Hitchcock’s Storyboards from 13 Classic Films
Hitchcock was known for his extensive storyboarding down to the finest detail of production. He was reported to have never even bothered looking through the viewfinder, since he didn’t need to do so. Looking at his storyboards versus the finial film it’s safe to say that is a vast overstatement.
Hitchcock trained as a draughtsman and worked in advertising before his first job in the film industry; designing title cards for silent films. Perhaps this influenced his pre-visual style. While he was an experienced illustrator he always hired a storyboard artist. These included legendary artists as Saul Bass, Harold Michelson, among others.
Family Plot (1976)
Storyboard by Thomas J.Wright for the cemetery scene for Family Plot and the pursuit of Mrs. Maloney by Lumley.
Topaz (1969)
Thomas Wright’s “Topaz” storyboard.
Marnie (1964)
Storyboard sketch from “Marnie” by Harold Michelson.
The Birds (1963)
Harold Michelson “The Birds” storyboard.
Psycho (1960)
Saul Bass prepared storyboards for the shower scene, and was on the set during at least part of the filming. After Hitchcock’s death, Bass asserted that he had directed the scene at Hitchcock’s invitation–a claim definitively contradicted by both Janet Leigh and Assistant Director Hilton Green. Bass’s partisans have subsequently held that Hitchcock merely mechanically filmed shots already laid out by Bass. Comparing the storyboards to the filmed scene shows that to be untrue. On the other hand, the most crucial elements of the scene, such as the drain-eye matchcut and the tracking shot that follows it, are in the storyboards. That proves nothing about the author of the scene, however, since Bass drew the storyboards after extensive discussions with Hitchcock about the design of the scene.
North by Northwest (1959)
Pre-production sketch by Robert F Boyle of the Vandamm house in “North by Northwest”.
Sketch showing camera angles in “North by Northwest”.
Vertigo (1958)
The kiss by the ocean storyboards for “Vertigo”.
Spellbound (1945)
Pre-production drawing of Salvador Dali’s dream sequence in “Spellbound”.
Lifeboat (1944)
Storyboard with shooting script from “Lifeboat”.
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Pre-production drawings for “Shadow of a Doubt”.
Saboteur (1942)
John Decuir’s storyboards to the Statue of Liberty sequence in “Saboteur”.
Storyboard sequence from “Saboteur”, drawn by Alfred Hitchcock.
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Pre-production drawing for “Foreign Correspondent”.
The 39 Steps (1935)
Ray Simm’s storyboard sketch from “The 39 Steps”.
very cool
I’m a big advocate of story boarding…I usually do them myself but I feel it puts me more in a DP mindset and less focused on directing the drama….guess I’ll start hiring artists.
B-E-A-Utiful works of art! Hitchcock even planed the Lighting when storyboarding… and the Angles are sooooo Dramatic and amazing! Truly inspiring!
What is the source of the storyboard frames? I would like to see more. Thanks!
Wow! What a treasure trove of great info. Thank you for sharing!
Wow. Lots here to check out, thanks!
how many posts do i need before i can send pm?
Hi can anyone list the types of media used to draw these storyboard? obviously pencil is one. Thanks
[...] of lighting and camera angles, I think of Alfred Hitchcock. That’s why I was excited to see FilmmakerIQ.com’s collection of storyboards from 13 of Hitchcock’s greatest films. Using something like the storyboard from The Birds will help illustrate the effect of angles. Have [...]
[...] in point: as a master of his craft, legendary director Alfred Hitchcock was a well-documented devotee of the storyboarding process. It’s reported that he once said “I think one of the biggest problems that we have in [...]
[...] The Birds, Hitchcock Storyboards [...]
great look inside of everything. thanks.
[...] Hitchcock’s Storyboards From 13 Classic Films Fiction writers can learn a great deal (IMHO) from our cousins who write for the big screen and TV. This post looks at some storyboards from classic Hitchcock films. (Hitchcock is also someone writers can learn a lot from – can’t wait for W.C. Martell’s upcoming ‘blue books’ on Hitchcock!) [...]
[...] Hitchcock’s storyboards from 13 classic films sur Filmaker Iq [...]
[...] Hitchcock’s Storyboards Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. This entry was posted in CINEMATHEQUE and tagged alfred hitchcock, Hitchcock’s Storyboards, storyboard. Bookmark the permalink. [...]
[...] http://filmmakeriq.com/2010/11/hitchcocks-storyboards-from-13-classic-films/ [...]
[...] O site Filmmakeriq.com fez um post inteiro sobre os Storyboard do Hitchcock, você pode conferir AQUI. [...]
[...] To read about Hitchcock’s storyboards, check out… http://filmmakeriq.com/2010/11/hitchcocks-storyboards-from-13-classic-films/ So, remember – Go to the movies. Buy well-tailored clothes… Be on the lookout for fabric [...]
[...] Storyboarding is an essential part of film making ,both live action and animated especially these days with so many visual effects. It all has to be planned out to perfectly to minimize the shot list and the budget and it’s not an easy thing to do. I can’t even imagine something like this chase sequence from Tin Tin not being storyboarded first. Well, storyboards as you probably know have been around a long time and Walt Disney himself is said to have been one of the first to implement them into his workflow. Likewise, Alfred Hitchock was said to have used them extensively on his films. Check out this great article about Hitchcock and the storyboarding of his films. [...]
[...] this fantastically long blog post, the folks at Filmmaker IQ have collected together some of the storyboard art from 13 of Alfred [...]
[...] http://filmmakeriq.com/2010/11/hitchcocks-storyboards-from-13-classic-films/ [...]
[...] Sir Alfred Hitchcock was known extensively for his storyboarding. It defined him as a director and producer as the use of storyboards would effectively allow him to map out the entire production before actors/filming had commenced. And generally, he rarely ever deviated from the initial plan. For a more in-depth look at his storyboards in contrast to his films, take a look at this link [...]
[...] in point: as a master of his craft, legendary director Alfred Hitchcock was a well-documented devotee of the storyboarding process. It’s reported that he once said “I think one of the biggest problems that we have in [...]