Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (2023)

Storyboarder makes it easy to visualize a story as fast you can draw stick figures. Quickly draw to test if a story idea works. Create and show animatics to others. Express your story idea without making a movie.

We built Storyboarder because the storyboarding tool we wanted simply didn't exist. We are making it better every day. In fact, we have released it free and open source. You can and even make improvements.

Can you apply storyboarding and pitches to the story development process as animation has done? We think so. We would love to hear your feedback to make Storyboarder the best storyboarding tool possible.

Fast and Simple

Storyboarder is designed to be simple. We included the tools you need to board fast, and removed everything you don't need.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (1)

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (2)

6 simple drawing tools

Light pencil for roughing, Hard Pencil for fine lines, Pen for most work, Brush to tone, Note Pen to write notes, and Eraser!

Add boards with a click

Theres no friction. Add a board. Draw. Add another. Draw. Duplicate. Copy. Paste. Rearrange. There is nothing stopping you.

Enter dialogue and action

Add metadata for a board on the right panel. You can also enter timing information and shot type.

For everything else, just edit in Photoshop.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (3)

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (4)

Click edit in Photoshop

Draw your roughs and do layout in Storyboarder. If you need more control, just click the edit in photoshop button!

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (5)

Edit in Photoshop and save

The board will open up in Photoshop. Just edit as you normally would. Once you save, it will automatically update in Storyboarder!

Who's this for?

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (6)

Story Artists

Craft stories visually from your thoughts to boards as fast as possible.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (7)

Directors

Sketch your shot list through boards to see if they work as a movie.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (8)

Writers

Take your written stories and visualize them. See the words come to life.

(Video) Super Easy way to Storyboard if you can't Draw

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (9)

Advertisers

Create storyboards for advertisements so you can visually show your clients.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (10)

Dreamers

Have an idea and a dream? Create and iterate on your idea by drawing it.

Do you like storyboarding on paper? Print and import paper storyboards magically.

In Storyboarder, you can print out storyboard worksheets. Draw on as many frames and pages as you like. Then take a picture of the worksheet with your phone and Storyboarder will automatically import the boards into your project.

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Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (13)

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (14)

Export to Premiere, Final Cut, Avid, PDF,
and Animated GIF

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Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (16)

Export to any editing program. This is great for cutting together your boards or doing realtime editing at shoots. You can also export a contact sheet of your boards as a PDF, and an Animated GIF – perfect for sharing and collaboration.

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Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (18)

Focus with a Sketch Sprint and then share a timelapse.

Need to focus? Set a Sketch Sprint timer and just draw and storyboard until the time runs out. At the end of the Sketch Sprint, we will create an animated timelapse gif of your work. It's great for sharing!

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (19)

Rest in peace, Mr. Wiggles. (1980-2003) #bettertohavelovedandlost

Timelapse of a random ass cat I drew in 15 minutes during a Sketch Sprint. Mr. Wiggles was lost due to an unfortunate adult circumcision.

(Video) Best storyboard software

Generate a shot just by typing...

Can't draw? Have a shot list? Or just want to quickly mockup reference shots without drawing? Just type a description into the Shot Generator in the sidebar, press return, and generate as many shots as you'd like. Change parameters as you want. Shots are fully customizable.

Double click to put it in the reference layer of the board. The generated shots are meant to be drawn over so they can be used as a guide.

If you can describe a shot and draw a smiley face, you can storyboard!

So you can generate a scene in seconds.

Examples of shots...

Key commands for everything.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (20)

Key commands really speed up your work. Pressing "N" for new board, and left and right arrows from navigating is essential. For some, knowing all the key commands is the key to working quickly. If you'd like to know what's possible, just press:

Command + K

Just a few features...

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Super Simple Interface

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (23)

Printed Worksheets

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (24)

Works with Wacom

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (25)

Easy Organization

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (26)

Draw Straight Lines

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (27)

Works with Fountain

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

(Video) How to draw A-grade storyboards (even if you can't draw!) | Media studies tutorial

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (28)

Open in Photoshop

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (29)

Measure Line Mileage

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (30)

Guides to Help Drawing

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

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Reference Layer

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

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Onion Skin

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

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Track Changes

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

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Collaborate on Github

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (35)

Export to Formats

5 tools, Incredibly fast drawing engine pressure sensitive.

