Storyboarding & Scripts

Before you press record, real filmmakers plan on paper. A storyboard is a comic-strip plan of every shot. A script is the words people say and the action they do. Together, the storyboard and script turn an idea into a video that flows scene by scene.

What a Storyboard Does

A storyboard breaks your video into panels. Each panel is one shot — what the camera sees and how it moves. With a storyboard, you spot problems before you film, save time on set, and end up with a video that actually tells a story.

• Each panel shows ONE shot — like a single picture in a comic strip.
• Add a quick sketch of what the camera sees (stick figures are fine).
• Write a one-line shot description under the sketch.
• Add the dialogue or caption the audience will hear or read.

Common Shot Types

A great storyboard mixes shot types so the video does not feel flat. Switching shots keeps the audience interested and helps tell the story.

• Wide shot — shows the whole scene and sets the location.
• Close-up — shows a face or object up close to reveal emotion or detail.
• Over-the-shoulder — shows two people talking, one from behind.
• Pan — the camera sweeps across a scene to reveal something slowly.
• Cut to action — a quick switch to a new moment that adds energy.
• Fade to black — the screen darkens to close a scene or the video.

Parts of a Simple Script

A script is the writing that goes with the storyboard. Even a one-minute video has the same parts a movie script has — just shorter.

1. Scene heading — where and when (e.g. KITCHEN — MORNING).
2. Action — what is happening on screen, written in the present tense.
3. Character name — who is about to speak, written in capital letters.
4. Dialogue — the exact words the character says.
5. Transition — how the scene ends (CUT TO, FADE OUT, etc.).