Our recent study of Alfred Hitchcock only made passing mention of it, but Hitch was one of the first studio directors to rely heavily on storyboards in production of his films. He would map out his distinctive set pieces using storyboards — those cool drawings that show exactly what will be in the frame, and any movements the camera might make — and would then create them on set, often shot for shot. Hitchock wasn’t the first to do it, but he was an enthusiastic and consistent early adopter, and the filmmakers who followed with an eye for sharp camerawork (from Scorsese and Spielberg to the Coens and Nolan) frequently do the same. With storyboards on our mind lately thanks to their use in both the opening sequence and the climax of Argo , we decided to put together a gallery of some of our favorite storyboards from iconic movies. (Special thanks to the folks behind the “Drawing Board” column of the DGA Quarterly, where we found several of the storyboards to follow.)
Gone with the Wind (1939) Director: Victor Fleming Storyboard Artist: William Cameron Menzies
Psycho (1960) Director: Alfred Hitchcock Storyboard Artist: Saul Bass
Spartacus (1960) Director: Stanley Kubrick Storyboard Artist: Saul Bass
Thunderball (1965) Director: Terence Young Storyboard Artist: Unknown
The Sound of Music (1965) Director: Robert Wise Storyboard Artist: Maurice Zuberano
Jaws (1975) Director: Steven Spielberg Storyboard Artist: Joe Alves
Taxi Driver (1976) Director/Storyboard Artist: Martin Scorsese
Star Wars (1977) Director: George Lucas Storyboard Artist: Joe Johnston
Apocalypse Now (1979) Director: Frances Ford Coppola Storyboard Artist: Dean Tavoularis
Blade Runner (1982) Director: Ridley Scott Storyboard Artist: Tom Cranham
Aliens (1986) Director: James Cameron Storyboard Artists: Roger Dear, Maciek Piotrowski, Denis Rich
Jurassic Park (1993) Director: Steven Spielberg Storyboard Artist: David Lowery
Spiderman 2 (2004) Director: Sam Raimi Storyboard Artist: Chris Buchinsky
No Country for Old Men (2007) Director: Joel and Ethan Coen Storyboard Artist: J. Todd Anderson
Inception (2010) Director: Christopher Nolan Storyboard Artist: Gabriel Hardman