A storyboard is a piece of paper with boxes drawn on it that show how every shot in a marketing video will be visually represented. Shots can be quite elaborate creations or simply rough sketches. The purpose is to outline each shot to see how to help the director, the camera person, and the editor put the video together. Take classes in drawing, painting or life drawing if that’s what you love to become a storyboard artist.

Sometimes, the storyboarding process is used to flesh out the concept into more tangible action shots before scripting. Sometimes storyboarding comes first, and sometimes scripting comes first.

The storyboarding process may be easier for you to complete if you think more visually than just words on a page. It isn’t the order in which you create the script or storyboard that’s important — it’s that both elements are fully complete and detailed so that you can create an effective schedule and budget for your video.

Although software programs can help you create storyboards online, for speed and ease of use, the pen is often mightier than the computer. If you insist on using an electronic means or you simply can’t draw, the Celtx scripting software has a storyboarding feature and a free iPad app.

Still, using software can be much more cumbersome and time-consuming than simply putting pen to paper and drawing some stick figures.

The storyboard helps you detail these actions:

• Establish scenes and shots. Each box in the storyboard represents a shot in succession. The figure loosely represents the composition of the shot and shows the placement of items and actors.
• Determine action and dialogue. Below every box is a smaller box in which rough dialogue or action can be stated. Arrows or other markings can be used in the main box to communicate the action.
• Place graphics and voiceovers. A box is used to show slides in the video. Graphics can be shown in either the big box or the little box.

A storyboard is a working document — a helpful way to quickly see how the parts of a video are assembled. Don’t worry about making your storyboard a work of art. Just ensure that it accurately reflects what you want to shoot in the video in a way that other people can understand it.

A storyboard is best completed in pencil so that you can make necessary changes throughout the production process. A whiteboard can be handy for storyboarding in large groups and then simply taking a photo on your camera phone so that you can share it with colleagues. Either way, you’ll make changes along the way, so use a method that can be easily modified.

The back of the storyboard is a useful place to jot down the needs of your production team. The list gives your production manager the details needed to set up the budget and production schedule. Many of these items are already detailed in the script, but this list helps you easily identify every item and refer back to them during the production and editing phases.

You may want to fill in this information after you have completed the script or at least update it and ensure that it’s complete. The list should include cast, props, costume elements, music types, and sound effects.

How to Remodel a Small Bathroom Update your bathroom with a new wall-hung sink, hidden-tank toilet and glass block window. This story shows you how to make your small, cramped bathroom more convenient, elegant and easy to clean. These projects make the typical 6 x 8 ft. We’ll walk you through the steps for getting more natural light in your shower, replacing your dingy old bathtub with a spacious shower, and installing a toilet and sink that simplify cleaning. If you want to make sure your bathroom remodeling project is as green as possible I recommend the guys from bathroom renovations Eastern Suburbs. Dog door installation Sydney make sure to give your dog a free access to roam inside and outside.

So stop dealing with an outdated bathroom and get to work!

The remodeled bathroom has an updated look and is highly functional.

The bathroom was uninspired and cramped before the remodel.

Our bathroom design is the perfect solution for the old, heavily used, small bathroom that you can never quite get clean enough. We not only pulled a few rabbits out of the hat to produce features that make the room easy to clean but also used smoke and mirrors to make it appear much larger.

Installing a preassembled glass block window. You can have a window in your shower that will stand up to water. Replacing a bathtub with a spacious shower. A one-piece shower pan is a simple, leak-proof solution to the mistake-prone chore of traditional shower pan construction.

Installing a state-of-the-art residential wall-hung toilet and sink. Having fewer dirt-catching corners and edges simplifies floor cleaning. Making a small (6 x 8-ft.) bathroom feel larger.

Although this new bathroom is a bit smaller because of additional plumbing walls, it appears larger. Substituting a shower for the bathtub, adding a large mirror, and using a wall-hung sink and toilet all contribute to the spacious feeling. This big-picture stuff is striking, but it’s the step-by-step details that make it work. We cover the little kernels of information that will help your project go more smoothly and with fewer headaches.

A bathroom remodel is a big project. If you can only work weekends, your bathroom will be out of commission for two months or more. You’ll need all your expertise as an experienced do-it-yourselfer because you’ll have to tackle electrical, plumbing, tiling, drywalling, taping and even exterior siding. In this article, we’ll deal mostly with the nuts and bolts of ripping out existing plumbing and replacing it correctly with new, easily installed PVC piping.

