3. SEQUENCE
CONTENT
SKETCH
SCRIPT
ELEMENTS OF A STORYBOARD
4. PREMISE: FUNDAMENTAL Pose a problem: “An outcast patriarch tries to win
CONCEPT THAT DRIVES THE PLOT back his family’s good graces.”
5. PREMISE: FUNDAMENTAL Ask a question: “What if you had to live the same
CONCEPT THAT DRIVES THE PLOT day over and over?”
6. PREMISE: FUNDAMENTAL Trace a route: “Find 100,000 deutsch marks and
CONCEPT THAT DRIVES THE PLOT get across town (i.e. the roads not taken).”
7. ACT 1: SET UP – SETTING, CHARACTERS, AND PROBLEM INTRODUCED
Confined to a wheelchair, Jefferies spends the day watching his neighbors. Lisa wants Jefferies,
but he acts distracted.
ACT 2: TURNING POINT – PROBLEM GETS COMPLEX
A neighbor appears to have killed a dog that was digging up the garden; Jefferies thinks the neighbor has
murdered his wife, but his detective friend doesn’t believe him.
ACT 3: DENOUEMENT – CLIMAX HAPPENS AND PROBLEM RESOLVED
Jefferies convinces Lisa to sneak into the neighbor’s apartment to find evidence of the murder, but they both
almost get murdered themselves. Now that she is a co-conspirer, Jefferies agrees to marry Lisa. Lisa is happy.
Organize a presentation with three “acts” or “chapters”: 1) set the
THREE ACT PLAY characters and context; 2) detail a problem; 3) resolve the problem –
narrate with stories not data.
8. ACT 1
MAIN IDEA
ACT 2
MAIN IDEA
ACT 3
MAIN IDEA
STORYBOARDING Steps: 1) make a grid with three acts and write out
WITH INDEX CARDS your main idea for each act.
9. PHOTO
IDEA FACT
OBSERVATION
IDEA
GRAPH
PHOTO
FACT
DIAGRAM
MAP / DRAWING IDEA
GRAPH
IDEA FACT
PHOTO PHOTO
GRAPH
GRAPH
PHOTO
FACT PHOTO
FACT
STORYBOARDING Steps: 2) write / sketch all of your content
WITH INDEX CARDS onto index cards.
10. IDEA FACT IDEA IDEA PHOTO
ACT 1 FACT GRAPH
FACT
MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO
MAIN IDEA MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO PHOTO
DIAGRAM
IDEA FACT MAP / DRAWING
FACT IDEA
ACT 2 DIAGRAM
PHOTO
FACT
MAIN IDEA
MAP / DRAWING
GRAPH
PHOTO
PHOTO PHOTO
PHOTO IDEA
IDEA
MAP / DRAWING
IDEA
ACT 3 MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAIN IDEA MAP / DRAWING PHOTO MAP / DRAWING
DIAGRAM
STORYBOARDING Steps: 3) place the cards into the grid – grouping
WITH INDEX CARDS content based on the ideas you want to express.
11. IDEA FACT IDEA IDEA PHOTO
ACT 1 FACT GRAPH
FACT
MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO
MAIN IDEA MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO PHOTO
DIAGRAM
IDEA FACT MAP / DRAWING
FACT IDEA
ACT 2 DIAGRAM
PHOTO
FACT
MAIN IDEA
MAP / DRAWING
GRAPH
PHOTO
PHOTO PHOTO
PHOTO IDEA
IDEA
MAP / DRAWING
IDEA
ACT 3 MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAIN IDEA MAP / DRAWING PHOTO MAP / DRAWING
DIAGRAM
STORYBOARDING Steps: 4) talk through your presentation – thinking especially
WITH INDEX CARDS about how you transition from one idea to another.
12. IDEA FACT IDEA IDEA
?
PHOTO
ACT 1 FACT GRAPH
FACT
MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO
MAIN IDEA MAP / DRAWING
PHOTO PHOTO
DIAGRAM
IDEA FACT MAP / DRAWING
?
FACT IDEA
ACT 2 DIAGRAM
PHOTO
FACT
MAIN IDEA
MAP / DRAWING
GRAPH
PHOTO
PHOTO PHOTO
?
PHOTO IDEA
IDEA
MAP / DRAWING
IDEA
ACT 3 MAP / DRAWING
MAP / DRAWING
MAIN IDEA MAP / DRAWING PHOTO MAP / DRAWING
DIAGRAM
STORYBOARDING Steps: 5) revise – re-sequence / re-group cards; re-visit main
WITH INDEX CARDS ideas; edit and identify gaps in content (data / drawings).
13. Main Idea
Supporting Ideas
Background /
Clarification /
Contradiction
STORYBOARDING Steps: 1) draw grid of boxes, leaving column on right for main
ON A WHITE BOARD and supporting ideas and background information.
14. Title Title Title
Main Idea
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Supporting Ideas
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Background /
Clarification /
Contradiction
Message Message Message
STORYBOARDING Steps: 2) give a title for each box and a message, write main
ON A WHITE BOARD ideas and background information in right column.
15. Title Title Title
Main Idea
IDEA IDEA
FACT
FACT IDEA
FACT
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Supporting Ideas
FACT IDEA
FACT
FACT
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Background /
Clarification /
IDEA Contradiction
IDEA FACT
Message Message Message
STORYBOARDING Steps: 3) add content to each box, including graphics and
ON A WHITE BOARD visual documentation to support the message.
16. Title Title Title
Main Idea
?
IDEA IDEA
FACT
FACT IDEA
FACT
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Supporting Ideas
FACT IDEA
FACT
FACT
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Background /
Clarification /
IDEA Contradiction
IDEA FACT
Message Message Message
STORYBOARDING Steps: 4) talk through your presentation – how do the
ON A WHITE BOARD transitions work? does the content support the main idea?
17. Title Title Title
Main Idea
?
IDEA IDEA
FACT
FACT
FACT IDEA
FACT
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Supporting Ideas
?
FACT IDEA
FACT
FACT
Message Message Message
Title Title Title Background /
Clarification /
?
IDEA Contradiction
IDEA FACT FACT
Message Message Message
STORYBOARDING Steps: 5) revise – re-sequence; re-visit main idea and
ON A WHITE BOARD messages; edit and identify gaps in content (data / drawings).
18. WRITE A PREMISE 10
BRAINSTORM 3 ACTS / CHAPTERS 10
ORGANIZE STORYBOARD 20
• Main ideas
• Inventory graphics / facts
• Group ideas / sequence
GROUP DISCUSSION 20
STORYBOARDING EXERCISE
