How to Make a Storyboard for a Video: Complete Guide

Every successful video starts with a spark of inspiration in your head. But what happens when that one brilliant idea branches out into a million thoughts and turns into one chaotic mess? That’s where storyboarding comes in to turn your scattered thoughts into a structured, cohesive visual storyline. 
 

Storyboards are not a fancy extra step to take in your video creation – they’re the key to taking your video production to the next level. Think of them as a blueprint for your video, carefully mapping every shot, transition and dialogue with precision, so that you can turn your vision into reality without missing any important steps. 
 

What is video production?  

Before diving into any details, let’s set the stage by defining what video production is, and where storyboarding fits into the picture. 
 

Essentially, video production describes the process of creating a video, from brainstorming to the final cut. Regardless of the type of video you’re creating, video production should follow a structured workflow in order to save you time, keep things organized, and give you a go-to template to start from every time.

Video production typically covers three main stages: 

• Pre-production – the planning phase, where the groundwork for your video is laid out. This usually includes brainstorming new ideas, defining your topic, creating a storyboard, and adding a script.
• Production – the execution phase, where the actual filming takes place. This covers setting up your scene and filming equipment and capturing the footage.
• Post production – the refinement phrase. This includes editing your video by cutting clips, adding effects, adding music, voiceovers, captions, color grading etc.
   

What is a storyboard and why do you need it?

A storyboard is a document (physical or digital) outlining every detail of your video, usually divided in chapters, or sometimes even frames. Depending on what you’re shooting, your storyboard can look like a series of sketches or images, often paired with notes – like a comic strip version of your video concept.
 

Storyboards may add a bit more complexity (and time) to your video production but it’s entirely worth it because:
 

• They help you visualize the flow of your story. 

A storyboard lets you map out your video scene by scene, so that every scene connects smoothly with one another and your narrative is well-thought, engaging and clear. It also helps you identify any gaps or inconsistencies in your vision before you start recording. 

• They give you a game plan for filming.

By outlining your shots in advance, you’ll know exactly what to capture, which saves you time, keeps you organized, and prevents unnecessary reshoots.

• They are excellent time-savers.

A well-planned storyboard helps you stay focused and create a standard template for your videos, which you can modify and adapt depending on each project’s needs – allowing you to spend less time on planning and more time on the execution of your video. 

• They can serve as a great brief for external collaboration. 

Whether you're working solo, with a team or with external collaborators, a storyboard can be a visual guide that keeps everyone on the same page – including your future self if you decide you revisit your project.
 

How to estimate time for storyboard scenes

Storyboarding is designed to help you save time and create videos more efficiently, without compromising on your vision. That’s why it’s super helpful to have a rough idea of how long this step will take.
 

Here’s how you can gauge time for storyboard scenes:
 

• Organize your video. Split your video into several chapters and identify the key moments that need to be illustrated for each chapter. On average, you might need around 6 to 8 panels per one minute of video.
   
• Estimate time per panel. Some scenes will be quick and simple, while others might need more detail. Expect to spend anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes per panel, depending on complexity.
   
• Test it out. If you’re not sure how long it might take, try timing yourself while you sketch one or two panels. This will give you a realistic idea of your workflow.
   
• Do the math. Multiply the time spent on every panel by the total number of panels, and you’ll have an estimate of the total time required for that video. 
   

How to create a storyboard step by step

We’ve already established that storyboarding is all about bringing order to the chaos, and following a set number of steps in order to map out your entire vision for a video. So here are the main steps to help you create a solid storyboard: 
 

Planning & script-writing

First things first, you should ask yourself: what’s your video all about? Whether it’s a quick, funny TikTok, a detailed 10-minute YouTube tutorial, or a cinematic travel vlog, defining your purpose will set the stage for everything else. Start by jotting down a rough script or key ideas so you have a clear direction before you dive into detailed visuals.

Outlining major moments

Next, take a minute to think about the flow of your video. What’s the intro / opening scene? How does the story develop? How does it end? Mapping out these key moments will help make sure everything has its space on your storyboard. 

Creating a template

Keep it simple! Start with a bare bone sketch – just a series of rectangles to represent your scenes, with some space underneath to jot down scene-specific notes. It doesn’t have to be fancy; the goal is to give yourself a visual structure to work from.

Adding the details 

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be the next Picasso to create a good storyboard. Start with something as simple as stick figures. The idea is to get a sense of what each scene will look like. Fill in the blanks with important details like dialogue, camera angles, transitions, or any special effects you have in mind.
 

Top storyboard techniques for video creation

Storyboards aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution – they should work for you, not slow you down. The key is choosing the right type of storyboard for the video you’re creating.

If you’re working on a 15-second TikTok, you probably don’t need an ultra-detailed frame-by-frame plan. But for a longer YouTube tutorial, for instance, mapping out each shot can save you tons of time in production. The trick is to match your storyboard style to your video’s complexity.
 

