The last thing anyone wants to do is “go back to the drawing board.” That’s why any forward-thinking video creator starts with a storyboard.
Although every video project is different, they all begin with a solid plan of action. Team brainstorming meetings and script writing (we have a template for that too!) are essential elements of the process, but storyboarding is where the project really comes together.
A storyboard template can help you visualize a rough draft of your video before it goes into production. Whether you’re making a blockbuster film or an SaaS explainer video, our printable storyboard templates can help you get started.
We’ll share those templates below, along with insights on storyboarding and video planning from IdeaRocket creative director William Gadea.
Why Is Storyboarding Important?
Storyboards are rough drawings of what the key frames — the starting or ending positions of characters or objects — in your animated video will look like. Descriptions of the action within the frame are included to give full context to the entire process.
“A storyboard is the blueprint for a video,” Gadea said. “It’s where the visual language of the video is worked out.”
Creating a video storyboard keeps everyone on the same page and avoids costly re-dos later on down the line. Think of a video storyboard as your video production guide. It’s changed, developed, and referred to every step of the way.
Storyboards give your team insights into crucial elements of the production process, like:
- How well the visual storytelling is working
- How many backgrounds you’ll need to create
- Where texts and graphics are needed to add context
- How images and music will be used to drive your video narrative
- How the voiceover lines up with the visuals
Creating a storyboard to guide your production process will save time and keep everyone working toward the same goals.
6-Panel Animation Storyboard Template
Storyboards most often come in formats with one, four, or six frames per page. Each frame should be the same size and have the same aspect ratio as the medium you’re creating for.
Underneath each frame, include space to map out your voiceover script. You also want to include room for other notes, like frame descriptions (what’s going on in the scene), music choice, types of shots, text overlays, and sound effects.
A simple 6-panel storyboard template includes all of these important elements. Get a printable storyboard template here.
Storyboards can also be created vertically. This downloadable storyboard template includes five panels with a portrait frame. You can print or load this template into your favorite graphics software.
How To Storyboard A Video
Storyboards are rough sketches of your video. They don’t require perfect character design. You might not even include color. There will be time for all of that later. For now, keep it simple.
“Oftentimes when we are writing the early versions of the script we will create very rough drawings, really, more like stick figures,” Gadea said. “We call these thumbnails to distinguish them from the more developed storyboard.”
Storyboards often include arrows within each frame to indicate camera actions or animated movement. They show how action flows from frame to frame. Animators use them to understand what types of shots are needed for different parts of the story.
Here is a simple example of some common arrow types, from Storyboard That:
Developing Storyboard Graphics
Storyboards are rough sketches of your video. At first, don’t be afraid to keep it simple. Arrows can frame character movement within a scene or location.
The storyboard comes to life as the project develops. If you’re producing an animated video, or a whiteboard animation, more developed storyboards (also called dynamic animatic storyboards) can add more depth than simpler drawings.
Enhance Video Storyboarding with Animatics
“At IdeaRocket, we often prefer to present storyboards in animatic form,” Gadea said. “Instead of presenting the storyboard frames on paper, we time the frames in a slideshow fashion to the voiceover. We feel this contains more information, since it gives a sense of tempo. It is also far easier to read.”
In the example below, you can see an initial thumbnail animatic (top left) alongside the storyboard animatic (bottom left) and the final animation (right).
While animatic storyboards are still “rougher” than a finished animated video, they’re more complete than a static storyboard. This technique gives your team a better feel for what the finished product will actually look like. Animatic storyboards can also help you identify and correct challenges earlier — saving time, resources, and frustration.
While animatics sound like the obvious choice, there are situations when a traditional static storyboard makes more sense.
“Healthcare projects usually come with stringent legal reviews, and the lawyers prefer to put their notes and adjustments on paper,” Gadea said. “For broadcast commercials, sometimes the agencies are more comfortable with storyboards rather than animatics, although they often like to receive both.”
Why You Need A Storyboard Template
It pays to be proactive. A video storyboard template is the backbone of your video plan. It’s where all the pieces of the video puzzle come together — marrying narrative, audio, and visuals, frame by frame. This type of planning gives your team the power to identify challenges early, saving you time and money throughout the production process.
Creating a video storyboard is actually pretty simple if you have the right tools and the right production partner. Bring IdeaRocket onboard for your video project. Contact us to get started or learn more.
