Storyboards Storyboard Shot Composition 2

Question 1

What is a 'bird's-eye view' shot and what does it typically convey in a storyboard?

Accepted Answer

A shot looking straight down from directly above, often conveying vulnerability or showing spatial layout

Answer

A bird's-eye view (top-down shot) can make characters appear small and vulnerable, provide a map-like overview of a space, or create visual interest through an unusual perspective.

Question 2

What does 'leading lines' mean in storyboard composition?

Accepted Answer

Lines within the image that guide the viewer's eye toward the main subject

Answer

Leading lines are compositional elements like roads, fences, or architectural lines that naturally draw the viewer's gaze toward the focal point of the frame.

Question 3

What is the difference between a 'cut-in' and a 'cutaway' shot in storyboard planning?

Accepted Answer

A cut-in shows a closer detail of the current scene; a cutaway shows something outside the main scene

Answer

A cut-in is a close-up of detail within the current scene (e.g., a hand), while a cutaway shows something related but outside the immediate action (e.g., a clock on the wall elsewhere).

Question 4

What does a storyboard panel's 'frame size' (ELS, LS, MS, CU, ECU) describe?

Accepted Answer

How much of the subject or environment is visible in the shot

Answer

Frame size abbreviations (Extreme Long Shot, Long Shot, Medium Shot, Close-Up, Extreme Close-Up) describe how closely or distantly the camera frames the subject.

Question 5

What is 'eye-line match' and why is it important in storyboard sequences?

Accepted Answer

Cutting between a character looking and what they see, so the viewer understands the spatial relationship

Answer

Eye-line match is an editing convention where the direction a character looks in one shot is matched to the subject shown in the next shot, creating a coherent sense of space.

Storyboards Practice Test

Storyboards Practice Test

Storyboards Storyboard Shot Composition 2