Everybody hates storyboards!

"To be honest, everyone hates storyboards, nobody likes them." We were told this by a creative director, an experienced advertising specialist, a creative who has worked in a number of leading European advertising agencies and now runs his own agency in Berlin.

Creatives want to move on to shooting as soon as possible, not commenting for the hundredth time on how wide is the character's smile after a drinking shot. A client team wants to make sure the story is understandable to the focus group. A brand manager only cares about how many times the logo appears in the frame. And the artist – well, right now the artist wants nothing but to get it over with as quickly as possible.

...Oh no – it seems like everyone hates storyboards!

Yes and no. We decided to ask several art directors and creative directors from advertising agencies about it. And here's what we got:

"Storyboards are lifesaving. Before and after the shoot"

Florian Weitzel, Creative Director “The Game”

"Oh, god, I adore storyboards. I've been on shoots where there were no storyboards to speak of, and they turned into chaotic free-for-alls that went way over time — and, consequentially, over budget. Storyboards will ensure everyone knows the plan on the day, and help keep things under control"

Philippe Deniger, Creative Director

"Storyboards are an important tool in piecing together a story but also in communicating it to other people involved in the project. Storyboarding is a great device for bringing scripts to life at an early stage of the production process"

Erwin Baranowski Art Director at Havas

"For me, a storyboard is crucial in every production. I wouldn't dare start one without a storyboard. And then a shooting board, of course. I'm also quite puzzled by some opinions that they're not needed. I feel it comes from people who never shot anything longer than a 6" spot, though"

Wojtek Kowalik Creative Director

Artem "Tom" Filimonov, Creative Director at Cheil Germany GmbH, told us the whole story of his experience with storyboards, saying that he changed his attitude after one project that was important to him. Follow the link to read the full story.

"I remember that in those days I approached the issue of storyboards more scrupulously than I approached the key visuals. We didn't just correct the editing and dynamics, but every detail in the illustrations"

Attention to detail and careful storyboarding were not in vain: despite the challenge, the team succeeded.

"All 12 people who came in the first wave laughed. Then the next ones laughed too and said that this was exactly the kind of advertising they were missing"

"We got the budget. We won. Since then, I have changed my attitude towards the importance of the storyboarding process"

Love or hate them, there's no denying that storyboards are an important part of ad creation. As an illustration agency, we love storyboards and the artists who create them. It's always a thrill for us to read the script, brief on shots, and create storyboards. Over the years, we have learned not to waste time on useless arguments and to produce amazing results on time.

As a bonus, a small collection of our favorite storyboard comments. Enjoy!

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