PRODUCTION MAP (OR PLAN VIEW)

A Plan View is a bird's eye view of the set and provides a working map for you to plan out blocking and camera placement.

 

Steps:

1. Identify locations that would benefit most from a Plan View: Find all of the locations indicated in your boards and look for any clues that might visually connect one location to another. For Example; A camera move following a character from the living room into the kitchen without a cut would indicate a single shot previously thought of as two.

2. Identify directions (North/East/South/West): Unless otherwise indicated by natural events (ie. the sun rises in the East), I typically orient my sets using North as the primary camera facing direction. Like a compass. 

3. Locate characters and cameras: Work in Photoshop using the background layer to draw your map. Place the camera and character indicators on separate layers so you can track their placement from scene to scene. 

4. Block through Scene: Use Layer Comps to track character blocking and camera placement throughout your scene.

5. Export and submit images: Export your Plan Views as JPGs for as many scenes as you think helpful to successfully board your piece. Submit the final JPGS to Basecamp 308_Storyboarding for Digital Media/308_dropbox

File Name:

simpsonB_map1_workingTitle_A.jpg

simpsonB_map1_workingTitle_B.jpg

 

Examples: Conceptual overview by Michael Spooner - Star Farms