How to Make a Storyboard: Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Famed filmmakers throughout cinema history have made storyboards to plan out their shoots. Here’s a storyboard example for Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho:

Here, Hitchcock sketches to meticulously lay out one of the most famous scenes in movie history. This doesn’t just give the cinematographer a good idea of what to capture; it also is a helpful rubric for an editor. 

With a detailed board, you’re providing a blueprint to your entire crew. This will make the making of your movie all the more efficient, while allowing for collaboration early on in the process.

The Storyboard ABC’s

7 Steps to make a storyboard

Building a storyboard should feel exciting – this is the sandbox where you can imagine how your project is going to look. Here’s a step-by-step guide using StudioBinder's storyboard creator.

Even though we're using a particular software, the process is universal — whether your working digitally or with good old pencil and paper.

Let's get 'boarding!

Step 1: Decide on your presentation format

Before you start gathering images, drawing panels, hiring a storyboard artist, or doing any nuts-and-bolts illustration and pre-visualization work, you need to choose how you want to present your storyboards.

If you want to draw basic, straightforward sketches, you may want to create a board with twelve panels on a page. But if you want your illustrations to be detailed and complex, you may want larger frames, in which case you’ll only have a few panels per page.

The latter technique is typically the preferred option if you are planning on using your boards to pitch your project, since you can wow potential clients or investors with your visuals.

With StudioBinder, you can toggle between view types. This means that if you change your mind on your approach later, it’s no sweat. You can easily choose a different format.

Whether you prefer 4-column view...

...Or a one-column storyboard, you have the option.

Step 2: Read the scene

It should come as no surprise that to make a good storyboard, you need to understand the scene you’re boarding. What is the core purpose of the sequence? What are you trying to get across? How is the plot moving forward, and how are characters affected?

All these considerations will inform your shot choices and camera movement.

Step 3: Create or find your images

Once you’ve determined the aspect ratio and other settings for your project, you’ll need to start creating or gathering images. 

Basically, there are two options. The first is the old-school method of drawing out each panel. How can you make a storyboard if you can't draw? Here are some alternative storyboarding methods for non-artists.

The second option is the more modern incarnation of using storyboarding software and sourcing pre-existing visuals. You can take photos of your own, or use images from TV shows and movies as your visual references. As long as they clearly communicate your vision, there's no reason not to.

No matter the medium you choose, the content of your boards should be approached with the same level of purpose and detail. This is where storyboard composition comes into play.

Remember, with storyboards you can make creative and practical decisions without consequence. For example, choosing your shot sizes, your camera angles, or your camera movement can be worked out in advance, saving you time and creative energy when you're actually on set.

You'll find our complete playlist of videos on these various elements in our Shot List series on YouTube. 

Step 4: Add arrows

You can use arrows to indicate movement. Is a character walking across frame? Is it a close-up shifting to a wide shot? Or a tracking shot following the main character? Here are some quick examples of how arrows are used to indicate a moving camera. 

As with every storyboard element, arrows should add clarity. Don’t use too many and clutter the frame.

Step 5: Include descriptions and annotations

Now it’s time to add descriptions and annotation that will ensure the intention of each panel is clear. This can include shot descriptions, special notes, and visual annotations.

If you're using software like StudioBinder, you can add storyboard notes along with dialogue and shot specs. You can then quickly add arrows and text to mark how things are moving. Don’t like what you’ve added? You can always re-do the step.

Step 7: Print

You’ve done all the hard work, so you’ll want to make sure you have your boards at your disposal on set. This means printing out hard copies to hand out to departments. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page.

StudioBinder’s customizable PDF generator allows you to print boards with professional presentation with added security. You can hide/include shot specs, determine your page layout, choose whether to have color, create front and back covers, add custom watermarks, and select headers and footers.