Planning a clip in Storyboard Studio
Storyboard Studio lets you plan a clip beat-by-beat on a board before you generate it. Each panel is a beat of the clip, and you build it by sketching, uploading an image, or captioning what should happen. The panels composite into a single page, and that page drives a generated video. It's the planning front end for Video Studio: instead of describing a whole clip in one prompt, you lay out the shots in order and let the board carry your intent into the generation.
How do I build a storyboard?
Add a panel for each beat of your clip, then fill it in one of three ways:
- Sketch — draw the shot directly on the panel.
- Upload — drop in an image to represent the beat.
- Caption — write what happens in that beat.
You can mix these across panels — sketch one, upload another, caption a third. Lay the panels out in the order you want the clip to play.
How do the panels become a video?
The panels composite into one page. That single page is what drives the generated video, so the sequence and content of your panels shape the clip that comes out. Planning beat-by-beat first means the generation follows a structure you set, rather than guessing the whole clip from a single prompt.
When should I use Storyboard Studio instead of Video Studio directly?
Use Storyboard Studio when the clip has distinct beats you want to control — a sequence of shots, a small story, a clear before-and-after. Use Video Studio directly when a single prompt or image already captures the clip you want. The two work together: Storyboard Studio plans, Video Studio generates, and the timeline editor finishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to draw to use Storyboard Studio?
No. You can sketch a panel, but you can also upload an image or just caption what should happen in that beat. Mix the three however you like across panels. If you would rather rough the sequence out on paper before you open the studio, the free printable storyboard templates download as PDFs in six panel layouts with no account needed.
How does the storyboard turn into a clip?
The panels composite into one page, and that page drives the generated video in Video Studio. The order and content of your panels shape the resulting clip.
Does Storyboard Studio need a paid plan?
No. Storyboard planning and the video it drives both work on the Free plan — video generation is available on every plan, it's just credit-gated rather than tier-locked. Free comes with 150 starter credits pooled across the Image, Music, and Video studios, which realistically covers about three short storyboard clips (a 5-second 480p clip at 40 credits) or one at 720p (85 credits) with change left over. Premium resolutions like 1080p and 4K aren't tier-locked — they simply cost more than that allowance holds — so what the Creator plan and above add is the credit allotment, a larger monthly video allowance, and publishing to Discover & PrismRadio. (The multi-track timeline editor is on every plan.) (The Creator Cast stream tools themselves are free on every plan.)