Please click here to read the FAQ to learn more!

Why is Storyboarder free?

Storyboarder is niche software. The market is tiny. There's an inverse relationship between the market size and price we have to charge to make money. We are building this tool for ourselves to make better movies. We make money making movies, not software. We believe creative software should be free. Let's be completely real – I've never known anyone working on dope ass shit to be paying for the software they use anyways.

Storyboard Pro - Shitty software that costs $1000? Boords and other online software that just allows you to order images and costs a monthly fee?

Fuck those guys.

And fuck Sony Pictures. They make the worst fucking movies. What does that have to do with free software? Not much. Maybe use free software to make great movies and don't waste money going to a Sony movie? Fuck.

(Video) Storyboarder - Best Free Storyboard Program 2017

And fuck Dave Morin. And Gary Vaynerchuk. Ugh.

What are people saying?

"The print, shoot, import workflow is super slick. And it’s the best case I’ve ever seen for QR codes. Well done!"

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (37)

John August

Writer, Host of ScriptNotes.

"Holy effin dickbutt. This is the best. Far better than anything else out there, and I've basically seen it all."

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (38)

Pasquale D'Silva

Animator, Co-founder Thinko.

"You don't have a background layer? To be honest, if you hired me to work on your storyboards, I wouldn't use this."

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (39)

Matthew A. Taylor

Live Action Storyboard Artist

Dearest Friends,

We made Storyboarder because we needed a great storyboarding tool that simply didn't exist.

We use tools every day to help us do things. This is especially true with creative persuits. As many artists before us, we think that toolmaking is an important aspect of creation. Making a tool that allows us to realize our vision in a faster, richer, and more meaningful way is well worth the short term investment for the long term benefits.

It is very important that the primary purpose of this tool is to allow us to create better work. We want to iterate on it and make it better as we learn more from the process of using it. It is important that we are motivated almost exclusively by the betterment of our work, and not by making money. We will make money from creating great stories, not selling overpriced niche software.

We have been accused of trying to rethink the way things are done. "Why don't you just do it the way thousands have done it before?" "Why don't you just make your movie instead of making this tool?" These are the voices of closed-minded, common people. They lack the ability to dream of a better way. They don't push the human race forward. They discourage change. I hope you do not ignore them, but defy them.

Should other people want to use our tools to create something great, nothing should stand in the way of that. Additionally, we think it's important to listen to feedback and ideas, and if possible integrate the truly best ideas into the tool. I beleive great ideas are in all of us. Selfishly, I want to experience your stories. If I can make a tool to help you will them into the world, that would make me happy.

Tools are not a replacement for work. The tool alone doesn't make anything. Work is hard. Refining work into great work is even harder. Storyboarder, at the highest level, is a drawing organizer. It makes drawing and ordering drawings simpler. You could do this with a stack of paper and a pencil. Anyone who makes broad claims otherwise is a liar.

I invite you to use our tools freely. Please send us feedback, ideas, and suggestions. Feel free to share your work with us. We would love to see it. I also invite you to look at what we are working on - the reason why we made this tool. We are looking for people to join our team. If you are compelled by it, we would love to hear from you. Actually, either way, we would love to hear from you!

Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard. (40)

Charles Forman // Just some dude who cares.

Go ahead, craft better stories...

FAQs

What is the best way to storyboard? ›

The first is to grab a piece of paper or a storyboard template and start sketching. The second is to use specialist storyboard software. Both methods have their place. The advantage of a paper template is it's easily accessible and doesn't require a computer.

Why is Storyboarder so laggy? ›

Storyboarder uses your graphics card to render high quality brushes. Some graphics cards aren't fast enough, so we recommend turning off the setting for a smooth drawing experience if it is slow.

