Create Free Storyboard Online

There are two primary methods for creating a storyboard: digitally or manually. Some people have strong preferences for their chosen method, but at the end of the day, the finished product should be useful to you and your team. Here is a quick set of instructions for making a storyboard that works for either option.

1. Start with a blank template
2. Add your images and arrange them in story order
3. Insert notes and descriptions for each shot
4. Annotate with text and arrows for an extra layer of clarity

Typically, storyboards are created before shot lists. The idea here is that the storyboards are a chance to visualize how the project will be shot. The shot list can then be created after knowing what shots are needed and the order they should be shot.

Creating a storyboard for a photoshoot is a unique process in the world of storyboarding because the images are meant to stand alone as opposed to being part of a sequence. But, for the individual images, the general principles are the same. The photoshoot storyboard should focus on composition and lighting. You might even want to incorporate color designs and palettes, especially for a photoshoot with a distinct brand or theme.

As a general rule of process, storyboarding a short film is just like storyboarding a feature-length film. The one significant difference might be that you have less time to present your story, so extra emphasis might be placed on maximizing each frame. And this is where the time and dedication to storyboarding will benefit you.

With storyboard software like StudioBinder, exporting a PDF is just a click away. Once your storyboard is complete, you can completely customize your storyboard PDF, including the layout, showing/hiding certain elements, adding personalized watermarks, and even adding front/back covers.

Making a storyboard for a music video has a lot of overlap with making any type of storyboard. You still want to construct specific shots and compositions as you would in film or animation. Where the music video storyboard process differs is in the type of music video. Some are more narrative, some are pure performance, and some are in between. So, deciding what to storyboard would range from the more traditional (narrative) to the more abstract (performance).

Most people think of documentary filmmaking as more spontaneous, but there is a lot of planning to do before shooting starts, including storyboarding. The most obvious storyboarded scenes would be the talking head interviews. But you might also know the subject and the location and the basic story you're trying to tell, so you can plan out your shots and compositions with a storyboard.

On most professional productions, a Storyboard Artist is hired to do the storyboarding. This is a dedicated role that works closely with the Director and sometimes the Cinematographer to collaborate on the vision for the project.