Depending on your style, you may wish to create a text storyboard or a visual one, which would include drawings or pictures to represent each scene.

To begin your storyboard, get a cork board, magnetized board, or other bulletin board. It should be large enough to fully display 10 index cards in a straight row. You’ll also need plenty of tacks for the cards.

You may have two or three rows on your board, depending on how many acts are in your film. Each row should represent a full act. Take a card and write your first scene on it, using a memorable title (or the slug line corresponding to the scene from the screenplay). That will be your first card on your storyboard. Hang it in the first row, or act.

Repeat this process for each scene until each scene has its own card. Your storyboard is ready to use!

Now, to actually use the storyboard: Go over each scene with your team. Make sure each scene flows into the next, and identify any gaps in the plot, missing scenes, or anything else that looks like it might cause trouble.

Once you’ve identified these problem spots, move your cards around, add new ones, or subtract cards that don’t make sense anymore. Do whatever is necessary to polish your story until it’s perfect.

After you’ve done this, you can write out the story (or draw the scenes if you prefer) and you’re ready to go.

Filmmakers, like their other fellow artists, are also required to keep a mound of paperwork. Unfortunately, it’s often a lot more than the poet or concert pianist must keep.
Thankfully, there are resources out there that provide not only the know-how of such things, but also absolutely free copies of them to use.

Dependent Films is one such resource. In just one location, it lists just about everything you need to keep up with your paper pile, including the following:

Script Formatting: Don’t pay hundreds of dollars for fancy programs when you can get iScript, Scriptmaker and other programs for free.

Storyboard Tools: From widescreen to standard format to other variations, they’re all here for your convenience.

Logs, Equipment, and Other Forms: Call sheets, contact sheets, location scouting and release forms, editing logs, production reports, budget proposals… all of these forms and more can be downloaded and used for your own production.

Miscellaneous Forms: Sample materials, such as performer releases, compensation contracts, and script agreements, will come in handy if you’re not yet familiar with these. They will also help you look more professional and develop your skills. Film journal, budget, equipment list and other sheets will also help you keep organized.

Be sure to bookmark Dependent Films–you’ll definitely come back to it as you work on your filmmaking career.