What are the 7 steps in storyboarding? ›

Let's take a look at what the 7 steps in storyboarding are.
  1. 1️⃣ Set Goals for Your Project.
  2. 2️⃣ Source Ideas and References.
  3. 3️⃣ Carefully Consider the Timeline.
  4. 4️⃣ Define Key Video Scenes.
  5. 5️⃣ Decide on a Level of Detail.
  6. 6️⃣ Sketch Out All Scenes.
  7. 7️⃣ Double Check Everything.

How do you use a storyboard? ›

How to Use Storyboard That - YouTube

How do I make my storyboard faster? ›

7 Tips on How to Create Storyboards Faster
  1. Don't make proper sketches. Draw thumbnails. ...
  2. Use the emotionality rule when choosing a camera angle. ...
  3. Learning how to plan and shoot more. ...
  4. Follow the rules for quick drawing:
  5. Learn to create stories and characters close to reality. ...
  6. One frame = no more than 5 minutes. ...
  7. Practice!
11 Apr 2022

How much do storyboard artists get paid? ›

Storyboard artists make $90,053 per year on average, or $43.29 per hour, in the United States. Storyboard artists on the lower end of that spectrum, the bottom 10% to be exact, make roughly $56,000 a year, while the top 10% makes $144,000.

How do you turn on onion skin in Storyboarder? ›

How to Use Onion Skin in Storyboard Pro - YouTube

Are there layers in Storyboarder? ›

Layer Types. Storyboard Pro supports four types of layers: Vector drawing layers, bitmap drawing layers, 3D layers and groups.

What are the 4 parts of a storyboard? ›

Elements of a Storyboard

Each shot of a storyboard captures several key elements: subject, background, camera shot, and the camera's movement.

What is the first thing to do when starting a storyboard? ›

The first thing you need for a storyboard is a vision. What does your film look like? Where do the events take place? How do you see it playing out?

What a storyboard looks like? ›

It basically looks like a comic strip. Each frame shows who or what is in the scene, what is being said and any other text or graphics that appear on the screen. Storyboards help work out inconsistencies in your idea for the video and the script.

What is storyboard layout? ›

A storyboard is a graphic layout that sequences illustrations and images with the purpose of visually telling a story. A story board is used to communicate how a scene will play out shot by shot and is often used for motion pictures, television, animation, commercials, pre-visualizations or interactive media.

Why is storyboarding important? ›

“Storyboarding,” as it's called, goes a long way for video production efforts to run smoothly. It's a way to visualize your shot list and prepare for production. More specifically, a storyboard shows your shots in a sequence and allows you to quickly describe your video.

How do I make my storyboard smarter? ›

How to Storyboard Smarter - YouTube

How long does it take to do a storyboard? ›

Here are the facts: every panel for a television storyboard based on a written script takes 10 – 20 minutes AVERAGE per panel WITHOUT revision time included. This is also based on a board that is done on paper with out adding the timing or dialogue tracts required in Toonboom Storyboard Pro or Adobe Flash.

How much does Storyboarder cost? ›

Weekly rates go from $1000-1500, to $2000-$3000 high level. On an hourly basis rates can range from $30-$50 per hour mid level to $60-$85 high level.

How many pages should a storyboard be? ›

Storyboard the major shots that move your story ahead, and let your shot list fill in the holes. This translates to around three pages per act in your film. Or, traditionally: beginning, middle, and end.

What skills are needed to be a storyboard artist? ›

The most important thing when applying for roles in storyboarding is to demonstrate good drawing skills. You need to show storytelling skills and an understanding of film. Many storyboard artists have a degree but you don't necessarily need one as long as you have a strong portfolio and can show your experience.

Who is the best storyboard artist? ›

Best Storyboard Artists
  • Sam Hudecki. Art_department | Dune: Part One. ...
  • Temple Clark. Art_department | Sherlock Holmes. ...
  • Genndy Tartakovsky. Producer | Samurai Jack. ...
  • Gabriel Hardman. Art_department | Logan. ...
  • Nick Pelham. Art_department | Spectre. ...
  • Cara Bernard. Actress | Life Is Strange: True Colors. ...
  • Anthony Rampal. ...
  • Joaquim Dos Santos.

