The Next Phase in Visual Planning

A lot of people like to think of Visual Planning as a continuum, storyboards on one end, Previz on the other. We need an evolution in thinking about Visual Planning. Visual Planning for better communications, better team alignment, and better decisions about projects. Look deeper and think more broadly about how Visual Planning can give you the improved production efficiency you need.

Storyboards are approachable and easy to learn. They are fast and easy – if you know how to draw. Previz is precise, at a high cost, long lead times, and limited flexibility. We think there is a need for something better.

Visual Planning tools should carry you from development to pre-production right up to the day of the shoot.

As you get ready to go into production, lots of things happen. The odds are your plan won't go as planned. When you need to make changes to storyboards, you generally end up drawing new ones. When you need to make changes to your previz, you generally can’t. Planning and versatility need to be in the same sentence. Script changes happen constantly.

More Versatile than Storyboards – Non Linear Planning

Good Visual Planning needs to be interactive. Add a character to a scene or remove him, when the idea strikes, change your camera angles or add a camera on the fly, all without starting over. If the sponsor wants better coverage or their product, show them the result immediately without scrapping your work. We call this non-linear planning, just like the non-linear editing you’re already accustomed to.

Visual Planning solutions should also be share-able and collaborative, so you can stay aligned with your team and clients before, during, and after the pre-production meetings, whether you are working across the table or across the country. They have to be fast and easy and artistically expressive (they should even be fun as well).

We think it’s time to start thinking differently about Visual Planning, and we built Filmmaker Live to help get you there.