Overview
COMP 230: Storyboard Design and Development introduces the student to professional storytelling and storyboarding techniques, particularly for live action and animation sequences. The objective of this course is to provide a comprehensive, hands-on, and in-depth knowledge of state-of-the-art storyboarding and storytelling concepts, methods, practices, and strategies.
- It offers an introduction to storyboards and a complete picture of steps involved in storytelling.
- It introduces learners to techniques of drawing and use of other media for motion and emotion.
- It discusses specific aspects of directing a storyboard such as visual clarity and depth, semiotics, and figures of speech.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of COMP 230, the student should have a deep understanding of storyboarding and storytelling concepts, methods, practices, and strategies, as well as the ability to create storyboards using powerful storytelling ideas. More specifically, the student should be able to
- disseminate the events of the story.
- define the threshold of awareness in the story.
- create the structural level of the story for clarity and dramatic presentation.
- guide the audience’s attention to narrative questions and metaphors that drive the story forward.
- direct the viewer's eyes and ears with composition and perspective.
- signify meaning and associations through semiotics.
- construct meaning with respect to continuity and causality.
- evoke emotional response and measure it using thematic analysis.
- evolve and sustain the story using storytelling ideas enacted through software.
Evaluation
To receive credit for COMP 230, the student must achieve a course composite grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on each assignment (Assignments 1–10) and 50 percent on the final project (Assignment 11). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 5% |
| Assignment 2 | 5% |
| Assignment 3 | 5% |
| Assignment 4 | 10% |
| Assignment 5 | 10% |
| Assignment 6 | 10% |
| Assignment 7 | 5% |
| Assignment 8 | 5% |
| Assignment 9 | 5% |
| Assignment 10 | 5% |
| Final Project (Assignment 11) | 35% |
| Total | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
This course either does not have a course package or the textbooks are open-source material and available to students at no cost. This course has a Course Administration and Technology Fee, but students are not charged the Course Materials Fee.
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Glebas, F. (2009). Directing the story: Professional storytelling and storyboarding techniques for live action and animation. Focal Press.
Software
To complete COMP 230 coursework, students are encouraged to have storyboarding and scripting software (e.g., SketchUp, Celtx, Sparkol) installed on their computer.