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.

An Evolution in Visual Planning

Visual Planning isn’t new. The challenge in film has always been how to share your vision quickly and effectively with everyone involved in funding and producing the project.

Storyboards are easy to create but depend heavily on each viewer’s interpretation to fill in the details, particularly when the camera is in motion or their maker has limited drawing skills. Previz precisely shows what part of your film will look like, at great cost and lead times and generally through the eyes of a contractor who won’t actually be shooting the final film.

People used to say Visual Planning ranged from storyboarding on one end to Previz on the other, but that misses most of what matters and happens in Visual Planning. Visual Planning isn’t about creating storyboards or previz reels, it’s about increasing your production efficiency and effectiveness so that everyone understands your vision. What’s important isn't the format, it's the flexibility, versatility, understandability, cost, speed, and accuracy.

We need an evolution in thinking about Visual Planning. Visual Planning for better communications, better team alignment, and better decisions about projects.

And we would like to challenge you to start thinking differently about how you plan and the results you get and would like to get.

Visual Planning Webcast

Webcast: Visual Preproduction Planning: Solving Production Challenges in Preproduction

Mark Parry and Jon Trohimovich answer the age old question: “Why did the storyboard cross the road?” Along the way they discuss the evolution of Visual Planning, the potential impacts on film production, evaluating Visual Planning tools, and getting the most from your tools while working with your team to plan and pitch your film.

Highlights include:

Getting Results with Visual Planning

Visual Planning tools across the speed / cost comparison

Using Visual Planning tools to Make Better Production Decisions