Traditional vs digital storyboards

Traditional storyboards are drawn by hand, using good old-fashioned pencil and paper (or even a whiteboard!). Hand-drawn storyboards are without a doubt the most accessible and inexpensive option, and they can be easily altered to make room for more ideas/panels/notes.
 

Image source: Russ Fan | Flickr
 

Digital storyboards, on the other hand, are usually made using design apps. They allow for extra details like colors, text, and even animations. 

Basically, if you need a quick, flexible way to sketch out ideas on the go, traditional storyboards should be more than enough. If you want a more refined, shareable version with plenty of details and even special effects, then consider a switch to digital storyboards. 
 

Thumbnail storyboards vs detailed storyboards

Compared to traditional vs. digital storyboards – where the key difference lies in the tools used to create them – the distinction between thumbnail and detailed storyboards comes down to the level of detail. 
 

Thumbnail storyboards are rough sketches meant to map out the general flow of a video, making them a great choice for creators who value speed and efficiency. Detailed storyboards include more micro-level elements like camera angles, movements, and scene compositions, which makes them more time-consuming, but also more organized and thorough. 
 

What is the 180 rule in storyboarding?

One of the golden rules of storyboarding is continuity. No matter how simple or complex your storyboard is, the story it tells has to flow smoothly without any disorienting jumps in perspective. That’s where the 180-degree rule comes in.
 

This rule states that when a scene involves two subjects, you should draw an imaginary line between them, called the “axis of action.” To maintain visual consistency, the camera must stay on the same side of this line throughout the scenes. If the camera crosses the axis, it creates a “reverse angle,” which can flip the subjects' positions on screen and confuse the audience.
 

Best tools for creating storyboards 

Barring pen and paper, you’ll likely need some digital tools to help create storyboards that match your specific needs, and make the process faster and more enjoyable. Whether you’re mapping out a video tutorial, vlog, ad, or a social media clip, these platforms can help you visualize your idea before the video shoot – even if you have zero design or scriptwriting experience.
 

So, in no particular order, here’s a quick list of awesome tools that can simplify storyboard creation:
 

Canva

This massively popular design tool is good for more than social media posts and presentations – it also offers a wide selection of storyboard templates that you can edit to fit your project. Simply drag and drop your images, add text, and edit the design to match your vision. Most templates are free, but some advanced designs are locked behind a premium plan.
 

Standout feature: numerous editable templates

Pricing: $10 per month; free plan also available 
 

Boords

This is an online platform designed specifically for storyboarding, With Boords, you can easily create, edit, and share storyboards, plus animate your panels to preview your sequence. Their AI-powered storyboard generator can instantly create any storyboard from a script, making your process even more efficient. 
 

Standout feature: Animatic tool for easy preview

Pricing: $29 per month for 1-3 users, 14-day free trial also available 
 

Plot

The brain-child of a former video animator, Plot is a dedicated storyboarding app that keeps things simple and effective. It streamlines the process into four easy steps: 

• Write or import your script
• Upload images or manually sketch your frame
• Get review links to share with your team 
• Export your storyboard in any format 
   

Standout feature: Simplified collaboration 

Pricing: $9.99/ mo, 14-day free trial also available 
 

How to edit your video in post-production 

Alright, so you’ve planned your video, you’ve designed your storyboard, and captured all the necessary footage. Keep in mind that not everything you shoot will make it into the final cut, so you have to step into the post-production stage. This is where you trim the excess, adjust the pacing of your video, add transitions, effects and captions, improve audio and more.
 

Luckily, you can do all of this without switching between multiple apps, and just using Flixier. And since you’re already here on our blog, I’m guessing you’re curious about what our video editor can do, so let’s give you a quick tour of its greatest hits: 

• Trim, cut, resize: Remove any extra footage using the Trim feature. Turn vertical videos into landscape, and experiment with other aspect ratios depending on where you want to share your video. 
• Add transitions: Avoid any abrupt cuts and keep your story flowing smoothly by integrating transitions. In Flixier, you’ll find a generation selection of creative transitions, from classic fades to eye-catching zooms and 3D effects,
• Color-correct. Make your video pop even if it was shot in poor lighting conditions. Adjust brightness, saturation, and contrast, or add filters to set the right mood.
• Fix your audio. Remove any audio distractions like background noise or reverb, and reach peak sound quality with the AI Audio Enhancer. 
• Caption your video with one-click. Waste no time adding captions to your video with Flixier’s AI caption generator.  Want to reach a global audience? Simply translate your captions in over 130 languages.
• Narrate without recording. Thanks to our AI Voiceover Generator, you can do human-like voice overs to your videos without having to record yourself or rely on a voice actor to do it. The only challenge here is to pick a favorite from the dozens of AI voice profiles available. 

Conclusion

It may be hard to believe that the success of your video can be shaped by something that happens even before you tap “record”, but storyboards are here to challenge that belief. A well-crafted storyboard creates a solid foundation for your video, making sure that every shot is intentional, every word carries weight, and no key idea gets lost along the way.