Storyboarding Exercise

 To introduce us to the concept of storyboarding our Media Studies teacher first showed us a clip from Psycho and then showed us a storyboard of that clip via a site called Studiobinder.

Therefore, I understood that a storyboard is an effective way of helping you map out your film and organize your sequences so that it is much easier to shoot. By deciding on each shot according to the scene in advance, you have a far better-organized production.

The activity that we were then given was to draw a storyboard of our own, making our way backwards through the process by first analysing a film opening and then creating a storyboard of the opening itself. The film opening that I was assigned to make a storyboard of was Scam 1992 which is an Indian TV Drama. The opening sequence is attached below:

We were told to research the films and shows that we were given, to give us a better understanding of what type of content the show consisted of and why certain shots, movements and mise-en-scene elements would have been used within the openings. For example, Scam 1992 is a biographical thriller, which is why it uses many different fast-paced shots and gripping visuals such as the stacks of money falling from the sky and the chains wrapping around them. The first few shots happen in quick succession with fades to black in between, giving a flickering effect that helps to give the viewer a sense that the show is a thriller.

Furthermore, the story itself is about how Harsad Mehta became a bigshot figure within the financial sector and then shows how he fell from his high position. This sequence of events is figuratively shown within the two-minute sequence, portraying Harshad as a large and powerful figure, standing atop a skyscraper ad looking down at the city before him. Close-ups of his sleek silhouette and watch and car are shown. 

Then, suddenly the buildings start to crumble and slowly break apart and Harshad begins to fall as large stacks of money and chains fall from the sky, the stacks slowly overtaking the cityscape he was observing. This portrays Meta's eventual fall into disgrace after his sins are discovered, and the resulting loss of his financial kingdom. 

By understanding the reasons behind why certain shots and placements were used, I was able to attempt to create the storyboard of the opening, which is shown below.