Don’t think you need to do the whole job solo if you don’t feel qualified or able to perform all the tasks, especially the plumbing and electrical work. Pros will greatly speed up the project, which is particularly important if the bathroom under construction is the only one in the house.

You must get permits before tackling a bathroom remodel. Contact your building inspector to go over the scope of the project to find out exactly how much you’re permitted to do. When your permit is granted, you’ll receive a schedule list that’ll tell you when to call for inspections.

We didn’t pinch pennies when it came to remodeling this 6 x 8-ft. We chose top-shelf materials to make the room as striking as possible, but you can go with less expensive materials and still have a bathroom fit for a magazine cover.

Glass block window panel, 40 x 24 in., $160. Shower base, 34 in. x 5 ft., $375. We special-ordered this Swanstone base from a plumbing fixture supplier along with the wall-hung toilet and sink.

Fur out the existing window opening to 2 in. wider and 2-1/2 in. taller than the dimensions of the glass block panel.

Tack stop blocks on the inside of the opening to keep the frame flush to the framing. Assemble the frame, then plumb and square it and nail it into the opening with 8d casing nails, shimming as needed.

The special-order fixtures, fittings, shower pan, tile and glass block panel can take weeks to get in hand, so do the necessary legwork and ordering well in advance. Before gutting the bathroom, check to make sure that there are shutoffs for all the fixtures or a master shutoff for the entire bathroom. If not, buy ball valve shutoffs sized to fit your pipes. Then turn off the main water supply line where it comes into the house from outside, cut the pipes feeding the bathroom and install the new shutoffs right away (see Photo 7).

Disconnect the trap from the tub, remove any clips, fasteners or screws that hold the tub to the wall, and demolish the old cast iron tub with a sledgehammer. Remove the sink and toilet. Turn off the electricity at the main panel and remove light fixtures. Cap the wires with wire connectors.

Then rip out the wall finishes and surfaces clean down to the studs and pull out any insulation. If your ceiling is in good shape, use a utility knife to cut the drywall along the edges so the wall materials will separate cleanly from the ceiling.

To size the glass block, remove the trim from the existing window and measure the rough opening. Subtract 2 in. from the width and the height to allow for the frame, then determine the panel size by counting the number of rows and courses that easily fits into the opening.

Glass block comes in 8-in. You’ll need to choose between real mortar grout joints and clear silicone–joined blocks. We chose the silicone system because we liked the clean, uninterrupted look. Whichever way you go, buy the panel preassembled and banded together as one unit, ready to set into the opening.

Remember that it’s easy to make the opening smaller by using furring, but it can be an ugly task to make it bigger. When going with mortar-grouted panels, figure each block is 8 in. wide, then add 1/4 in. to both the total height and width. If you’re ordering silicone-joined blocks, figure each block at 7-3/4 in. and don’t add the extra 1/4 in.

Rip two 3-ft.-long spacer boards the thickness of your tile plus 3/4 in. so the window will protrude 1/4 in. past the finished tile surface. Tack them to the sides of the window opening.

Tap shims between the panel and the frame to hold it evenly spaced on all four sides while injecting the expanding foam. After the foam cures, cut away any excess and caulk the 1/4-in. Finish off the trim and siding to match the outside of the house.

Converting a bathtub with a conventional window above it to a shower is dicey business, but the result is striking. Order a premade glass block window to fit your existing opening (see ‘How to Order a Glass Block Window Panel’ in this article). Look under ‘Glass Block’ in the Yellow Pages or online to find a supplier.

The key to a weatherproof, attractive glass block window both inside and out is to encase it in a custom-built wooden frame (Fig. A) with inside dimensions that are 1/2 in. taller and wider than the panel itself. That will give you room to adjust and shim the panel exactly and then inject expanding foam between the frame and the panel to lock it into the opening (Photos 3 and 4).

To begin, rip the top and side jambs to the thickness of the wall framing plus the exterior wall sheathing. The cement board will lap over the jambs. The windowsill should also be flush with the interior framing, but hang over the outside sheathing about 1-1/2 in. and have a 5-degree slope toward the outside to help shed water. To keep water from running behind the siding as it drips off the edge, cut a shallow groove (or saw kerf) in the bottom lip (Fig.

