Director of photography to storyboard artist
A director of photography already meets 39% of what the storyboard artist role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
60.8/ 100
1 How much of what a storyboard artist is expected to do is already part of a director of photography’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the storyboard artist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A storyboard artist role treats 7 of its required skills as things a director of photography already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adapt to type of media
- analyse a script
- consult with production director
- develop creative ideas
- film production process
- follow work schedule
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 11 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A storyboard artist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a director of photography background worth leading with.
- already held work with playwrights communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held study media sources information skills
- already held consult with production director communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held film production process arts and humanities
- already held adapt to type of media communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held develop creative ideas communication, collaboration and creativity
All 11 carried skills, including the 7 the storyboard artist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 22 missing skills fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn consult with motion picture producer required
- still to learn familiarise with personal directing styles required
- still to learn present storyboard required
- still to learn select illustration styles required
- still to learn use storyboards required
- still to learn manage feedback required
- optional, not held create animated narratives optional
- optional, not held create original drawings optional
- optional, not held create sketches optional
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held use traditional illustration techniques optional
- optional, not held create 2D painting optional
- optional, not held create digital images optional
- optional, not held design graphics optional
- still to learn graphic design required
- optional, not held cameras optional
- still to learn copyright legislation required
- optional, not held apply 3D imaging techniques optional
- optional, not held digital content creation optional
- optional, not held use digital illustration techniques optional
- optional, not held perform image editing optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a storyboard artist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 consult with motion picture producer practise this
- 02 familiarise with personal directing styles practise this
- 03 present storyboard practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 11 skills that carry over
- already held adapt to type of media skill
- already held analyse a script skill
- already held consult with production director skill
- already held develop creative ideas skill
- already held film production process knowledge
- already held follow work schedule skill
- already held study media sources skill
- already held ICT software specifications knowledge
- already held multimedia systems knowledge
- already held photography knowledge
- already held work with playwrights skill
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held apply 3D imaging techniques optional
- optional, not held create animated narratives optional
- optional, not held create original drawings optional
- optional, not held create sketches optional
- optional, not held develop animations optional
- optional, not held digital content creation optional
- optional, not held use digital illustration techniques optional
- optional, not held use traditional illustration techniques optional
- optional, not held cameras optional
- optional, not held create 2D painting optional
- optional, not held create digital images optional
- optional, not held design graphics optional
- optional, not held manage budgets optional
- optional, not held perform image editing optional
27 held skills the storyboard artist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt a script skill
- not needed by the target role adapt designers’ work to the performance venue skill
- not needed by the target role attend rehearsals skill
- not needed by the target role audiovisual equipment knowledge
- not needed by the target role cinematography knowledge
- not needed by the target role design lighting skill
- not needed by the target role edit digital moving images skill
- not needed by the target role edit recorded sound skill
- not needed by the target role ensure visual quality of the set skill
- not needed by the target role file-based workflow knowledge
- not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
- not needed by the target role hire human resources skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with event sponsors skill
- not needed by the target role lighting techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate a camera skill
- not needed by the target role perform video editing skill
- not needed by the target role photographic processing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role read scripts skill
- not needed by the target role select camera apertures skill
- not needed by the target role set up cameras skill
- not needed by the target role supervise camera crew skill
- not needed by the target role supervise script preparation skill
- not needed by the target role supervise sound production skill
- not needed by the target role translate artistic concepts to technical designs skill
- not needed by the target role watch scenes skill
- not needed by the target role work with motion picture editing team skill
- not needed by the target role work with pre-production team skill
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn copyright legislation required
- still to learn graphic design required
- optional, not held cameras optional
Common questions about this move
Can a director of photography become a storyboard artist?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A director of photography already covers 39% of what a storyboard artist is expected to do: 11 skills carry over, 7 of which the storyboard artist role treats as required.
What skills does a director of photography need to become a storyboard artist?
8 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 5 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is consult with motion picture producer.
How hard is the move from director of photography to storyboard artist?
Its learning distance is 60.8 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.