Vertical video is its own medium. A 9:16 frame is tall and narrow, and viewers decide in the first second or two whether to keep watching. Storyboarding a short-form video — even one you will shoot on a phone — is the fastest way to tighten the hook, cut dead time, and make sure every shot reads on a small screen. This template puts four 9:16 frames side by side on a landscape page, with a tall notes box under each for action, on-screen text, and audio.
Plan the first three seconds
Use shot 1 for your hook: the most surprising image, the result before the process, or a question on screen. Give it a duration of a second or two in the notes, and check that the next shot changes something — framing, subject, or movement — so the video keeps moving. Adding up the durations across the board tells you the real running time.
Tips for vertical frames
- Stack, don't spread. Vertical frames favor subjects arranged top to bottom: a face over a product, a person over a location.
- Leave room for the app. Reels, TikTok, and Shorts overlay captions, usernames, and buttons along the bottom and right side of the screen. Keep faces and on-screen text toward the upper middle of the frame, and turn on safe areas as a reminder to stay away from the edges.
- Write the on-screen text. Most short-form video is watched without sound, so note captions and text overlays in the dialogue box alongside any voice-over.
- Shooting horizontal too? Board in 16:9 with the 9:16 crop guide instead, so one shoot serves both versions. See the 16:9 template and the guide to crop guides.