The Library offers assistance with:

• Planning your video project
• Filming
• Editing
• Distribution and sharing

Have a project?  Contact us to start the conversation.

Please print this and bring with you to any scheduled consults.

Making a Storyboard

A storyboard is a graphic organizer that plans out visual elements and narrative flow for a video production. Here are some best practices for laying out effective storyboards:

• Use simple sketches rather than elaborate drawings. Stick figures and shapes work fine to represent people, objects and scenes.
• Under each sketch, include a brief text description of the intended action or dialogue.
• Number each storyboard square sequentially to plan shot order and transitions.
• Maintain consistent elements—such as shapes for characters and objects—across all storyboard frames for continuity.
• Use wide establishing shots before zooming into close-ups or single character views.
• Show movement and transitions by having subjects in slightly different positions/places in progressing frames.
• Use arrows, lines or other indicators to denote motion pathways, such as characters walking across a scene.
• Plan a clear narrative arc that establishes setting and characters, develops rising action, reaches a climax and resolves.
• Focus on shot variety (close up, wide, overhead, etc) to avoid visual monotony.
• If helpful, notes can be added on shooting requirements, transitions, timing or other creative ideas.
• Leave some flexibility rather than overly detailed specificity at the initial storyboarding phase. Elements can be modified during production as needed.

Here is an sample text-based storyboard for a video promoting medical research in our library:

Scene 1: Wide shot of the exterior of the library. Text fades in: "Your Health Sciences Library: More Than Just Books"

Scene 2: Interior shot showing people chatting and using computers in the library.

Voiceover: "Our library offers a wealth of resources, from data science support to cutting edge academic journals."

Scene 3: Shot over the shoulder of someone typing on a computer as medical/scientific journal articles are shown on the screen.

Voiceover: "This includes the latest medical and scientific research, available to anyone."

Scene 4: Close up shot of someone checking out a stack of thick academic journals at the circulation desk.

Voiceover: "You can check out journals packed with peer reviewed studies and breakthrough discoveries."

Scene 5:
Person sitting at a library table surrounded by open journals and taking notes. Other people are seen in the background also reading.

Voiceover: "And dive into the work being done across every field of medicine - from cardiology to oncology and beyond."

Scene 6: Interior shot of library patrons listening to a physician guest speaker, with a banner in the background reading "Discover Medical Research @ Your Library."

Voiceover: "Public libraries also host programs to highlight new research and help patrons translate findings into usable knowledge."

We have worked on many Health System projects with diverse objectives, including marketing, patient education, 360 video, and more (see legend at left). We've completed over 150 consultations and 500+ hours of video filming and editing.

See below for our recent departmental collaborations and services provided to each (see legend):

Endocrinology
 

Services Provided

Family Medicine

 

Services Provided