What shape should storyboard frames be?

The shape of the finished video: 16:9 for YouTube and most screens, 9:16 for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, 1:1 for square posts, and 4:3 for a classic look. Drawing in the right shape shows you what fits in the picture.

How many frames does a storyboard need?

One for every time the picture changes. A 30-second Reel usually takes 5 to 8 frames; a 5-minute YouTube video can take 30 or more. Start with the big moments and fill in between.

Do I need to be good at drawing?

No. Stick figures, boxes and arrows are what most professional storyboards look like at first. If you'd rather not draw at all, fill it in online: each frame draws its shot for you.

Can I print it on US Letter paper?

Yes. Every template comes in A4 and US Letter. Pick the paper before you download.

What's the difference between a storyboard and a shot list?

A storyboard shows the video in order, as pictures, so you can see how it flows. A shot list is a table of every shot to film, often grouped by location so the shoot day runs smoothly. Many people make the storyboard first, then turn it into a shot list.

Is my storyboard kept if I close the page?

Yes, on this device. It's saved as you type and comes back when you return. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

Free template

Storyboard template

Print a blank storyboard in the shape your video needs, or plan it right here, frame by frame: the shot, the words, and how long each part takes.

Blank storyboard to print

Frames per page

Frame shape

Lines under each frame for notes

Download PDF

Or fill it in online

Running time 0 s of 30 s, type the words and each one is timed for you

01
Shot
Length
What we see
What is said
02
Shot
Length
What we see
What is said
03
Shot
Length
What we see
What is said

Saved on this device as you type.

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Storyboard examples

Three short videos planned frame by frame: a Reel, a product demo and a talking-head tip. Copy the structure, swap in your own words.

A cooking Reel

Reel · 9:16 · 6 frames · 30 s

Three-ingredient pasta in 30 seconds. The hook comes first, every step gets its own frame, and the ending asks for a follow.

01 · Close-up · 3 s
“Three ingredients. Ten minutes. Watch.”
3-ingredient pasta
02 · Top-down · 5 s
“Pasta into well-salted water.”
Step 1
03 · Insert / detail · 5 s
“Butter and lots of black pepper in a cold pan.”
04 · Medium · 7 s
“Save a cup of the pasta water. That's the sauce.”
Don't skip this
05 · Top-down · 6 s
“Toss, add the cheese, keep it moving.”
06 · Close-up · 4 s
“Follow for part two.”
Recipe in caption

A product demo

Product demo · 16:9 · 6 frames · 1:04

A habit-tracking app in about a minute. Face first to build trust, then the screen for each feature, then the person again for the ask.

01 · Medium · 6 s
“Most habit apps nag you. This one just shows you the streak.”
02 · Screen recording · 14 s
“Add a habit in two taps: name it, pick the days.”
Add a habit
03 · Insert / detail · 8 s
“It sits on your lock screen, so you see it without opening anything.”
04 · Screen recording · 16 s
“Miss a day and the streak pauses. It doesn't reset.”
Streaks pause
05 · Over the shoulder · 12 s
“We built it for people who've tried before and stopped.”
06 · Medium · 8 s
“The link is below. Start with one habit.”
Link below

A talking-head tip

Talking head · 9:16 · 6 frames · 57 s

One person, one point, one minute. Cutaways every few lines keep a talking head from feeling like a single long take.

01 · Medium · 7 s
“If your videos look flat, check where the window is.”
Better light, free
02 · Wide · 6 s
“With the window behind you, the camera sees a bright sky and a dark face.”
03 · Close-up · 12 s
“Turn around. Face the window, and the light falls on you instead.”
04 · Insert / detail · 6 s
“No window? One lamp, bounced off a white wall.”
05 · Medium · 18 s
“Keep the light a little to one side so your face has some shape.”
06 · Close-up · 8 s
“Try it on your next video and tell me what changed.”
Save for later

How to make a storyboard

Start with the words. Write down what will be said, or what happens if nobody speaks, and split it wherever the picture should change. Each split is a frame.

For every frame, sketch what the camera sees: a stick figure and a box are enough. Note the shot (wide, close-up), anything that moves, and roughly how many seconds it lasts. Add any text that appears on screen.

Then read it through from the first frame to the last. If two frames in a row show the same thing, merge them. If one frame has a lot of talking, add a cutaway so the picture keeps changing. Check the total against the length you're aiming for.

Which storyboard template to print

Frame sizes for 16:9 frames with note lines on A4. US Letter is within a few millimetres.

Frames per page	Frame size	Page	Best for
4	92 × 52 mm	Upright	Big frames for detailed drawings, younger students, or a short ad with only a few shots.
6	86 × 49 mm	Upright	The everyday choice: room to draw and three lines of notes under each frame.
8	62 × 35 mm	Sideways	Longer sequences, when you want a whole scene on one page.
9	57 × 32 mm	Upright	Quick thumbnails to plan the order fast, like a comic strip.

Storyboards for school and class projects

For a class, print the 6-frame sheet with lines: big enough to draw in, with room underneath for what is said and what happens. Younger students do better with 4 frames.

Ask for one idea per frame, an arrow to show anything that moves, and the words written under the picture. Drawing skill doesn't matter; the point is deciding the order before anyone picks up a camera.

Every template prints in black and white, on A4 or US Letter, and photocopies cleanly.

Questions

Asked often

Last checked 2 October 2026

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