Also, remember to flash behind the trim to keep the window watertight. Trim the window exterior to match the house, using caulk to seal between the trim and siding.

It’s important to set the panel so it protrudes 1/4 in. past the finished tile surface (Fig. That way, a bead of caulk can seal the joint between the tile and block to keep water out of the wall cavity.

Prime and paint the window jambs and sill before setting the glass block panel to save time-consuming painting details.

Turn off the main water supply to the house, and in a convenient location, cut the hot and cold water supply pipes for the bathroom. Also cut out and remove all the existing water lines and fittings in the bathroom. Finally, cut out and remove the vent section leading to the sink and the main stack 5 in. below the vent tee. Stuff rags into open drain lines to keep sewer gas out of the house.

Cut the main stack and all the other waste lines feeding the bathroom about 3 ft. Unhook any strapping and remove the entire plumbing tree.

Drain any water in the supply lines, cut the hot and cold lines feeding the bathroom, and solder in two ball-valve water shutoffs. Shut off the valves, and then turn the water back on to the rest of the house.

Tear out the existing piping (Photos 5 and 6). Then frame the 2×6 walls that will contain the new plumbing and the opposite end of the shower base (Photos 8, 9 and 14). It’s easiest to nail the bottom plate to the floor and the top plate to the ceiling, then fill in the studs one at a time by toenailing them in at the top and bottom. Stack the studs directly in front of the old ones wherever possible.

Space the studs in the center of the shower about 12 in. apart to leave room for the shower valve and showerhead. The studs behind the toilet should be spaced exactly 19-3/4 in. apart for securing this toilet chair carrier (Photos 8 and 15).

The wall behind the toilet can be almost any height. For a standard toilet height of 15 in., make the wall a minimum height of 43 in. If you’d like a higher toilet, make the wall that much higher. Or, make the wall go all the way to the ceiling. We built a short wall to conserve space and to create a shelf and a mirror alcove.

The wall at the opposite end of the shower can be any height as well. We made it the same height as the toilet/sink wall so we could line up the accent tile and make a convenient shower shelf.

Resist the temptation to reuse or reroute existing piping. If you have easy access, it’s much easier to rip out all the old supply, drain and vent lines and start with a clean slate (Photos 5 and 6).

Nail the bottom plate to the floor and the top plate to the ceiling. Then mark the positions of the shower base, toilet and sink. Lay out and toenail the wall studs into position (Fig. B) and the top plate for the low wall.

On the opposite end of the shower, frame a matching 35-in.

Tie all the short studs to the existing studs at the top and bottom with 6 x 11-in. Keep gussets on the outside of the chair carrier space so they won’t interfere with installation. Install backer boards as needed to support cement board or drywall.

Your bathroom could have galvanized, cast iron or plastic drain lines and vents. If you have plastic, you’re lucky, because they’re easier to cut and join than metal pipes. Cast iron lines need to be ‘snapped’ (cut) with a soil pipe cutter, which rents for $12 to $25 a day.

Old threaded galvanized pipes that object to being unscrewed can be cut out with a reciprocating saw or hacksaw. If you have metal pipes, it’s best to replace them with plastic ones where they tie into the main stack. A knowledgeable plumbing clerk at the home center can help you select the correct adapters for the conversion.

Rerouting drain line plumbing is a huge job on bathrooms that are built on slabs. If your bathroom is built on concrete with the main stack directly behind the toilet as ours was, stick with a conventional, floor-mounted toilet so you won’t have to chop out the floor and rework the plumbing under the concrete.

Position and connect the new shower vent (see Fig. B). Then position the sink and center the drain behind it, 19 in. up from the floor. Connect the drain to the main stack with a 3 x 1-1/2 in. tee.

Nail in 2×6 blocking to anchor the rear toilet mounting brackets. Fit the chair carrier in the opening to check the location of the drain hole and the position of the mounting block. The front surface of the framework should be flush with the face of the studs.

Dry-fit the PVC piping assembly for the wall-hung toilet, shower trap and sink. After you’re satisfied that the dimensions are correct, solvent-weld all the joints in the assembly and join it to the existing ABS main stack using a transition coupling.

