For many filmmakers, the storyboarding process is essential for visualizing and organizing their projects before they ever reach for their cameras. But for those of us who couldn't draw our way out of a paper bag, finding someone who can is often more work than just filling in each panel ourselves. Toronto-based Art Director Jorgen Stovne aims to remedy that with his site Jorgen's List, a growing directory of storyboard artists, some of which have worked on such projects as the Iron Man, James Bond, Harry Potter and Star Wars series, that filmmakers can browse to find freelancers for their film and animation projects -- and it's all free!

Jorgen's List isn't only beneficial for those needing help with their storyboards; it's also a great resource for storyboard artists to add to their clientele. Currently, there are about 50 artists in the directory, a number which, Stovne says, would be much higher if the criteria for acceptance was based on casting a large net. But it's not, and that's what seems to set Jorgen's List apart from similar resources. Though the list is partly there to assist storyboard artists in finding projects, it's also there for filmmakers to find professional artists. It's not a "free-for-all" -- artists need to be "recommended by at least 5 Art Directors that work with them on a regular basis."

As I said before, artists on Jorgen's List include those who have worked on major motion pictures, as well as major TV shows, like The Walking Dead, Firefly, Hemlock Grove, and a countless cartoons and game franchises. But, that doesn't mean that storyboard artists wanting to get on the list have to have years and years of experience. Jorgen adds at least 1 new artist a week, and some of those are young up and comers with little overall experience, but a whole lot of talent.

If you're a storyboard artist that meets the criteria and you want to register, you can do that here.

Features of the site include the availability status of each storyboard artist (whether they're busy with a project or not), which is color-coded and ranges from "very likely" to "unlikely," artist profiles, and the ability to contact artists directly. The newest feature, however, is the "Director Boards" category, which helps navigate the kind of work artists specialize in. There are 4 categories in all, including advertising storyboards and creative retouching.

The one feature that'd be nice to see on Jorgen's List would be the ability to see the fees each artists charges. However, upon asking Jorgen about this, he brings up a great point about why that's not a viable option. Since determining fees on a storyboard is done on such a case by case basis, it wouldn't be wise for an artist to offer his/her services at a pre-set rate. The complexity of the boards, detail of each frame, and experience of the artist are only a few factors that will eventually determine how much you're going to pay. And as I said before, this site is just as much for storyboard artists as it is for filmmakers!

So, if you're a filmmaker looking for a capable storyboard artist, or if you're a storyboard artist looking for a project, check out Jorgen's List and see if it's the right resource for you.

What do you think of Jorgen's List? Are there any other similar resources that you can tell us about? Let us know in the comments below!

Link: Jorgen's List