A storyboard is a visual script that helps everyone involved in a production to understand exactly what's required for each shot. While the basic concept may be universal, the exact function of a storyboard will vary according to the type of project for which it was created. For example, traditional 2D animated series use storyboards as templates for the animators to follow. As 2D animation is typically produced in a different country to the boards themselves, it's vital that they include as much information as possible. Typically, this will include every key pose of the animation, where the camera should be positioned, and how each shot should be composed.
By comparison, the storyboards for a 3D or live-action film will usually be far less polished, and will be stuck to less rigidly. Live-action filmmakers typically use storyboards only for complex scenes, or those including visual effects work that needs to be planned out in advance of the shoot; while some directors prefer to board out an entire film, this is rare. By contrast, TV commercials tend to be boarded out as part of the pitch process. Sometimes the boards can be used as one of the marketing tools to help green-light a project, especially if the investors are having trouble envisaging how a complex script might be translated onto the screen.