Toenail 2×6 blocks in the center of the shower 36 in. above the floor for the shower valve and 6 ft. in. above the floor for the showerhead. Position the valve block so the plastic mud guard on the mixing valve will be flush with the finished wall surface. Attach the shower supply line and the hot and cold supply lines to the valve.

Clamp the valve body and shower supply line to the blocks with copper pipe straps. Run copper water supplies to the new locations for the sink and toilet.

Follow Fig. B, for the new drain/vent plan. The new shower drain is vented separately into the main stack (Photos 10, 12 and 13). Most bathrooms have the main stack positioned directly behind the toilet. The wall-mounted toilet shown here cannot be positioned directly behind the stack because there’s not room for the necessary elbows.

If your stack is more than 12 in. to the side of the existing toilet, you can keep the same location for the wall-hung toilet. But if it’s directly behind it, you’ll need to swap the sink and toilet locations like we did.

Black plastic (ABS) drain lines were very common in the past, but now the most readily available drain line material is white plastic PVC pipe. Wherever ABS and PVC are joined, use rubber transition couplings instead of all-purpose cement (Photos 10 and 12).

For your bathroom to operate well, it’s critical to install vent and drain lines of the proper size and slope. The vents for the sink and shower can be 1-1/2-in. Make sure that the drain lines drop 1/4 in. for every foot of travel toward the main stack.

Copper or CPVC (plastic) lines that supply the bathroom with hot and cold water can be 1/2 in. diameter in most regions. House main lines will often be 3/4 in. Make the conversion before the new shutoff valves (Photo 7) with a reducer tee.

The wall-hung toilet’s supply line must have a male adapter with a temporary galvanized cap. Check the instructions on the toilet to get the proper location. Routing water supply lines is different in every bathroom, so you’ll have to adapt runs to your situation. But run the plastic drain lines and vents before starting any supply work.

It’s much easier to route water supply lines around drain lines than to route drains and vents around supply lines. The same thinking applies to electrical work: Wait until the water supply work is finished before wiring.

Preassemble the shower valve by soldering copper nipples and the shower supply pipe to male adapters and screwing them into the shower valve before fastening the valve to the blocking. That way you won’t damage the valve with heat from the soldering torch. Mount the valve 36 in. above the floor. You can mount the showerhead at any height, but plumbers typically mount them 6 ft.

in. above the floor.

Solder a female elbow onto the showerhead supply pipe. After mounting the showerhead pipe, screw a 6-in. Wrap Teflon tape around the threads of all screwed-in connections to prevent leaks, which would go unnoticed inside the wall.

Place the shower base and mark the drain location on the subfloor. Remove the base and cut a 6-in. Tighten the shower drain to the shower base.

Adjust the chair carrier (toilet support framework) to the desired height and bolt it in place to the bottom plate, blocking and studs with the lag screws provided.

A one-piece shower pan is the key to a leakproof shower. We opted for an easily installed fiberglass shower pan. Forty-eight inch wide pans are common and will work well; 60-in. The shower pan has to fit into the space left by the removed bathtub.

Most bathtubs are 60 in. long, perfect for a 60-in.

If your room is wider than the shower base, fur in the walls as needed to butt against the ends of the shower base (see Photo 14). Our bathroom is 6 ft. We made that wall only 43 in. above the floor so we could use the top of the wall to hold shampoo and other shower supplies. The shower base usually comes with a special 2-in.

For a quieter, rock-solid shower base, mix a bag of mortar, spread it over the subfloor and wiggle the base into the mortar until the base webbing rests firmly on the subfloor.

The job of installing our wall-mounted fixtures was tougher than it had to be, thanks to poor and contradictory one-size-fits-all instructions, metric fittings and duplicate and missing mounting parts. Prevent hard-to-fix future problems by test-fitting the actual fixtures when roughing in framing, plumbing and blocking to make sure everything will work out. Then finish the walls. When test-fitting, simulate finished floor and wall surfaces to get the clearances right.

Photo 16: Install the cement board.

Insulate exterior walls and staple a 6-mil vapor barrier over the insulation.

Tape cement board joints with cement board fiberglass tape and thin-set tile mortar. Tape drywall joints with taping compound, sand them smooth and paint areas that won’t be tiled.

