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Storyboard template

Free template

Storyboard Template (PDF, Word) and Examples

A storyboard template is a page of empty frames with lines underneath for the shot, camera move, action and sound, so you can draw a film shot by shot before the shoot. Download it free as a PDF or Word file, or build your own here in any aspect ratio, then see three storyboard examples below.

Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial

Aspect ratio
Panels per page
Paper
Orientation
Under each panel
StoryboardPage 1 of 1
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Download the storyboard template

Six 16:9 frames per US Letter page, with lines for shot, size, move, action and sound. Print the PDF and sketch by hand, or open the Word file in Word or Google Docs and type the notes.

Printable PDFWord (.docx)

Want to draw, add images and reorder frames on screen? Try the free storyboard creator.

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.

What do storyboard examples show you?

How a scene breaks into shots. In the examples below, a dialogue scene opens wide, moves in as the tension rises and returns to the opening frame for the ending, while the chase keeps screen direction left to right so the audience never loses the courier.

Notice that every frame names a shot size and a camera move even when the move is static. A crew reads those notes first.

Can I use the storyboard template in Word or Google Docs?

Yes. Download the Word file and type your notes under each frame in Word, or drag it into Google Drive and open it with Google Docs. Insert a sketch or reference image into any frame, or print it and draw by hand.

Storyboard examples, frame by frame

Three storyboard examples for original scenes: a dialogue scene, an action beat and a comedy opening. Each frame shows the shot size, angle, camera move, action and the line or sound over it. Stick figures are all a board needs.

Dialogue scene, six frames

The phone call

  1. Wide, Eye level, Static

    Kitchen at night. MAYA alone at the table, phone face down.

    Fridge hum.

  2. Insert, Overhead, Static

    The phone buzzes and lights up: DAD.

    Buzzing on wood.

  3. Close up, Eye level, Static, hold

    Maya stares at it and does not move.

  4. Over the shoulder, Eye level, Slow push in

    She turns the phone over and answers. Her thumb shakes.

    MAYA: Hi, Dad.

  5. Extreme close up, Eye level, Static

    Her eyes as she listens.

    His voice, muffled, words lost.

  6. Wide, same as frame 1, Eye level, Static

    She is standing now, chair pushed back.

    Chair scrapes. Cut.

Action beat, six frames

The chase

  1. Establishing, High angle, Slow push in

    Market street at dusk. A courier on a bike threads the stalls.

    Crowd, traders calling.

  2. Medium, Eye level, Static

    The courier glances back. Two figures in grey push through the crowd.

  3. Tracking, Eye level, Track left to right

    Bike and runners in one frame, stalls whipping past.

    Feet, bell, shouting.

  4. Point of view, Eye level, Handheld

    A delivery van reverses into the only gap.

    Reversing beeps.

  5. Close up, Low angle, Static

    The courier ducks under the van’s tail as it closes.

  6. Wide, Eye level, Static

    The runners stop at the van. The courier is gone. Keep screen direction left to right.

    RUNNER: Where did he go?

Comedy opening, four frames

First day

  1. Establishing, Eye level, Static

    A glass office tower. Everyone streams in wearing grey.

    Morning traffic.

  2. Wide, Eye level, Pan right

    JONAH, new hire, arrives in a bright yellow suit. Heads turn.

  3. Two shot, Eye level, Static

    The receptionist looks him up and down.

    RECEPTIONIST: They told you it was fancy dress?

  4. Close up, Low angle, Push in

    Jonah, smiling bravely, clips on his name badge upside down.

    JONAH: I was told to stand out.

Questions writers ask

Where can I see storyboard examples?

Below the template are three storyboard examples drawn frame by frame: a dialogue scene, an action chase and a comedy opening, each with shot size, angle, camera move, action and sound.

Is there a storyboard template in Word?

Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file above: six 16:9 frames per page with lines for shot, size, move, action and sound. It opens in Google Docs too.

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 in this template, which is for sketching after you print. The free storyboard creator lets you draw in each frame or add your own images, then print or save the board as a PDF.

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.

Further reading

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