How do you duplicate in Storyboarder? ›

How to Duplicate Panels in Storyboard Pro - YouTube

Does storyboard Pro have onion skin? ›

In Storyboard Pro, you can set up the onion skin to only include artwork for the currently selected layer. Since layers are different for each panel, and Onion Skin displays the artwork in surrounding panels, Storyboard Pro identifies which layers match the currently selected layer in the current panel by name.

Can you add text in Storyboarder? ›

You can add text to a storyboard in many different ways! Just navigate to the Speech Bubbles tab to find lots of text boxes and speech bubbles, including free form text without a background.

How do you use shot generator in Storyboarder? ›

Storyboarder Lesson 5 | How to use Shot Generator - YouTube

Is Storyboarder on iPad? ›

Storyboarding on your iPad is easy

But with the iPad, and the right app like Previs Pro, you can create professional-quality storyboards even if you can't draw.

How do you pan on Storyboarder? ›

Using the Hand tool, you can pan the Stage view. In the Tools toolbar, click the Hand tool. Hold down the Spacebar. Select Tools > Hand.

What comes first script or storyboard? ›

Even if you have a vision of how you would like your animated video to look, you cannot create a storyboard until you have the script completed. Trying to create a storyboard without a script is essentially putting the cart before the horse.

Is there a storyboard app? ›

Storyboard Pro is the online app you should choose. This tool offers an all-in-one storyboard solution that involves scripting, drawing, animating, audio and camera controls.

What comes first storyboard or shot list? ›

You should make your shot list after finishing your script, at the same time as creating your storyboard. Your shot list will help you visualise what you want. It'll make it easier to organise the cast, crew, equipment, and locations that bring your vision to life.

What are 5 important elements of a storyboard? ›

But when you boil it down, each story is actually made up of five basic story elements:
  • Character.
  • Conflict.
  • Plot.
  • Setting.
  • Theme.
11 Aug 2022

What are three 3 main components of storyboard? ›

3 Elements of a Great Storyboard
  • Main Ideas. Creating a great storyboard starts by including in large, bold text the main idea you wish you communicate on each slide. ...
  • Supporting Content. The next step in an effective storyboard is to include the supporting content for each slide. ...
  • Design Cues.
4 Jun 2019

What are the different types of storyboard explain with examples? ›

Styleboard – A sampling of a frame or two, usually for animated projects. Sketchboard – A rough board of hand-drawn sketches for action in each shot. Often used for ideation. Sceneboard – A refined version of a storyboard with a square for each scene.

How many scenes should a storyboard have? ›

On average, you can expect to see at least 15 to 20 scenes in a 60-seconds storyboard. Each scene is drawn to give you a glimpse of what is happening only in that particular scene.

Can you make a storyboard with photos? ›

A photo storyboard is a visual representation of a video or still photo shoot. Storyboards break down a photoshoot shoot shot by shot in individual panels. Each panel in a storyboard defines specific shot details visually and through text.

How many types of storyboard are there? ›

There are two basic versions of storyboard format: traditional and thumbnail. In short, the difference between these two layouts comes down to how much detail you include.

How do you create a storyboard template? ›

How to make a storyboard
  1. Open Canva. Open up Canva and search for the “Storyboards” to get started.
  2. Find storyboard templates for every theme. Narrow down your search by adding keywords that fit what you're looking for. ...
  3. Explore features. ...
  4. Keep customizing. ...
  5. Publish and share.

How do you storyboard a scene? ›

Visualize your film with a storyboard made in Milanote
  1. Identify key scenes in the script. When creating a storyboard, it's crucial to know what story you're telling. ...
  2. Map out the key scenes. ...
  3. Add images or sketches. ...
  4. Describe what happens in each frame. ...
  5. Share it with your team. ...
  6. Finally, reference it on the day.

How do you do a storyboard in PowerPoint? ›

Open PowerPoint Storyboarding from the Start menu. Click Storyboarding tab on the PowerPoint ribbon. Create a new slide with your desired layout. Open Storyboard Shapes and start dragging and dropping shapes onto your storyboard.

