Why did you move from Canada to Prague?When was it and what have you done in Canade before,what have you studied?

I moved from Nova Scotia to Prague in 1999. I was a piano student at the conservatory at Acadia University

How did you get to storyboarding?Did you enjoy drawing or studied some art school and than met someone from film or someone  saw your work and asked you to do a storyboard for him?

I started working at Barrandov like an office assistant and eventualy started working as a production illustrator. After a few years one production asked me if I could do some storyboards and the director, Liev Schreiber, agreed to take a chance on me. This was 'Everything is Illuminated'. 

You draw with pencil.Is it still acceptable in current hi-tech time or you have to scan it anyway?When you draw it, is it your property or directors´one?

There are many storyboard artists still working in Pencil although also now many are working on the Wacom Cintiq where they can draw digitally directly onto a screen. Film artists usually sign an agreement that all material belongs to the production, but the studios generally allow artists to use a few samples for their portfolios. 

How does it work? Director contacts you, sends you a script and you draw a storyboard or he tells you his idea, do you the story and then it is matched with script? 

The regular work ‘pipeline’ is that you are given a script to read (these days not a paper script but, because of strict non-disclosure measures,  a document you read over a secure server) then you meet with the director or the director and the cameraman and start with whichever scene needs storyboarding most urgently (usually big VFX sequences). The director will describe the shots in order and I make tiny drawings on the spot to show and see if the framing is right etc. later I take this away and draw it up properly, scan it and type in any descriptions that will be helpful in making the plan understood. 

How long does it take and how many pictures are needed for 90 mins film?

It´s impossible to say. A whole film is almost never storyboarded completely Only the parts where a storyboard is necessary. One big action sequence could typically be about 30 pages of 4-5 frames. 

What happens if your ideas are different to those of director and scrip writer? Do you communicate during process of drawing or you do your job, get your money and wave good bye, job done? Are you present at the set while shooting?

It depends on the director. He or she is always the final decision maker - it’s THEIR project. But many directors are happy to have suggestions – wouldn´t it be cool to do a top shot here? Or, what if we had an insert of the hand here? This approach makes the work more collaborative and interesting. Other directors only want you to draw their ideas and don´t want or need any input. This is fine too.  

Is storyboarding still a must for any film? Do we talk about any kind of movie or it is done only for big ones, low budget movies don´t have any?

Compared to a sci- fi film, a romantic comedy needs very little storyboarding unless there are a few complicated camera sequences or an action sequence. Films with a lot of visual effects and stunts need the most storyboarding the visual effects and stunts departments can take the storyboards and use them to make their budgets which is very important at the start of a film 

How did you get to Star Wars job? Are you the best in business or someone from crew saw your work and they asked to you join them?

I am far from the best in the business. London was very busy and a friend and colleague suggested my name when they called him and he was already busy on another film. I flew to London to meet JJ Abrams and the producers who were all very nice and they offered me the job. 

In which phase of film making do you join in? Do you know the whole story so you know more than actors? 

Storyboarding starts generally very early on in the process so that plans and budgets and possible script changes can be made before it’s too late. Sometimes the storyboard artists know more than the actors but good actors will know the story in a different way than the technical people if that makes sense. 

What do you need to be a good story boarder? Drawing skill, fantasy, imagination and someone will definitely approach you or you also have to have connection and luck?

To be good it goes without saying you need to have pretty good drawing skills - my colleagues would agree with me that when you draw so many pictures per day per year your drawing gets better and faster and changes a lot over time. You need to have an understanding of how cameras work and the effects of different lenses and also a grasp of the way certain shots and angles progress to other shots and angles. Having an interest in film is obviously helpful. Your other question is more how to be a successful story boarder and like all jobs, on top of talent, being nice to have around at the office helps. Mostly in Europe story board artists don´t have agents and each job is recommended by someone who liked you and remembered you.

Was Star Wars the top of the iceberg for you and nothing can match and overcome that? Will you work on part VIII and don´t you think it lacks of what original 70´s stories had?

Star Wars was a really great experience in many ways and I already worked on part VIII last year. I think these new ones are really inspired and somehow find that special thing that the 790’s and 80’s originals had. 

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