The Art Of The Storyboard Diorama

JohnReid · 13 October 2010, 04:27 AM

Storyboarding,What is it?

Storyboarding goes back to the 1920's or even earlier.Walt Disney developed it into an art form using drawings posted in a logical sequence on a wall.Drawings could be added or deleted depending on the storylines development in what were called brainstorming sessions.These brainstorming sessions allowed for everybodys creative input and could be quite lively with the animator/pitchman acting out the various roles of the characters.Evidently Walt was a genius at this and some of his best performances were never recorded.
Storyboarding for dioramas is a little different in that the brainstorming session are mostly mental sessions that the storyboard dioramist works out in his own mind,before anything is actually put down on paper.
What to leave in and what to leave out ? that is the question.These mental sketches are then translated into a 3D diorama movie type sets by the diorama maker.Using these sets,a series of storyboard pictures can be created that tell his story in a logical sequence.
This idea is new and different from anything that I have seen or heard of before.The best way to describe it would be that a storyboard diorama is a series of shadowboxes linked together by what I hope is an interesting storyline. Is it any wonder that I had a hard time to answer Shep Paine's question "what is a storyboard diorama anyway?".

JohnReid · 13 October 2010, 05:58 AM

Outline 5

Storyboard type dioramas are best suited to a museum type setting. It has been an accepted norm in the past that if it needs explanation then it is probably a poor diorama.Normally I would agree with this statement but rules are made to be broken.Isn't that what art is really all about anyway?
Ideally ,in this case ,it would be wise to have a guide or other knowledgeable person there to answer questions and point the viewer in the right direction.
Storyboard dioramas are specifically intended for a museum type of environment.They are meant to educate yes but in an entertaining way.Most of the general public have no idea what they are looking at, so some form of guidance is necessary.

JohnReid · 14 October 2010, 06:33 AM

Outline 6

When reading a storyboard it is generally done from left to right as you would read a book.The mental storyboard that I am talking about should also be read the same way.Unfortunately there are no set guidelines for this when reading a mental storyboard and that is where the assistance of a guide may be required.
My storyboard dioramas are laid out in such a way as to have some sort of sequence of viewing.They are meant to be visual walkarounds starting at the right front of the diorama and ending at the left front.
But the inside has its stories to tell too ! Here I will start along the right front interior wall as you might pan a camera around a room.
The individual rooms within the diorama also have their stories but here I will have to rely more upon pictures to pan those rooms.This may in fact be a good thing because at this point we could go audio/visual.I figure that if I have held an audience this long they may be ready to explore these rooms themselves with the help of an audio device of some kind.
In this diorama I have added other special features like "find the mouse" or "find one of the other five animals in the diorama.Kids love this kind of thing and it is a great way to capture their young imaginations.

JohnReid · 17 October 2010, 04:14 AM

This is very entertaining. It reminds me of the David Jones city department store at Christmas time and the animated dioramas in each of its outside windows. Families move along from one window to the next to get to the next stage of the Christmas story.

Thank you Chris for this memory! There was a department store here in Montreal that did somewhat the same thing and people just loved it.All those little noses pressed up against the glass in wide-eyed excitement.Wonderful !

JohnReid · 17 October 2010, 04:40 AM

JohnReid · 17 October 2010, 05:29 AM

Here is a great tutorial on the art of storyboarding:

Storyboard Elements: DVD Course on How To Storyboard by SpongeBob and Disney Storyboard Artist Sherm Cohen
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"When you wish upon a star......" Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.
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Pictures by JohnReid - Photobucket

JohnReid · 17 October 2010, 02:02 PM

If you look through the engine shop window just above the Pickford/Fairbanks sign you will see hanging on the wall a pin-up poster of Mary herself.
This is our first view inside the engine shop which as you can see is quite busy with a Mercedes engine being overhauled for a customer.It is a classic engine from WW1 and although a little out of date by this time it could still be in use to power up a barnstormer or two.
Another interesting picture on the wall is that of Harley the company dog sitting in the cockpit of someone's airplane.
Air mail pilots would sometimes keep their dogs on board for company when on long trips much like some truckers do today.Dogs and fighter pilots have a long tradition together of companionship inside or outside the cockpit.

JohnReid · 18 October 2010, 02:59 AM

JohnReid · 18 October 2010, 03:09 AM

JohnReid · 18 October 2010, 03:20 AM

Opening scene from "Once Upon A Time In The West" The cowboy standing in the doorway.This scene has a lot of interesting things going on.Although in the movie we never get to see this row of passenger car windows.Their presence is implied by the shadows falling on the seats.The little room behind the brick wall is never really shown in any detail so I just left it for the natural light.The door behind the cowboy is actually split in two but in this scene it should open to a desert scene which is not part of this closed set.I still have a lot of weathering to do but I think that you get the idea!