Storyboard Template: 6 Scenes, Every Shot Planned Before You Shoot

What this template is for

For directors, marketers, indie filmmakers, and content creators who need to lock down a video before touching the camera or an animation timeline. This storyboard template gives you a 2×3 grid of scene panels — each with an image placeholder for the reference frame, a shot-type · duration meta line, a colored stage badge (Hook / Problem / Solution / Demo / Benefit / CTA), and a sticky note for the voice-over. Open it, replace the images with your own sketches or references, adjust the duration numbers until they sum to your runtime, and share the board link with your director, editor, or client. No signup, no software install.

When to use this template

• Storyboard a 60-second product launch video with a clear Hook → Problem → Solution → CTA arc.
• Plan a 15–30-second TikTok or Instagram Reel where every second of screen time has to earn its place.
• Pre-visualize a 2-minute explainer animation before you spend hours in After Effects or Cavalry.
• Break a short film or student project into shot-by-shot beats with shot type, duration, and dialogue.
• Map a UX user-flow storyboard when pitching a new product feature — one panel per screen or interaction.
• Sketch a Kickstarter or crowdfunding video that has to tell a full story in under 3 minutes.

How to use it

1. 1Set the runtime target (30 sec, 60 sec, 2 min…) — write it into the subtitle so every shot has a budget.
2. 2Fill each of the 6 scene panels with a shot description — 1 sentence, camera position + subject + action.
3. 3Assign shot type and duration to each panel (WIDE / MED / CU / ECU / SCREEN); durations must sum to the runtime.
4. 4Write the voice-over or dialogue in the yellow sticky note — one line per scene, keep it under ~3 words/sec.
5. 5Drag a reference sketch or a screenshot into each image placeholder — a rough thumbnail is enough at this stage.
6. 6Share the board link with your director, editor, or client before shooting; iterate until every scene reads.

Quick example

Related resources

How it compares to similar tools

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the storyboard because 'I know what I want to shoot'

  You end up on set (or in your NLE) discovering the story doesn't work, and every re-shoot / re-render costs money and time. Fix: even a rough 6-panel storyboard costs 30 minutes and catches structural problems before they become expensive. Directors of feature films storyboard every shot; a TikTok deserves at least a napkin sketch.

• Durations that don't sum to runtime

  You have 60 seconds of runtime but 6 scenes at 15s each = 90s. Fix: put the target runtime in the subtitle, then add up the shot durations after each edit. If they exceed budget, cut a scene rather than shortening every scene into a blur. The Metadata line on each panel is there precisely for this arithmetic.

• One shot type for every panel

  Every panel is 'MED' (medium shot). The result is a visually flat video — the viewer's brain tunes out. Fix: alternate wide / medium / close-up across scenes to give the eye rhythm. The comparisons section above lists the standard notation — pick 3–4 different shot types across your 6 panels.

• Voice-over that reads like copy, not speech

  The voice-over sticky says 'Our revolutionary platform empowers users to unlock synergies.' Nobody speaks like that. Fix: read every voice-over line out loud with a stopwatch. If it takes longer than duration allows, cut words. If it sounds like ad copy, rewrite until it sounds like a friend explaining.

• No reference art in the image placeholder

  You wrote 'wide shot of two people talking' but drew nothing — when your DP or animator reads it, they invent something different from what you had in mind. Fix: drop in ANY reference — a screengrab from a similar video, a stick-figure sketch, even a Getty stock photo. Reference is a communication tool, not fine art.

• Never sharing the board with the person who'll shoot / animate

  You storyboard alone, then hand a completed script to the crew — and they push back on infeasible shots after you've already committed. Fix: share the CodePic board link during storyboarding, not after. Your DP can add sticky notes ('this shot needs a jib, adds $400') and you rework in place. That's what a shared board is for.

Frequently asked questions