With the rough plumbing complete and the toilet chair carrier in position, finish the electrical and add blocks as needed to support the sink (Photo 15), towel bars, grab bars, etc. Then close up the walls. We recommend cement board for durable tile walls and floors, but other tile backers are available at tile shops.

Fasten cement board with special, coated cement-board screws spaced 6 in. on butt joints and every 8 in. in the middle of sheets. Spread thin-set mortar on floors under cement board with a 1/4-in. Staple up 6-mil plastic sheeting behind cement board on walls in wet areas. Use a curved linoleum knife to score and snap cement board to length and width.

It works better and lasts longer than a utility knife. For cutting notches and holes, use a jigsaw fitted with an abrasive blade. Predrill pilot holes for the jigsaw in “landlocked” openings with a masonry drill bit. Rest the shower cement board on top of the shower base flange (see Photos 14 and 18), not over it. Extend the tile over the flange, then caulk between the tile and the base.

Tile the walls first, then the floor. When tiling around the window, keep the tile about 1/8 in. away from the glass block. Tile the floor, starting by carefully snapping center lines to lay out border strips and field tile. Work from those lines to get evenly spaced tiles throughout the floor.

Grout the walls and floors but caulk the inside corners between floors and walls and where walls meet.

Seal around the window with a bead of silicone caulk.

Mount the supply and discharge lines to the toilet with the seals provided and slip the toilet bowl into position over the mounting studs. Snug up the nuts, being careful not to over-tighten and crack the porcelain.

Install the faucets and tailpiece in the sink before mounting. Mark the mounting holes on the wall and drill 5/16-in. Screw the hanger bolts through the tile into the wood using the cap screw to drive the bolt. Slip the sink over the screws and snug down the nut.

Connect the sink to the trap and drain line, and the supply lines to the roughed-in copper lines with compression valve shutoffs. Mark, drill and mount the trap cover to the wall with hanger bolts. We finished off the alcove above the sink and stool by filling it with a floor-to-ceiling mirror glued to the drywall with silicone cement. At $160, it’s an inexpensive, useful way to make a room feel more spacious.

Since the medicine chest was eliminated, we needed storage space for the stuff guests shouldn’t see. We bought a small cherry cabinet for those items. Soffit lights over the shower and mirror shed light on all bathroom tasks right where you need it. A glass block window, albeit one that distorts images, may not feel private enough. Consider a second shower curtain rod fitted with a short matching shower curtain for more shower privacy. The two-piece stone chair rail that runs at the top of the half walls and around the window is spendy, but it contributes more in appearance than its $25 per linear foot cost. If you don’t already have a ventilating fan, add one.

Buy specially designed caulk from your tile supplier to match the grout color in corners.

There’s a reason that commercial bathrooms have wall-mounted toilets. There’s no base to clean around. But commercial types are expensive and noisy, and they require special plumbing. American Standard offers a quiet, residential wall-hung unit.

The tank is concealed within a 2×6 wall that’s built in front of the existing plumbing wall. It does require some plumbing rerouting because the waste line runs through the wall instead of the basic floor-mounted toilet flange (see Photos 8 – 12). The toilet can be ordered with a wall-mounted access panel/flush button like ours or with the panel mounted on top of a half wall. A ‘chair carrier’ (Photo 11) comes with the toilet.

This steel framework contains the toilet and operating mechanisms and is designed to support the weight of the toilet.

Have the necessary tools for this DIY project lined up before you start—you’ll save time and frustration.

Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. Here’s what you nee to find out before doing any bathroom renovation.

If you’re building a custom home, it’s because you like to be different. You want to have the freedom to help shape and design your own living space, so that it matches your practical needs, your favourite activities, and your own personal sense of style perfectly. When it comes to custom homes, there are some trends to be found amidst all the expressions of individuality. Take a look and think about how you might incorporate some of these items when working with your own building a custom home Sydney. Wall of WindowsDepending on the size of the wall, a wall of windows can be ostentatious or modest.

An ostentatious wall is favoured by people wanting a show-stopping space in which to entertain guests. It will probably be at least two stories tall, in a cavernous space with a cathedral ceiling and a balcony created by the upstairs hall. Whereas in the past you would probably have wanted a separate room for each, which would need to be decorated accordingly, now the trend is to build a couple of simple, plain bonus rooms instead. These multipurpose rooms can be used for any purpose, and their main advantage is that they can change with the life of the house as your needs and interests evolve.

