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Storyboard template

Free template

Free Storyboard Template (Printable PDF)

A storyboard is your film drawn shot by shot, so everyone on set sees the same frame before the camera rolls. Build a free printable storyboard here: pick the aspect ratio, panels per page and paper, type shot notes under each frame, then print it or save it as a PDF, filled in or blank.

Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial

Aspect ratio
Panels per page
Paper
Orientation
Under each panel
StoryboardPage 1 of 1
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2
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How to use it

  1. 1

    Pick the aspect ratio you will shoot, how many panels per page, and Letter or A4, portrait or landscape.

  2. 2

    Choose which notes sit under each panel, then type shot numbers, sizes, moves, action and sound.

  3. 3

    Print or save as PDF and sketch into the frames, or tap Print blank for an empty template.

Which aspect ratio should your storyboard use?

Aspect ratioWhere you see it
16:9HD and 4K television, streaming, YouTube and most digital shorts
2.39:1Anamorphic or "scope" widescreen cinema, the widest common frame
1.85:1Flat widescreen, a common theatrical ratio for dramas and comedies
4:3Classic television and older films, now a deliberate period or intimate look
9:16Vertical video for phones: Reels, TikTok, Shorts and vertical series

Do you need to draw well to storyboard?

No. Stick figures with clear arrows beat a beautiful drawing nobody can read. What matters is the frame: where the camera is, how big the subject is, which way people are looking and moving. Draw the frame edge first, then the horizon line, then the people as simple shapes.

Use the notes under each panel for what a drawing cannot show: the shot number, the size (wide, medium, close), any camera move, and the line of dialogue or sound that plays over it.

Why does the aspect ratio of the frame matter?

Because composition depends on it. A two shot that fits easily in a 2.39:1 frame needs the actors much closer together in 4:3, and a vertical 9:16 frame stacks things top to bottom instead of side to side. Boarding in the ratio you will actually shoot catches those problems on paper, where they are free to fix.

How many panels per page should you use?

Three or four large panels per page suit detailed boards for action, stunts and effects, where every frame needs room. Six is the everyday choice for dialogue scenes. Nine small panels work for quick thumbnails while you are still finding the sequence.

Planning shots in a table first is often faster. The free shot list template lets you list every setup, then you board only the ones that need a picture.

Storyboard examples, panel by panel

Two worked storyboard examples for original scenes, written out the way you would fill the notes under each frame. Sketch stick figures in the boxes above and copy the shot, action and sound lines.

Dialogue scene, six panels

The phone call

Panel 1: Wide
A kitchen at night. MAYA sits alone at the table, a phone face down beside a cold cup of tea. Sound: the fridge hum.
Panel 2: Insert
The phone buzzes and lights up: DAD. Sound: buzzing against the wood.
Panel 3: Close up
Maya stares at it and does not move. Camera: static, holding longer than is comfortable.
Panel 4: Over the shoulder
She turns the phone over and answers. We see the screen and her thumb shaking.
Panel 5: Extreme close up
Her eyes as she listens. Sound: the voice on the line, muffled, we cannot make out the words.
Panel 6: Wide
Same frame as panel 1, but she is standing now, the chair pushed back. Cut on the sound of the chair.

Action beat, six panels

The chase

Panel 1: Establishing
A market street at dusk, crowded. A courier on a bike threads through stalls. Camera: high angle, slow push in.
Panel 2: Medium
The courier glances back. Two figures in grey push through the crowd behind him. Arrow: their direction of travel.
Panel 3: Tracking
Side on, the bike and the runners in the same frame, stalls whipping past. Camera: track left to right with the action.
Panel 4: Point of view
From the courier: a delivery van reversing into the only gap. Sound: reversing beeps.
Panel 5: Low angle
The courier ducks under the van’s tail as it closes. Camera: on the ground, looking up.
Panel 6: Wide
The runners stop at the van. The courier is gone. Keep screen direction left to right so the audience never loses him.

Questions writers ask

Where can I see storyboard examples?

Below the template are two worked storyboard examples, a quiet dialogue scene and an action chase, written out panel by panel with shot size, action, camera and sound.

Is there a free storyboard template PDF?

Yes. Set it up here and tap Print or save PDF, then choose Save as PDF in the print dialog. Print blank gives you an empty template.

Can I make a 16:9 storyboard template?

Yes. 16:9 is the default. You can also switch to 2.39:1, 1.85:1, 4:3 or 9:16 vertical, and the frames redraw at that shape.

Does it print on A4?

Yes. Pick US Letter or A4 and portrait or landscape. Each storyboard page is sized to print on one sheet.

Can I draw in the frames on screen?

Not yet. The frames are for sketching after you print. The notes under each panel can be typed on screen before printing.

What goes under a storyboard panel?

Usually the shot number, the shot size, any camera movement, a line of action and the dialogue or sound over the shot. Turn each one on or off here.

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