1. Storyboarding- Film language
Ahmed Gobba
Film editor / director
#: +20 100 1200 747
Website URL: www.ahmedgobba.com
E-mail: gobba@ahmedgobba.com

2. “All stories consist of a few common structural elements found
universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies” (Vogler,
1992)

3. Stages of the Hero’s Journey (the Mythic Structure)
1) Ordinary World
2) Call to Adventure
3) Refusal of the Call
4) Meeting with the Mentor
5) Crossing the First Threshold
6) Tests, Allies, Enemies
7) Approach
8) Supreme Ordeal
9) Reward
10) The Road Back
11) The Resurrection
12) Return With Elixir

5. The three acts

6. Act 1

Act I has to establish several
fundamental

understandings for the audience

Introduce the main character

Introduce supporting characters

Establishes a task, an intention, a
desired outcome

Establishes an obstacle, a
problem, an opposing force

Creates conflict, suspense, tension

Ends with a reversal or a setback

7. Act 2

Complicate the predicament of the main character,
raise the stakes
Introduce a subplot

Introduce subordinate characters

Create a need for final resolution

End with a new level of crisis


8. Act 3
• Intensify the problem
• Close the subplot by resolving it into the main plot
• Create an ultimate reversal or a setback in the
predicament of the main character
• Bring about a resolution of the setback and the
whole story
• Create the triumph of the hero or main character and
the downfall of the villain

9. Genres
• Genre is a French word that means
"type" or "class" of things
• Another way to look at movie structure is to
see repetitive characteristics in movies that
have similar stories and plots
• Film genres – genres indicate what general
direction the plot line will go and allow the
viewer to prepare for that film

10. Genres
• These conventions of plot and setting are
useful shorthand descriptions that we can all
relate to
• Convenient way of describing AND
understanding stories
• Similar plots, similar characters, similar
themes, similar styles, similar actors!

11. Genre Checklist
• Typical plots (beginning / middle / end)
• Typical situations i.e. details from the main story
• Typical characters (do typical male/ female roles exist?)
• Typical body language
• Typical dress
• Typical dialogue
• Typical historical setting
• Typical setting (place)
• Typical objects or equipment
• Typical look or style (lighting or camera)

12. Types of story

Journey

Romance

Work process

13. The Big Three
What are “The Big Three”?
• 1) Compelling Action
• 2) Memorable Characters • 3) Interactive
Locations

14. Compelling Action
• Compelling action describes onscreen events which engage
the sight and sound of the audience directly.
• This can be compared to the effect of a theme park ride for
example a rollercoaster.
• The action take the viewer for a ‘ride’ through a series of
events which the onscreen characters must deal with
• Examples include, chases, cliff-hangers, suspenseful
moments, races against the clock, activity taking place in
directly challenging, or threatening spaces

16. Memorable Characters
• These are characters who are difficult to forget, and
which stay in the memories of the viewers long after
the experience of encountering them.
• They often are made up of unusual and vivid aspects
of dress and overall appearance.
• Examples include Blue beard thePirate, Darth Vader,
Spiderman.

18. Interactive Locations
• These are spaces which lend themselves to action inherently
• They are usually made up of features which provide the
characters with objects to avoid, to negotiate, and to
generally deal with onscreen
• They often offer the unique attributes of the character a
chance to make use of their physical attributes (e.g. the city
of New York offers buildings to swing off for Spider Man, the
factory at the end of the Terminator 1 and 2 provide the
perfect backdrop for the fights which take place in them