What Exactly Should Go in a Storyboard Sheet

A storyboard sheet is the least conspicuous file in the production process, yet it is also the one most likely to cause problems. I have seen many projects where the storyboard looked polished, but execution got stuck everywhere—because the information that was needed was not written down, and the information that was written was not useful. The value of a storyboard sheet is not that it looks good, but that the people executing it do not need to ask further questions.

The essence of a storyboard sheet: an execution contract

First, clarify its role. A storyboard sheet is not a creative document, nor is it a retelling of the script. It is a document that turns the director’s intent into execution instructions. There is only one standard for judging whether a storyboard sheet is good: can another person take it and create the shot without asking questions? Starting from that standard, it becomes clear which information must be included and which is unnecessary.

Information that must be included

1. Shot number and order

This may seem like common sense, but many storyboard sheets already run into problems here. The purpose of numbering is unique identification. A project may have dozens or even hundreds of shots. If the numbering rules are inconsistent—some by scene, some by sequence, some changed temporarily—later communication will become extremely chaotic. Order determines the basic structure during editing. The storyboard order does not necessarily have to match the final film order—but there must at least be a definite current order, and changes must also leave a trace.

2. Shot size

Shot size determines the distance between the audience and the subject. If a storyboard does not specify shot size, execution will inevitably result in "everything being shot as a medium shot"—because a medium shot is the safest default. But if the entire piece is made of medium shots, there is no rhythm to speak of. The granularity of shot sizes does not need to be too fine; five levels—long shot, full shot, medium shot, close-up, extreme close-up—are usually enough, but they must be clear.

3. Angle and camera position

Angle determines the audience’s psychological position. For the same shot of a person speaking, eye-level, low-angle, and high-angle shots convey completely different attitudes. If the angle is not written, execution will default to eye level—which is equivalent to giving up expression. Camera position is usually written together with angle. For scenes that require spatial relationships, such as shot/reverse-shot dialogue scenes, camera position is especially important.

4. Camera movement

Camera movement is the only shot element that acts on time. A locked-off shot and a push-in shot of the same subject have completely different senses of rhythm. If it is not specified, execution will tend to choose a locked-off shot—because it is least likely to go wrong, but it also has the least rhythm. In NadouPro’s storyboard node, shot size, movement, and camera angle are parallel information items and are basic components of storyboard processing.

5. Description of on-screen content

This is the part of a storyboard sheet that most resembles a "script": what happens in this shot, who is there, and what they are doing. What needs attention is the level of detail in the description. Too broad—"he is very sad"—cannot be executed; too detailed—writing out every micro-expression—will limit the executor’s room to work. A reasonable approach is to describe observable actions and states, leaving emotion to performance and shot treatment.

6. Duration

Duration is the physical carrier of rhythm. Many people overlook this item, resulting in generated shots that are either too long, causing the audience to lose patience, or too short, leaving information unexplained. Only when the estimated duration is clearly marked is there a basis for rhythm control during editing.

7. Subject references

In an AI production workflow, this item is more necessary than in a traditional workflow. This is because characters, scenes, and props need to be referenced from existing assets rather than described again each time. In NadouPro, storyboard editing supports modifying subject references—in other words, which character and which scene are used in a given shot can be explicitly specified. When this step is done correctly, cross-shot consistency has a guarantee.

Information that may or may not be included

The following information is "helpful but not required" and depends on the complexity of the project:

1. Dialogue: shots with dialogue need it, for voiceover and lip-sync matching.
2. Sound effects and music cues: indicate the sound atmosphere of the shot to make later scoring easier.
3. Transition method: cut, fade in/out, dissolve, and so on. Simple projects can leave this to be decided during editing.
4. Depth of field and lens parameters: in projects that require strict control over the visual texture, this part will be written into the storyboard. NadouPro’s field configuration supports adjusting parameters such as shot size, depth of field, and lens angle, so this information can exist in structured fields instead of being mixed into descriptive text.
5. Notes: supplementary instructions for the executor, such as "refer to the lighting of a certain film."

A common structural problem

The most common mistake in storyboard sheets is mixing descriptive information with instructional information.

For example:
(Not good) Shot 12: He pushes the door open, with a complex expression. Light slants in from outside the window, somewhat melancholic. Use a medium shot.

This sentence mixes together action, the door push; emotion, complex and melancholic; lighting, slanting in from outside the window; and shot, medium shot. The executor has to break it down themselves, making it easy to miss information. A better way to write it is in layers. The benefit of layering is that each item can be checked and modified independently. If the lighting is wrong, you only change the lighting item, without affecting other information.

A self-check checklist

After finishing the storyboard sheet, you can go through these questions:

1. Can it be executed? If you give it to someone who did not take part in the discussion, can they make it directly?
2. Is there variation in shot size? Is the whole piece made of medium shots?
3. Does the angle serve the narrative? Or is everything eye-level throughout?
4. Has movement been specified? Or is it locked off by default?
5. Has duration been marked? Is there a rough estimate of the rhythm of the whole piece?
6. Are subject references clear? Do the characters and scenes in each shot clearly point to existing assets?
7. Are levels mixed together? Are description, instruction, and emotion mixed into a single sentence?

These seven questions basically cover the common flaws in storyboard sheets.

Finally

Ultimately, the role of a storyboard sheet is to consume uncertainty in advance. During production, every time someone encounters "this isn’t written clearly," work has to stop for confirmation, discussion, and decision-making—and the accumulation of these temporary decisions is what causes a project to lose control. A clearly written storyboard sheet is equivalent to resolving these issues before work begins. So whether a storyboard sheet is detailed enough is not a matter of form, but a matter of cost.

Contains AI-generated information that may be incorrect. Please verify independently.