Storyboards Video Storyboard Terms 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'coverage' mean in video storyboarding?
- The total number of frames in a sequence
- The variety of shots planned to capture a scene from multiple angles (Correct answer)
- The percentage of the frame filled by the subject
- The color palette used across the storyboard
Correct answer: The variety of shots planned to capture a scene from multiple angles
Coverage refers to planning multiple shots of the same scene from different angles to give editors flexibility during post-production.
Question 2: What is a 'master shot' in storyboard planning?
- The final approved version of a storyboard
- A wide shot that establishes the entire scene and all its elements (Correct answer)
- A close-up of the most important subject
- The director's personal reference copy
Correct answer: A wide shot that establishes the entire scene and all its elements
A master shot is a wide or full shot that captures the entire scene, used as the foundational shot from which closer shots are cut.
Question 3: In storyboarding, what does the term 'eyeline match' refer to?
- Aligning two characters at the same height in the frame
- Cutting between a character looking off-screen and what they are seeing (Correct answer)
- Drawing eyes at the correct position on a character's face
- Matching the gaze direction between storyboard panels
Correct answer: Cutting between a character looking off-screen and what they are seeing
An eyeline match is an editing technique where a cut follows a character's gaze to show the object or person they are looking at.
Question 4: What is 'mise-en-scène' as it relates to storyboard design?
- The total number of scenes in a script
- The arrangement of all visual elements within the frame (Correct answer)
- A French term for the editing sequence
- The process of scanning hand-drawn storyboards
Correct answer: The arrangement of all visual elements within the frame
Mise-en-scène encompasses everything visible in the frame — lighting, set design, actor positioning, and costumes — which storyboard artists must plan and illustrate.
Question 5: What does 'rack focus' describe in a storyboard?
- Moving the camera along a rack-and-pinion system
- Shifting the focus from one subject to another within the same shot (Correct answer)
- Removing out-of-focus frames from the storyboard
- Organizing storyboard panels on a physical rack
Correct answer: Shifting the focus from one subject to another within the same shot
Rack focus is a technique where the camera shifts its focal point from one subject to another during a single continuous shot.
Question 6: What is a 'slug line' in the context of a video storyboard's accompanying script?
- A slow, deliberate camera movement
- A scene heading that identifies the location and time of day (Correct answer)
- A line drawn to indicate slow motion
- A caption beneath a storyboard panel
Correct answer: A scene heading that identifies the location and time of day
A slug line (scene heading) appears at the top of each scene in a script and tells the crew the location (INT./EXT.) and time of day.
Question 7: In storyboard terminology, what is 'cheating the eyeline'?
- Accidentally drawing a character looking the wrong direction
- Deliberately repositioning an actor so the camera angle is more flattering or clear (Correct answer)
- Copying a panel from another storyboard without permission
- Using digital tools to replace hand-drawn eyelines
Correct answer: Deliberately repositioning an actor so the camera angle is more flattering or clear
Cheating the eyeline means adjusting an actor's sightline for the camera, even if it's not physically accurate, to improve the shot's visual clarity.
Storyboards Video Storyboard Terms 2
What does 'coverage' mean in video storyboarding?