Digitalks #22: Building a Great Storyboard for an Explainer Video
How to turn a business story into a visual journey through sequential sketches.
Digitalks is a virtual brown bag meeting by Breadnbeyond’s Digital Marketing team where all valuable information, feedback, ideas, seminars, and training sessions are shared.
In every professional video production, the heartbeat of creativity echoes through the meticulous craft of storyboarding.
It’s the secret sauce that transforms mere ideas into captivating cinematic narratives — a canvas where imagination meets strategy and where every frame carries the potential to elicit emotions.
In this session of Digitalks, our senior illustrator and storyboard artist, Abi Rapanza, shared his hands-on expertise in storyboarding, specifically for professional explainer videos.
Film production vs. Explainer video production storyboarding
Storyboarding for film production and explainer video production may seem similar at first glance, as both involve visually mapping out a story.
However, these two processes diverge significantly in their approach and objectives.
Film production storyboarding
In film production, storyboarding often entails intricate, detailed drawings or frames.
It’s a complex art that helps directors and cinematographers translate a script into a visual masterpiece.
The emphasis here is on cinematography that captures emotion, sets the mood, and ensures continuity throughout the film.
Explainer video production storyboarding
On the other hand, explainer video production storyboarding prioritizes simplicity and clarity.
Since explainer videos are designed to simplify abstract concepts, the key is to distill those concepts into visually digestible bites that keep viewers hooked from start to finish.
A great storyboard for explainer videos effectively communicates the intended messages in an engaging manner.
Crafting an effective explainer video storyboard
What does it take to create an effective explainer video storyboard that simplifies complex ideas?
Sequential flow
An effective explainer video storyboard should clearly depict the order of events, helping the viewer follow the narrative effortlessly.
Numbered panels or arrows to indicate the direction of movement or progression can come in handy.
At Breadnbeyond, we usually use the formula: What, How, and Why
- What → highlighting the problems or challenges the audience faces, thus immediately capturing their attention by empathizing with their pain points.
- How → introducing the solution or product and illustrating how it effectively addresses the identified problems
- Why → emphasizing the unique selling points of the solution as well as showcasing its advantages to compel the audience to take action.
Consistent style
Maintaining a consistent visual style throughout the storyboard is essential.
Whether it’s the character design, color palette, or background elements, uniformity in style reinforces brand identity and keeps the explainer video cohesive.
Good composition
In the realm of good composition within explainer video storyboards, three fundamental principles play a crucial role:
- The rule of thirds → divides the frame into nine equal sections with intersecting lines. It encourages the placement of key elements along these lines or at their intersections to create visually balanced and appealing scenes.
- Leading lines → visual cues like roads, paths, or lines within the frame that guide the viewer’s eye toward the focal point.
- The 60–30–10 color ratio → a harmonious distribution of colors, allocating 60% to the dominant color, 30% to a secondary color for contrast, and 10% to accent colors to add vibrancy and visual interest.
Clear visual hierarchy
Highlight essential elements with a clear visual hierarchy.
Use size, color, or placement to emphasize key information. This helps viewers focus on what matters most in each scene.
Text integration
If the explainer video includes text or captions, integrate them seamlessly into the storyboard.
Specify the text's font, size, and position to ensure it complements the visuals without overwhelming them.
Use of symbols or icons
Incorporate symbols or icons when necessary to convey ideas quickly and universally.
Icons can represent complex concepts in a simple and visually engaging way, making the content more accessible.
Dynamic poses or angles
Create dynamic and engaging visuals by experimenting with character poses and camera angles.
Dynamic poses add life to your characters, while unique camera angles can make the video more visually stimulating.
Call to action
Since explainer videos are mostly used in a campaign or marketing context to drive specific actions, the call to action (CTA) is a crucial element that should be strategically incorporated into your storyboard.
Include a CTA that aligns with the video’s objectives — whether it’s encouraging viewers to sign up for a newsletter, visit a website, make a purchase, or take any desired action.
Breadnbeyond helps you to create high-converting animated explainer videos.
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