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How to make a storyboard

A storyboard is a sequence of panels that show how a scene or film will look: one image (or frame) per beat, usually with notes for action, lens, or blocking. It helps you think before you shoot and gives your crew a shared picture of the plan. In Spell Slate, the storyboard lives in the same project as your script, breakdown, schedule, and shot list. You are not maintaining a separate scene list by hand. If you are comparing tools, products like StudioBinder emphasize a canvas-style editor with arrows, image filters, and deep PDF branding. Spell Slate focuses on scene-based panels, notes, exports that match your scene filters, and ties to lookbooks and the rest of prep.

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What goes in a storyboard

Typical elements:

• Frames – Photos, stills, sketches, or pre-vis stills per beat.
• Scene context – Which script scene each panel belongs to.
• Notes – Shot size, movement, eyeline, VFX, or reminders for cast and camera.
• Order – Left-to-right, scene by scene, in story order.

Spell Slate numbers panels within each scene. You can reorder by dragging on the edit page.

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Before you start: script in the project

1. Import your script or write in the script editor.
2. Run a breakdown so scenes and sluglines match what you expect.

Your storyboard rows follow script scenes from the latest import. If you revise the script later, see Storyboard for how Unlinked panels work and how to reassign panels.

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Step 1: Open Storyboard and create it

1. Open your project.
2. Go to Visual, then Storyboard.
3. Click Create storyboard.

One project has one storyboard. Plan limits apply (first project on Free; all projects on paid tiers).

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Step 2: Decide your workflow

You can combine both:

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Upload an existing board PDF

1. Open Edit storyboard.
2. Under Upload your storyboard PDF, choose Upload PDF and save.

The file appears on the storyboard show page and for team members with storyboard access on the Day Bible. You can still add built panels alongside it.

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Build panels from scratch

1. Stay on Edit storyboard.
2. In Build panels, use Add panel for the focused scene in one-scene-at-a-time mode (or unassigned when Show all scenes is on with no jump selection), or + Add panel to Sc. N under a scene heading.

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Step 3: Read the scene, then assign panels

Before you add images, know what the scene needs: beats, coverage, and what you want the crew to see.

• Add panels to the scene they belong to so exports and lookbook scene pages stay aligned.
• Panels without a scene sit under Unassigned until you move them (remove and re-add to the correct scene, or use the flows your project uses for assignment).

Use Filter scenes and Show all scenes vs one scene at a time so the strip matches how you think through the draft. Details: Storyboard.

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Step 4: Add frame images and descriptions

On each panel card:

1. Click the frame area and upload an image from your device.
2. Click the description field and type notes (size, movement, intent).

Spell Slate does not include an in-canvas drawing tool or arrow overlays on the frame. If you need arrows or sketches on the image, draw in another app, export a PNG or JPEG, then upload that image to the panel.

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Step 5: Refine layout on the page

• One scene at a time – Focused strip; URL includes focus so links are shareable.
• Show all scenes – Long scroll of every filtered scene.
• Filter scenes – Narrow by location or pick specific scenes before export or share.

Reorder panels inside a scene by dragging. Panel numbers update automatically.

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Step 6: Export a storyboard PDF

1. Set filters and view so the on-screen strip matches what should print.
2. On the show page, open More, then Sheet PDF layout, and set toggles (headers, borders, images, notes, etc.). Changes save when you change options.
3. Click PDF, then Export storyboard sheet PDF.
4. When processing finishes, use Download storyboard sheet PDF.

If you only use an uploaded external PDF, use Download uploaded PDF instead. Full detail: Storyboard (export section).

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Step 7: Share with collaborators

1. Click Share on the storyboard page.
2. Create view-only link and copy the URL.

Recipients do not need a Spell Slate account. Shared views respect URL filters when you narrowed the board.

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Step 8: Use panels in a lookbook

On a lookbook scene page, you can set content to Project storyboard so panels for that scene appear next to references. See Lookbook and Storyboard.

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Next steps

• Storyboard – Filters, Day Bible, script revision behavior, and permissions.
• Shot list – Shots tied to script lines; works alongside the storyboard.
• Lookbook – Visual references and optional project storyboard panels.