The med comms industry demands medical writers to create storyboards for various types of videos. If you are new to medical writing, this task can seem quite intimidating; however, with a step-by-step guide and some practice, storyboard writing becomes easier. This blog will walk you through the process of writing a storyboard using an infographic as an example. Creating a storyboard is not so much about coming up with ideas or typing words as it is about organizing your thoughts and presenting them in a concise way.
In order to write a storyboard, first you need to identify the purpose of your video and organize your thoughts into logical groups. Then, you have to choose which format works best for the message that you’re trying to convey. Finally, use these tips to create visual aids by converting them into images and graphs that clearly illustrate your ideas.
In This Article – Storyboard Writing
- What is a storyboard?
- Why write a Storyboard?
- Step 1: Define the purpose of your video
- Step 2: Brainstorm ideas and organize them
- Step 3: Decide which format works best for the message
- Step 4: Create visual aids by converting them into images and graphs
- Conclusion
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What is a storyboard?
A storyboard is a visual outline of your video script. It is a great way to organize your thoughts and plan the flow of your story before you start writing the script. It also makes it easier for other team members to understand what you want to achieve with the video by giving them a visual reference. Each scene or section of your video is represented by a separate panel on the storyboard.
It is advisable to create a PDF file so that others can make notes on each panel without having to re-print a new version each time. You can also use a virtual board on a software platform like Trello. The main components of a storyboard include – scene description, camera shots and transitions, timings, and dialogue.
Why write a Storyboard?
A storyboard is nothing but a visual representation of how you want your video to look. It helps you to map out the video before you actually start writing the script. It makes it easier for other team members to understand what you want to achieve with the video. When you’re creating a storyboard, you need to get into the mindset of your audience. Visual learners will understand your message better if you use visuals to convey your message.
Using visuals also makes your content scannable, enabling readers to quickly scan through your content and find what they are looking for. A storyboard also helps you to identify gaps in your information and organize your thoughts before you start writing the script. This allows you to create a better video, with a stronger message, in less time.
Step 1: Define the purpose of your video
Define the purpose of the video and the way you want the viewers to feel after watching it. This will help you to decide the tone and style of your video. You can also decide on the type of visuals you want to use for your video, for example, graphs and charts, animations, real-life footage, etc. For example, if you are creating a video about diabetes and its complications, you can use real-life footage of patients who have undergone surgery because of complications related to diabetes.
Step 2: Brainstorm ideas and organize them
Once you’ve defined the purpose of your video, start brainstorming ideas and organizing them. You can also use mind-mapping techniques to create a visual representation of your video by linking related ideas to a central theme. For example, if you are creating a video about diabetes, you can start by writing down diabetes, complications, and treatment, followed by an image representing the video. You can then link these topics to central themes such as diet, exercise, insulin, complications, healthcare, etc.
Step 3: Decide which format works best for the message
Once you have completed the brainstorming phase, you have to decide which format works best for the message that you’re trying to convey. There are many formats available to create storyboards such as – word clouds, concept maps, flowcharts, sequence maps, etc. You can also create a combination of these formats to suit your message. For example, if you have to create a message about the complications of diabetes, you can use a word cloud to represent the concepts associated with diabetes such as eye disease.
Kidney disease, foot disease, etc. You can also use a concept map to illustrate how diabetes leads to complications and how complications can be managed.
Step 4: Create visual aids by converting them into images and graphs
Once you’ve decided which format to use, it’s time to convert your ideas into visuals. Use editing tools like Canva, Piktochart, or visual thinking tools like Lucidchart to create charts and graphs, or images by converting your text into a visual format. For example, if you are creating a message about the complications of diabetes, you can use a pie chart to illustrate the proportion of different diseases. You can also use an infographic to show the pathway of diabetes with images and captions.
Conclusion
As you can see, creating a storyboard is a time-consuming process, and you have to start planning it at least one week before the video shoot. However, it is worth it because it will help you to create a better video with a stronger message.
