A critical theoretical component of storyboarding is the concept of “reading the panels”—the instinctive ability to know how long a viewer will spend on a static image before feeling the need for the next one, which directly influences the timing of the final cut. Storyboard artists manipulate the spacing between panels, the level of detail within each frame, and the sheer number of panels used per unit of time to control the viewer’s psychological pacing of the story. A dense page of many small panels suggests rapid, frantic action, while two large, sparse panels imply a slow, dramatic pause.

Our faculty trains students to be keenly aware of the psychology of rhythm, using panel layout to achieve desired emotional effects, much like a musician uses rests and staccato notes. This theoretical foundation ensures that the storyboard is not a random collection of drawings, but a carefully choreographed sequence where the design of the page itself contributes to the temporal and emotional impact of the narrative.