Bonus rooms also often double as small, simple guest rooms. Master Suite Sitting RoomAnother trend noted by custom builders in Adelaide is the master suite sitting room. This private sitting area provides a place for the lord and lady of the house to relax, far away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the house.Fancy GaragesCustom home builders in Adelaide are also often asked to create special garages.

This might be a practical request, like adding an extra garage bay to hold a boat or an ATV, or a more whimsical request, like creating a unique roof angle or adding a living space above the garage with gabled windows and other fun architectural accents. Above-garage living spaces also tap into the rising trend of intergenerational living, because it allows a homeowner’s parents or grown children to have their own semi-detached apartment in the home.These are just a few of the special bonus features that people are adding to custom houses. Remember, the whole idea of custom is to get things just exactly how you want them, so don’t be afraid to raise your own unique ideas with your builder.

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Home improvement offers a chance for anyone who is mechanical-minded. Home improvement projects will not just make your house much more enjoyable to live in. This article should give you a few tips to get the most out of your next home improvement projects. Talk to our experience architect so that they can recommend a luxury house builders Sydney.

Even a small home improvement projects can increase the resale value of your home’s value. If you are considering the sale of your home, do a few small projects first. One example might be a new splash of paint on the interior and exterior of your home. This simple task can increase the value of your home.

This will modernize your kitchen look far more modern without you having to spend a small fortune.

If you can, then do so. Laminate looks like real wood but cannot be refinished.In another decade or two, the floor will need replacing rather than just getting it refinished.

You can usually get one at different hardware store. Just take the hinge apart and simply attach every side to the frame and door.

Do some research on your own homework if you can’t pay a designer.A magazine layout can serve as the inspiration you need. You could also find these resources provide instructions and guidance for some great do-it-yourself projects.

Think about inserting solar panels on your roof for a home improvement that pays for itself. Although you will have to make an upfront investment, they may very well be worth it considering how much electricity keeps going up. This can save your electricity bills since your home will be using mostly the stored energy coming from the sun. This is a great way to reduce your home.

When you are considering home projects, be creative and decide what you want to accomplish before you start. Inspiration can come from anywhere: home improvement shows on TV, such as in the pages of your favorite decorating magazine, blogs or home improvement websites.

Homes that have a nice view can sell for a lot more than like houses without a view.

Purchase the best supplies and tools for an home improvement projects you are doing yourself. It may cost a bit more up-front, but the expense is worth the value of doing things right. Tools can cost a fortune and the last thing you want to be doing is replacing them regularly.

When conducting any home improvement project, a smart homewoner will spend his money on good quality materials and fixtures instead of expensive decor and furniture. The reasoning is logical; the decor and furnishings with them.

Landscaping that compliments your home will tie the entire property together, doing little to improve your home’s appearance.

In order to create precious floor space or clear out other much-needed space that is being take up by your television or television stand, it’s a great idea to hang a television from a wall-mounted bracket instead of using a ordinary stand. This small improvement can take as little as 30 minutes to install if you do it properly.

You can diagnose easily if you think you lost water pressure easily. Ask your neighbors if they have had with water pressure.If none of your neighbors has the same issue, the problem is most likely in your home. Check your faucet’s water pressure to see if the problem affects the entire house. You might just need to adjust an aerator, you need to call a pro.

It keeps undesirable animals from entering one’s yard. It is also able to keep in one’s dog. A fence is the perfect way to improve their home.

Motion detector security lights installed outside can add beauty, they also improve your home’s exterior.

Tired of your bedroom’s old dresser in the bedroom? You can rejuvenate old furniture with a little sanding and refinishing. There are an abundance of stain available.

A stainless steel taping knife will doubtless be of great benefit to you if you plan on doing sheetrock taping.This knife cleans easier and will last longer. If you clean and store your knife properly, that is the last knife you have to buy.

It’s interesting to see what some people settle for when it comes to the paint already in their homes.

Adding heat source underneath your tiled floors is inexpensive and easy to do. If you are going to replace your floor, your sales person can give you information about the radiant heat option. You will be glad that you went the extra mile – this form of heat feels absolutely wonderful! This option is a luxury that will also wow future customers.