How do you storyboard people? ›

Storyboarding For People Who Can't Draw (Like Me!) : FRIDAY 101

Does a storyboard have to be hand drawn? ›

As it turns out, a storyboard doesn't have to be a work of art—it doesn't even have to be hand-drawn. With video production software, there are options for all types of users—regardless of their industry, design experience, or budget—to create useful professional-grade storyboards.

How do you make a storyboard for animation? ›

How To Storyboard for Animation (Part 1) #Storyboards ... - YouTube

What are the 4 parts of a storyboard? ›

Elements of a Storyboard

Each shot of a storyboard captures several key elements: subject, background, camera shot, and the camera's movement.

What comes first script or storyboard? ›

Even if you have a vision of how you would like your animated video to look, you cannot create a storyboard until you have the script completed. Trying to create a storyboard without a script is essentially putting the cart before the horse.

What comes first storyboard or shot list? ›

You should make your shot list after finishing your script, at the same time as creating your storyboard. Your shot list will help you visualise what you want. It'll make it easier to organise the cast, crew, equipment, and locations that bring your vision to life.

What is the first thing to do when starting a storyboard? ›

The first thing you need for a storyboard is a vision. What does your film look like? Where do the events take place? How do you see it playing out?

What are 5 important elements of a storyboard? ›

But when you boil it down, each story is actually made up of five basic story elements:
  • Character.
  • Conflict.
  • Plot.
  • Setting.
  • Theme.
11 Aug 2022

What are three 3 main components of storyboard? ›

3 Elements of a Great Storyboard
  • Main Ideas. Creating a great storyboard starts by including in large, bold text the main idea you wish you communicate on each slide. ...
  • Supporting Content. The next step in an effective storyboard is to include the supporting content for each slide. ...
  • Design Cues.
4 Jun 2019

What a storyboard looks like? ›

It basically looks like a comic strip. Each frame shows who or what is in the scene, what is being said and any other text or graphics that appear on the screen. Storyboards help work out inconsistencies in your idea for the video and the script.

How many pages should a storyboard be? ›

Storyboard the major shots that move your story ahead, and let your shot list fill in the holes. This translates to around three pages per act in your film. Or, traditionally: beginning, middle, and end.

How do you label a storyboard? ›

Add shot numbers & notes

For example, if you use more than one panel for the same shot, label them with letters as well. So if the first shot has three panels, you would label them “1A,” “1B,” and “1C." See the example below for what this looks like.

How do you become a shotlist? ›

How to Create a Shot List in 5 Steps
  1. Choose a scene from your script and open a new spreadsheet. ...
  2. Break down how you want to capture every individual shot in the scene one-by-one. ...
  3. Give each shot a unique number, starting with 1. ...
  4. Make sure you assign every part of the scene its own shot.
2 Sept 2022

How are storyboards numbered? ›

If you've gone the digital route and are using storyboarding software, your panels will be numbered automatically. If you're sketching your storyboard, numbering the shots is your last step.

What is a storyboard format? ›

A storyboard is a graphic organizer that plans a narrative. Storyboards are a powerful way to visually present information; the linear direction of the cells is perfect for storytelling, explaining a process, and showing the passage of time. At their core, storyboards are a set of sequential drawings to tell a story.

Why is a storyboard important? ›

A storyboard is a sketch where you tell your future story with characters and backgrounds. This set of slides helps you see the big picture of the whole story anticipated at the end. The storyboard provides an opportunity to fully prepare the rest of the crew for any video production.

What is storyboard presentation? ›

A storyboard in PowerPoint is a chart that shows a sequence of content. It typically contains a series of images, illustrations, drawings, screenshots or other visual graphics with captions for each.

Videos

1. How to Storyboard Smarter
(Toniko Pantoja)
2. 3 TIPS FOR BETTER STORYBOARDS
(Ethan Becker)
3. Storyboarder Lesson 1 | Intro and Overview of Storyboarder
(TJ FREE)
4. STORYBOARDER - Level up your Story Boards with this excellent piece of Software
(Harvey Newman)
5. StudioBinder | Free Storyboard Creator
(StudioBinder)
6. The easiest way to storyboard your videos: Hacks, tips and ideas | Storyboarding for beginners
(InVideo For Content Creators)
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