43 Folders

Back to Work

Merlin’s weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.

Join us via RSS, iTunes, or at 5by5.tv.

”What’s 43 Folders?”
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Help me design a storyboard template!

Since I'm using SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder to help write my current script, I'm following his format for scene cards.

I've been scribbling them out by hand but now that I've figured out how to print index cards, I'd really love to have a template for doing that.

What I'm looking for is a Word Doc set up with 'marker felt' font (obviously I can do that much) that is set for a 3X5 index card format -- so that it won't let me type more than an index card will hold, and will automatically print at the right size.

I'll be using it on portrait setting, though most people would use landscape and I might switch back to landscape on later projects.

(SO FAR I COULD PROBABLY DO THIS MUCH, BUT THERE'S MORE. NOT THAT IT'S DIFFICULT, BUT I'M A TECHNODITZ, SO I SHALL CONTINUE....)

It's really pretty simple. What I would want on the template to pop up every time I opened a new file is on the top line:

INT/EXT

And then I could finish the rest of the line as needed, for example:

EXT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

Then I could type the next line/lines as needed.

On the very bottom two lines, flush left, would be:

+/-
><

And again, I would type in the pertinent info. (Or impertinent, as the case may be.)

I know this should be very simple for me to do, but this is exactly the kind of thing I don't do often enough to remember from one time to the next, and when I try to look it up, I just get more confused!

The card would eventually look sorta like like this:
-----------------------
INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY

Bob confronts Helen about
her secret.

+/- Bob starts hopeful, ends
disappointed.
>< Bob wants to know secret; Helen
can't tell him.
--------------------------------

Obviously if this were landscape the text would probably fit all the way across, so I guess I'd like to have it saved both ways.

(In case anybody is wondering, the +/- symbol represents the emotional arc of the main character in the scene, and the >< is the conflict in the scene.)

Anybody willing to help me out?

Thanks.

TOPICS: Hacer
solidsnot's picture

I need your email address....

I need your email address. I have a template for you. Email me .

I can't upload .dot files so I'll have to email it to you.

Daniel

 
EXPLORE 43Folders THE GOOD STUFF

Popular
Today

Popular
Classics

An Oblique Strategy:
Honor thy error as a hidden intention


STAY IN THE LOOP:

Subscribe with Google Reader

Subscribe on Netvibes

Add to Technorati Favorites

Subscribe on Pageflakes

Add RSS feed

The Podcast Feed

Cranking

Merlin used to crank. He’s not cranking any more.

This is an essay about family, priorities, and Shakey’s Pizza, and it’s probably the best thing he’s written. »

Scared Shitless

Merlin’s scared. You’re scared. Everybody is scared.

This is the video of Merlin’s keynote at Webstock 2011. The one where he cried. You should watch it. »