These tips will get you started, but a little research will reveal a whole world of home improvement ideas that will help you. Do more research and consider acquiring new skills and tools to broaden your possibilities. Doing your research can prevent disastrous home improvement results. Make sure you know how to get started and how to successfully complete the next project you have in mind.

Why would a project manager or business analyst need to know how to create a storyboard for a Flash animation? You could argue that this is the dominion of a graphic designer or animator, and you would be right. But using storyboards is an effective method for determining the cost of an animation, and certainly budgeting considerations are a responsibility of a project manager.

To begin with, we should have some kind of definition of what a storyboard is. At the most basic level, a storyboard storyboard artists gives a series of pictures which map out the sequence of an movie or animation. It’s widely accepted that a functional specification should be produce before any coding occurs, so why wouldn’t you use some form of planning process prior to creating a Flash animation?

Before you say “but I can’t draw. Last time I drew a stick figure, people thought it was a potato”, you need not worry. Artistic skill isn’t as important as you may think, sequence is of greater significance (e.g. first, many camera flashes go off, then the limousine drives up, etc).

The format I use for a storyboard is very basic. This is intentional since it needs to be understood by both graphic designers and clients.

The structure is as follows:

Document Purpose – this is for the benefit of anyone picking up the document for the first time. It’s a brief statement of what the document is about. For example; this document presents a storyboard for the animation appearing on the Blue Widgets website. The idea is to present a series of illustrations in order to help visualize the sequence of the interactive animation.

The Animation – this is where you say what is going to happen in the animation, and in what order. It’s also where the ‘illustration panels’ appear, nothing fancy is required, its enough to put in labeled squares or circles (e.g. a circle with ‘client logo’ in it, the text ‘tag-line’, a box with ‘button 1’ in it, etc).

Below the illustration panel will be a series of bullet points. These describe what is happening in this particular portion of the animation. This is why you label the shapes in the panel, so you have something to refer back to, for instance; ‘the client logo will fade-in gradually’, or ‘the bouncy ball will move across the screen from left to right’.

The bullet points are where the real detail goes, hence why artistic skills aren’t such a big requirement for this style of storyboard (leave the artistic stuff to the experts). The more detail that goes in here the better. You want to make statements about what happens when the user interacts with particular elements of the animation (e.g. when the user places their mouse over the client logo, a yellow glow appears around it and a pleasant chime sound plays once). Timing, or saying how long things will go for is important here (e.g. the slogan text will fade-in over a period of 1.5 seconds). This is also a good place to specify what images, URLs or text will be used on the panel (e.g. when the user clicks the client logo, they will be taken to index.aspx).

As the saying goes, ‘the devil is in the detail’, and this is where the bullet points come in handy, they serve as an important tool for clarifying what the animation is really meant to be. The bullet points are designed to generate discussion (e.g. client: “we don’t want a male model in our banner, our target market is female, they’re the ones that tend to buy our lipstick”).

Don’t forget to say what the state of the animation will be when it first loads up, will there be a progress metre because the animation is expected to be large? What will the initial banner image be? Will any buttons be highlighted by default?

Appendix – this is the last section of the storyboard document. It can contain anything else which you think needs to be documented (e.g. screenshots, mockups, JPEGs to be used for reference purposes, etc). The two standard sections I place in the Appendix are: Support Files, and Technical Notes / Non-requirements. The Support Files section is actually a ZIP archive embedded within the MS Word document. The ZIP file contains any relevant graphics files intended to be used with the animation. The benefit of packaging these files together is that the most up-to-date graphics travel with the storyboard document itself. This is especially helpful when the document needs to be emailed to off-site contractors. Of course, this only works if the ZIP archive is below 2-3 MB in size.

The Technical Notes / Non-requirements section is where you say what you’re not going to do. For instance; there will be no sound-effects or music used with the animation, no special effects will be used within the animation other then fade-in/fade-out, the animation will run for no longer then 30 seconds. In addition, you may want to give specific instructions which are relevant only to the Flash developer, such as: the completed animation should be no more then 1 MB in size, all text appearing in the animation should be retrieved from a XML file, etc.

A big part of creating a storyboard is helping a client translate what’s in their head into something more tangible. Failing to do so could result in an iterative cycle which is not only costly, but unnecessarily time consuming.

Louis Marshall, Project Manager

My tech blog: pm4web.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Louis_Marshall/262307

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