Here Is My Storyboard!

Hi everyone!

Storyboarding is perhaps the most difficult and tedious part of this whole project for me; I remember from last year how hard it was for me to get my idea into drawings, seconds, shots and transitions. This year, the challenge has not been any less daunting, but after spending the whole week of half-term working on it, I finally finished my storyboard!

It is worth pointing out that last year I only did 6 sides, whereas this year I have done 10 and a half sides! No matter how much work it was to finish it, I know I will find it extremely useful when filming THIS SATURDAY!

Yes, that's right, I am filming this weekend and I am beyond excited and nervous at the same time... Hopefully having such a detailed storyboard will make my life much easier and my footage much clearer.

Hope you enjoy this post!

xx Natalia

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Full Storyboard Images + Explanation:

Verse 1:

The first verse is there to establish the scene and the morning routine- a girl who every day decides the person she wants to pretend to be, as she is too afraid of being herself.

She is not revealed until the last part of the verse, which creates an enigma and also conveys that she meticulously takes care of every part of her outfit and looks before she considers herself to be whole.

It is also ironic that the finished outfit coincides with the words "surrender yourself", which is done purposefully to convey that what she is doing is surrendering to her insecurities. The use of many close-up shots gives attention to the important details that will be developed later, as well as conveys the meticulous attention the girl gives to her appearance.

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First Chorus:

In the chorus, the girl is enacting her "Happy" persona, which is who she has decided to be that day. I wanted to use different shots to avoid making the footage monotonous.

The transition to the second verse is done through colour. I might pan out of the last chorus shot into a grey lamp post and start verse 2 with a grey t-shirt thrown on the bed to make it a smooth transition.

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Verse 2:

Verse 2 is a continuation of her routine- the faster pace leads to having a shorter version of the routine, with the tracking shots increasingly positioning the audience on the point of view of the girl.

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Second Chorus:

The second chorus will start with a close-up of binoculars as the second persona she enacts is the "sightseer", which I think leaves room for a fun shot of her as a tourist and for some more cool outdoor footage.

I have included two transitions, one on the sky and another into the instrumental part of the chorus. Moreover, the OTS shot of the girl drawing will be another hint at the lyrics, as the notebook will have "False Confidence" written in it.

The transition into the instrumental will be the classic 'lay down on one side, wake up on the other' circular transition, using the grey/brown part of a bench and a dark frame from the bed as the motion blur for the transition.

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Instrumental Chorus:

The instrumental part of the chorus is quite complex- I wanted to establish a sense of routine through the motif of the bin getting fuller and fuller, as the girl's capacity to pretend decreases.

The first transition is quite simple, only representing a change of outfit and using the girl's hair to create the motion blur necessary for the change into the dress, which will be what she will wear in the music video's climax.

Then, I have included a cross-cutting scene between the bin getting fuller and an ELS of the room with multiple images of the girl, showing her deciding her outfit or just lying on the floor thinking which conveys the message that she is running out of fuel to pretend.

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Pre-Climax:

When the beat stops, we have this calm pre-climax where I will be filming in the bathroom with different lighting- more neon-like. The close-ups will emphasise emotion as the girl cannot keep pretending anymore; the reflection will become a different person with fake tears that do not match what the girl is wearing in front of the mirror.

For that shot, I will have to film it twice from exactly the same perspective and then put it all together to have her smile and have the reflection cry. I will edit this in Premiere Pro and hopefully, it will be quite straightforward.

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Final Chorus-Climax:

The climax scene can be one of the hardest scenes to film as it is yet another chorus with an instrumental part. I wanted to make this one special, to make it seem like it really is the climactic chorus.

For this, I have included a type of shots- mirror shots (I will be analysing them in another post in more detail) which go from one side of the mirror to the other, creating two parallel universes of the trapped feelings of the girl versus real life. I think it also creates a nice uncanny feeling that matches the climactic mood of the song and keeps the audience interested until the last part of the song.

Final Chorus pt. 2:

After all the quick cuts with slight movement, I included some slow-motion shots of the post-its falling down and a high-angle shot with a 360º move.

Moreover, to tighten up the loose ends of the music video, will include two more shots of both the "Happy" and the "Sightseer" persona. They will both take off their headphones and look directly at the camera, creating a message of connecting with real life and taking off their "False Confidence" or post-its.

Ending:

For the ending, I wanted a sense of closure and of new beginnings- which is why I have two shots- one facing her true self in the mirror without post-its and the next in a natural landscape with a pull-out shot and a tilt-up to the sky.

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