# How to Make a Storyboard for Video (With Template)

> How to storyboard a video from scratch: the anatomy of a panel, common shot types, and a step-by-step walkthrough for a 30-second ad.

Source: https://buildpdfs.com/guides/how-to-make-a-storyboard
Published: 2025-03-16

A storyboard is a sequence of drawn or described panels that maps out a video shot by shot before you shoot a single frame. It's the same format used by Pixar for feature films and by a solo YouTuber planning a 90-second product demo — the scale is different, the purpose is the same: figure out what you're making before you make it.

## Who uses storyboards

- **Filmmakers and directors** — to lock in visual language before the shoot day
- **YouTubers and content creators** — to plan pacing and transitions for talking-head or B-roll-heavy videos
- **Ad agencies** — to present a concept to clients before expensive production begins
- **Animators** — to plan timing frame-by-frame before any animation is done
- **UX designers** — to storyboard user journeys and product flows
- **Social media teams** — to plan Reels and TikToks shot-by-shot

You don't need to be a filmmaker to benefit from storyboarding. Any video that has more than one shot benefits from a plan.

## Why storyboard before you shoot

**It saves time on set.** Figuring out that a shot doesn't work is free on paper. It costs an hour of crew time and location fees when you figure it out on location. A storyboard means every shot has a purpose before you show up.

**It aligns your team.** A director, cinematographer, and editor can all look at the same storyboard and understand what the final product is supposed to be. Without it, you're each picturing something different.

**It forces you to think about pacing.** When you lay out your panels in sequence, you can see immediately if you have five static wide shots in a row, or if you're cutting too fast, or if you have no establishing shot. Problems that are invisible in a script become obvious in a storyboard.

## The anatomy of a storyboard panel

Each panel in a storyboard has 5–6 fields:

| Field | What goes here |
|---|---|
| **Scene / shot number** | "Scene 2, Shot 4" or just sequential numbering |
| **Drawing or visual description** | A rough sketch OR a written description of what the camera sees |
| **Shot type** | WS, MS, CU, etc. (see below) |
| **Action description** | What is happening in the frame — movement, subject action, camera movement |
| **Dialogue / VO** | Any spoken words during this shot |
| **Duration** | Estimated length of the shot in seconds |

You don't need all six fields for every production. A solo YouTube video might only need shot type, description, and duration. A commercial going to a client needs all of them.

## Common shot types

- **WS (Wide Shot)** — Subject is fully in frame with a lot of environment. Use to establish location or show full-body action.
- **MS (Medium Shot)** — Subject framed from roughly the waist up. The default "talking head" shot. Use for interviews and conversations.
- **CU (Close-Up)** — Face or object fills most of the frame. Use for emotion, detail, or emphasis.
- **ECU (Extreme Close-Up)** — A single eye, a hand on a doorknob, product details. Use sparingly for maximum impact.
- **OTS (Over-the-Shoulder)** — Camera sits behind one subject's shoulder, facing the other. Standard for conversations and interviews.
- **POV (Point of View)** — The camera sees what the character sees. Puts the viewer in the subject's position.

When in doubt: establish wide, go medium for the main action, cut close for the emotional beat.

## Step-by-step: storyboarding a 30-second ad

**Step 1: Map the narrative arc first.** A 30-second ad typically has three beats — problem, solution, proof (or outcome). Write those three beats in words before you think about shots. For example: (1) Person is frustrated at their desk. (2) They use the product. (3) They look satisfied, product visible.

**Step 2: Assign shots to each beat.** Each narrative beat usually needs 2–4 shots. For the "frustrated at desk" beat, you might have: a WS establishing the cluttered desk, a CU on the furrowed brow, a CU on the screen showing a problem. That's 3 shots for maybe 6–8 seconds.

**Step 3: Think about transitions.** Are you cutting hard? Fading? Using a match cut (where a shape or motion in one shot continues into the next)? Note the transition type between panels. Transitions are often an afterthought in production and a headache in editing — plan them now.

**Step 4: Check your duration.** Add up the shot durations. If you have 12 shots at an average of 3 seconds, you're at 36 seconds — trim one or two shots. A 30-second ad rarely has more than 10–14 shots; if you have 20, you're planning a jump-cut chaos video or your shots are too short to read.

## You don't need to be able to draw

This is the single biggest reason people skip storyboarding. You don't need to be able to draw. A stickman in a box with the label "CU — hands on keyboard" communicates the same information as a beautifully illustrated panel. For most productions outside of animation and major commercials, a written description in the panel box is completely sufficient.

The point is not the art. The point is the sequence.

For creating a professional, printable storyboard document — one you can share with a client or a video team — see how [client-ready PDFs](/guides/client-deliverable-pdf-client-ready) are structured for clear communication with collaborators.

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The [Storyboard template on BuildPDFs](/templates/storyboard) gives you a grid of pre-formatted panels with labeled fields for shot type, action, dialogue, and duration. Print it and sketch by hand, or fill it in digitally and export as a PDF to share with your production team.