Storyboarding and Visual Planning

Plan Before You Film

In the previous lesson, we wrote scripts that hook viewers. Now let’s build on that foundation by planning what viewers will actually see.

A script tells you what to say. A storyboard tells you what to show. Without both, you’ll stand in front of a camera, script in hand, with no idea where to point the lens.

Storyboarding isn’t just for Hollywood. Even a talking-head tutorial benefits from visual planning—when to cut to a screen share, when to show B-roll, when to display text on screen.

The Storyboard Basics

A storyboard breaks your video into individual shots, showing:

What the viewer sees (composition, framing)
What they hear (dialogue, music, effects)
How long each shot lasts (timing)
How shots connect (transitions)

You don’t need artistic skill. Stick figures and boxes work perfectly.

Basic Storyboard Template:

┌─────────────────────┐
│                     │
│    [Visual          │
│     description]    │
│                     │
├─────────────────────┤
│ Shot: Wide/Medium/CU│
│ Audio: "Script line" │
│ Duration: 5 sec     │
│ Notes: Pan left     │
└─────────────────────┘

AI-Powered Storyboarding

Let AI translate your script into a visual plan:

Here's my video script:

[Paste script]

Create a storyboard with:
1. A visual description for each major section
2. Camera angle/shot type (wide, medium, close-up, screen share)
3. Duration for each shot
4. Transition between shots (cut, fade, swipe)
5. Any B-roll or graphics needed
6. On-screen text or lower thirds

Format as a numbered list of shots.

Example AI Output:

SHOT 1 (0:00-0:05)
Visual: Close-up of hands typing on keyboard, screen visible
Audio: "You know that feeling when your code finally works?"
Type: Close-up, shallow depth of field
Transition: Cut to Shot 2

SHOT 2 (0:05-0:15)
Visual: Medium shot of presenter at desk, looking at camera
Audio: "I'm going to show you three shortcuts that changed my workflow"
Type: Medium shot, eye-level
Transition: Cut to Shot 3

Shot Types and When to Use Them

Shot Type	What It Shows	When to Use It
Wide/Establishing	Full scene, environment	Opening shots, scene changes
Medium	Person from waist up	Talking, explaining
Close-up	Face or detail	Emotion, emphasis, detail
Over-the-shoulder	POV perspective	Demonstrations, screen work
Screen share	Computer/phone screen	Tutorials, demos
B-roll	Supporting footage	Transitions, variety
Text overlay	Words on screen	Key points, statistics

The visual variety rule: Never hold the same shot type for more than 30 seconds. Mix it up.

Quick Check

You’re planning a 5-minute tutorial about a software feature. Your storyboard has one shot type for the entire video: a screen recording with voiceover. What’s wrong with this approach?

See answer

A single continuous screen recording for 5 minutes will lose viewer attention regardless of how good the content is. Better approach: open with you on camera (hook), cut to screen recording for the demonstration, cut back to you for transitions between steps, add close-ups of key UI elements, and use text overlays for step numbers. Visual variety maintains engagement.

The B-Roll Strategy

B-roll is supplementary footage that covers transitions, illustrates points, and adds visual variety.

Types of B-Roll:

Contextual: Shows the environment or setup Demonstrative: Shows the action being described Symbolic: Represents an idea visually Transitional: Covers cuts between main footage

Planning B-Roll with AI:

My video is about [topic]. Here are the main points I cover:
1. [Point 1]
2. [Point 2]
3. [Point 3]

For each point, suggest:
- 2 B-roll shot ideas I can film myself
- 1 stock footage option as backup
- How long each B-roll clip should be
- Where in the timeline to insert it

From Storyboard to Shot List

The storyboard is your creative plan. The shot list is your filming checklist.

Shot List Structure:

#	Scene	Shot Type	Description	Equipment	Location	Duration
1	Intro	Medium	Presenter at desk	Camera A, ring light	Office	15s
2	Intro	Close-up	Hands on keyboard	Camera A, macro	Office	5s
3	Demo	Screen share	Software walkthrough	Screen capture	Desktop	90s

Filming Efficiency Tip:

Film by location, not by script order. If shots 1, 5, and 8 all happen at the same desk, film them back-to-back. Edit them into the right order later.

AI: Here's my storyboard with 15 shots:
[Paste storyboard]

Create an optimized shot list that groups shots by:
1. Location (minimize setup changes)
2. Equipment needed (minimize gear swaps)
3. Lighting conditions (if outdoor, group by time of day)

Number them in filming order, not final edit order.

Planning for Different Video Formats

YouTube (Long-form)

Detailed storyboard for complex transitions
Plan for chapters/timestamps
B-roll variety is essential for retention

TikTok/Reels (Short-form)

Simple storyboard: 3-5 shots maximum
First frame must be compelling (it’s the thumbnail)
Fast cuts, minimal transitions

Tutorial/Course Content

Screen share + face combo
Clear visual hierarchy
Step-by-step visual markers

Talking Head

Multiple camera angles or focal lengths
B-roll for variety
Text overlays for key points

Exercise: Create Your First Storyboard

Take the script you wrote in Lesson 2:

Divide your script into visual sections (where would the picture change?)
Assign a shot type to each section
Plan B-roll for every transition
Create a shot list organized by filming efficiency
Review by imagining watching the video—does it feel visually varied?

Key Takeaways

Storyboarding prevents wasted filming time and missed shots
Every video section needs a visual plan: what viewers see, hear, and how long
Shot variety keeps viewers engaged—never hold one shot type for more than 30 seconds
B-roll is not optional; plan it deliberately for transitions and visual interest
Shot lists organize filming by efficiency (location and setup), not script order
AI translates scripts into visual plans quickly, but your creative vision guides the choices

Up next: In the next lesson, we’ll dive into Filming and Production Workflows.