In animation, the storyboard is where the film is actually directed. Every pose, cut, and camera move is decided on the board before anyone animates a frame, because changing it later is expensive. Animation boards are usually drawn several panels per page, read top to bottom, with notes beside each panel for action, dialogue, and timing. This template follows that convention: three 16:9 panels on a portrait US Letter page, notes to the right, and action-safe and title-safe areas switched on.
How to use it
- One panel per key pose or change. A single shot in animation often needs several panels: the start of an action, the key pose, and the end. They can all share a shot in your notes.
- Time everything. Use the duration field on each panel. Animators work from these timings, and the totals show whether a sequence fits its slot.
- Draw camera moves on the panel. Mark pans and push-ins with arrows and an end frame, then pick the move in the panel header so it reads clearly in the notes. Our guide to shot types and camera moves covers the vocabulary.
- Respect safe areas. Broadcast and streaming deliveries crop and overlay near the edges; keep key action inside action safe and any text inside title safe.
From boards to animatic
Once the board is approved, the panels are usually cut together with the dialogue track into an animatic to check the timing. Keeping accurate durations on the board makes that step much faster. For the bigger picture, read what a storyboard is and how to make one. Working on a widescreen short instead? Try the 2.39:1 template.