Looking to sharpen your storyboarding skills or craft a professional-ready board that communicates ideas clearly and quickly? This Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide walks you through the full process — from the first read of the script to final deliverables — with practical templates, checklists, and insider tips you can use today. Whether you’re making a short film, commercial, animation, or pitch deck, treat this as a playbook you can adapt to your project and workflow.
Why a storyboard matters (and what this guide is for)
A storyboard is more than pretty pictures. It’s the communication blueprint for your story: timing, camera moves, actor blocking, composition, and transitions. The Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide focuses on clarity and collaboration — helping directors, DPs, art directors, and editors be on the same page before production begins. The payoff? Faster shoots, fewer costly reshoots, and creative decisions made earlier when they’re cheaper.
The mindset: think like a director AND a communicator
Before you put pencil to paper, adopt two simultaneous mindsets:
- Director’s mindset: how does each shot serve the story emotionally and narratively? What is the intention of every camera move?
- Communicator’s mindset: what information does the crew need to build, light, and shoot the shot — and what can be left to discussion?
The Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide emphasizes clear intention and necessary detail. Include exactly what your team needs — not everything you imagine.
Step 1 — Read the script and create a shot list
- Read the script through once without stopping. Get the story in your head.
- Break down each scene: beats, key props, locations, and emotional turning points.
- Create a shot list: list each required shot with a short description (e.g., “INT. KITCHEN — CU on MARY’s hands making tea — 2.5s, soft dolly in”).
- Prioritize: highlight moments that must be captured. These get more detailed storyboards.
The shot list becomes your outline — the storyboard fills it with visuals.
Step 2 — Choose format & tools
The Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide recommends picking a format that matches the project scale and team:
- Quick projects / pre-viz: thumbnails on paper or whiteboard. Fast, iterative.
- Commercials / film: 3–6 panels per page, with space for notes, timing, and camera information.
- Animation / motion-heavy: include frame numbers, in-between keys, and rough timing frames.
Tools:
- Traditional: pencil, markers, printed template sheets.
- Digital: Procreate, Photoshop, Storyboarder (Wonder Unit), Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, or a simple drawing app with layers and export options.
- Hybrid: sketch on paper, scan, and assemble in a simple layout tool (Google Slides, Keynote, Premiere).
Step 3 — Panel breakdown and composition
Treat each storyboard panel like a small photograph:
- Framing: choose wide, medium, close, CU, OTS, etc. Label framing in the panel header.
- Camera direction: arrowed lines show movement (dolly, pan, tilt, push). Mark zoom vs dolly.
- Actors/props: simple silhouettes with clear poses. Body language is essential — show intent.
- Lens and coverage: note lens (24mm, 50mm) if relevant, and mark coverage (master, two-shot, insert).
Remember: clarity > polish. Simple shapes and strong silhouettes communicate faster than detailed drawings.
Step 4 — Timing, pacing, and thumbnailling
Timing is how storyboards become a pre-cut:
- Thumbnails first: rough small sketches to explore shot flow. Quick variations help find the best coverage.
- Pacing notes: put approximate durations (in seconds or frames) under each panel. For dialogue, note beats, pauses, and music cues.
- Transitions: mark cuts, dissolves, whip pans, match cuts — these affect editing and coverage.
A rule of thumb in the Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide: when in doubt, show one more beat than you think you need. Editors love options.
Step 5 — Add technical notes & production annotations
Your storyboard isn’t only for creative direction — it’s also a production document. Include:
- Scene header (INT/EXT, location).
- Panel ID and progression (e.g., 3A → 3B).
- Camera setup number (important on set).
- Lens, filters, motion rigs (gimbal, crane).
- Lighting notes (motivated light source, practicals).
- VFX notes (green screen elements, tracking markers).
- Sound cues (SFX, music hits).
- Props/costume continuity reminders.
Format these consistently. Clear, short annotations eliminate on-set confusion.
Step 6 — Collaboration and revision cycles
Storyboards are meant to be iterated.
- Share early: present thumbnail sequences to director, DP, production designer.
- Feedback rounds: use numbered comments or colored markups to track changes.
- Live reviews: walk through boards with key crew and make decisions about coverage vs complexity.
- Locking: once boards are approved, freeze them so the art/lighting/camera teams can prep.
Tip from the Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide: keep revision history. If you revert, the team will thank you.
Step 7 — Special considerations by medium
- Narrative film: focus on emotional beats, actor close-ups, and continuity. Use panels to show arcs across the scene.
- Commercials: storyboards must map to spot timings (15/30/60s). Show product reveals and logo moments clearly.
- Animation: include timing for key frames and hold frames for mouth flaps or characteracting.
- Music videos: storyboard more abstractly — tempo and camera rhythm matter more than strict continuity.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
- Too much detail: wastes time. Only add what the crew needs to act on.
- Vague camera movement: always show direction and purpose, not just “move.”
- Ignoring coverage: rely on at least one master, one medium, and one close per big beat unless budget prevents it.
- Not labeling panels: production will get lost. Panel IDs are vital.
- Not updating after script changes: keep the board synchronized with the latest script.
Quick checklist (printable)
Use this checklist as the final pass before sending boards to the team:
- Scene and panel headers present
- Shot list matches storyboard panels
- Camera moves clearly indicated
- Durations/timing noted
- Essential technical notes present (lens, rigs, VFX)
- Continuity notes included
- Feedback loop and version number noted
- Exported to PDF and shared with team
Example mini-template (one panel)
Panel: 4B
Scene: INT. DINER — NIGHT
Frame: Medium Two-Shot (MS)
Action: JESSA lights cigarette; TOM looks away, jaw tight.
Camera: Slow dolly in 3s; handheld after cut.
Lens: 50mm
Duration: 3.0s
Notes: Practical neon to left — use warm gel. ADR for line “I can’t stay” in post. VFX: Remove boom.
Keep this consistent across panels. It becomes a universal language for your crew.
How to present storyboards professionally
- Deliver a clean PDF labeled with version, date, and project title.
- Include an index page with a one-line scene summary for each board section.
- If the client or producer prefers, create a short animatic: export stills to a video editor, add timing and temp sound. This helps stakeholders visualize pacing.
- Use cloud collaboration (Google Drive, Frame.io) for comments and version control.
Final tips from the Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide
- Less is more: clarity always beats ornamentation. If a team member can’t read your intention in under 10 seconds, redraw it.
- Think edit-first: good boards make the editor’s life easy. Provide coverage and clear transitions.
- Prioritize communication: every line, arrow, and note should reduce ambiguity.
- Practice thumbnails daily: fast sketching trains you to visualize quickly and iterate cheaply.
- Keep a reference library: lighting diagrams, lens charts, and composition references save time when planning.
Conclusion
The Ashley Ann Tahigan storyboard guide is a practical, production-savvy approach to planning visuals that tell a story and make production smoother. Whether you’re a one-person indie filmmaker or part of a large commercial team, the principles above — clarity, purpose, and collaboration — will make your storyboards more useful and your shoots more efficient.
