/Fade-Out
Many video cameras have a fade button. Using this feature helps to show the audience that the scene has changed or will change. The fade usually starts or ends with black.
Refocus/Defocus
If your camera doesn't have a fade feature, you could use a technique where you start or end a scene out of focus. You may notice that many times when television programs display text information on the screen, they usually produce it over a defocused scene. Of course, to do this, you must learn how to manually focus your video camera first.
Follow a moving object
To transition into a scene, you can try to record footage where you follow an object or person (that is not the main focus of the scene) moving across until you stop the camera and stay focused on your intended subject. From there you can record any scripted dialog. This helps to avoid having everything jump out at your audience as you transition between scenes.
Be careful in what you select as your transitions in and transitions out, particularly as you go from one "out" to an "in." If the transition out on one shot is a "medium shot, cut" you typically don't want to follow with a similar "cut, medium shot" on the transition in of the next shot. If you have the same type of shots following each other, you need to further examine the details of the segments to make sure that this similarity won't confuse the audience.
There are many more ways that you can transition, and the above examples are just a few to help get you started.
Sometimes it helps to show important points with a graphical visual aid. With matching examples and verbal descriptions, you can be sure that your audience will know that you just made an important statement because you backed it up with a graphical image. For example, if you want students to remember key points, you can present a graphic that has the points numbered and sequenced.
On the other hand, you can take advantage of certain graphics to help add information so that you do not necessarily have to have someone verbalizing all the details.
Editor Created Titles
The linear editing system does have the capability to add titles to a video segment. This is an easy way to produce title screens on colored backgrounds, or to add captions to enhance certain images. You might want to add a caption that shows the name of the person that the viewer is seeing. Keep in mind, however, that the built-in title functions are nothing like word processors and you may find your options rather limiting.
Self Created Graphics
If you don't like the appearance of the characters from the editing system's title feature, you might consider creating your own graphics. You could hand draw titles or graphics, or create them on a computer and print them in color or on colored paper. These could then be shot with the video camera. You won't be able to superimpose any of these graphics with another video image, but it does provide you with more flexibility.
Computer Generated Graphics
(recorded to tape)To take the computer generated graphics one step further, you could utilize the video output function of certain computers to record your graphics directly to videotape. With certain computer hardware and software solutions you can record complex animation or stylish scrolling credits. You could also use presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint to present important points in graphic format. Once you have segments recorded on tape, you can then use that part as your raw footage that is then edited onto your master tape.
What is a Storyboard?
Storyboard Template
